Lewis Asset Management LLC Purchases 10,880 Shares of Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX)

Lewis Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX - Free Report) by 35.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 41,275 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after purchasing an additional 10,880 shares during the quarter. Viking Therapeutics accounts for approximately 1.3% of Lewis Asset Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 19th largest position. Lewis Asset Management LLC's holdings in Viking Therapeutics were worth $1,661,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of VKTX. Blue Trust Inc. bought a new position in Viking Therapeutics during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 124.6% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 438 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the period. Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Viking Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Stone House Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 66.7% in the 3rd quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV boosted its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 84.3% in the 3rd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 553 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.03% of the company's stock.

Viking Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of VKTX stock traded up $0.26 during trading on Thursday, reaching $33.69. The company had a trading volume of 2,471,096 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,525,485. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $42.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $54.89. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a one year low of $22.51 and a one year high of $99.41. The company has a market capitalization of $3.75 billion, a PE ratio of -36.23 and a beta of 0.95.

Insider Activity at Viking Therapeutics

In related news, CEO Brian Lian sold 194,490 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.75, for a total transaction of $8,314,447.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 2,366,570 shares in the company, valued at $101,170,867.50. This trade represents a 7.59 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Marianna Mancini sold 54,215 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.75, for a total value of $2,317,691.25. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 374,134 shares of the company's stock, valued at $15,994,228.50. This trade represents a 12.66 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 301,014 shares of company stock valued at $12,920,189. Corporate insiders own 4.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on VKTX shares. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. StockNews.com raised Viking Therapeutics to a "sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $102.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $74.00 price objective for the company. Finally, B. Riley initiated coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $109.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $106.75.

About Viking Therapeutics

Viking Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. The company's lead drug candidate is VK2809, an orally available tissue and receptor-subtype selective agonist of the thyroid hormone receptor beta (TRß), which is in Phase IIb clinical trials to treat patients with biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, as well as NAFLD.