Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) Receives $87.80 Average PT from Brokerages
by Sarita Garza · The Markets DailyViking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX – Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have given a hold recommendation, five have given a buy recommendation and four have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $87.80.
A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. BTIG Research upgraded shares of Viking Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $99.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Zacks Research raised shares of Viking Therapeutics from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $102.00 target price on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, March 23rd.
View Our Latest Stock Report on Viking Therapeutics
Viking Therapeutics Price Performance
VKTX opened at $34.80 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $32.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $33.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.02 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.94 and a beta of 0.83. Viking Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $18.92 and a 12-month high of $43.15.
Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.38) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.89) by ($0.49). During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.32) earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Viking Therapeutics will post -1.56 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Transactions at Viking Therapeutics
In other Viking Therapeutics news, CFO Greg Zante sold 57,661 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.90, for a total value of $1,897,046.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 189,891 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,247,413.90. This represents a 23.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, COO Marianna Mancini sold 57,661 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.98, for a total value of $1,901,659.78. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 409,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,495,086.20. This represents a 12.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 348,731 shares of company stock worth $11,491,867. Insiders own 4.10% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 38.6% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 53,053 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $1,866,000 after buying an additional 14,772 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 7.7% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 17,158 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $604,000 after buying an additional 1,233 shares in the last quarter. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Viking Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth about $165,000. Wick Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Viking Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth about $115,000. Finally, Seven Fleet Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics during the 4th quarter valued at about $211,000. 76.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Viking Therapeutics Company Profile
Viking Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company’s pipeline leverages small-molecule approaches to target hormone signaling pathways implicated in conditions such as non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and muscle wasting disorders.
The company’s lead programs include VK2809, a thyroid hormone receptor‐beta agonist designed to reduce liver fat and improve lipid profiles in patients with NASH and dyslipidemia, and VK5211, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) aimed at enhancing muscle mass and function in individuals with muscle wasting conditions.