Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX - Free Report) by 0.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,880,713 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after acquiring an additional 17,046 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned approximately 1.69% of Viking Therapeutics worth $75,704,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 75.9% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 716 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 309 shares during the last quarter. YANKCOM Partnership bought a new stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 170.2% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 1,351 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 851 shares during the last quarter. S.A. Mason LLC boosted its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 20.0% during the fourth quarter. S.A. Mason LLC now owns 1,800 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wolff Wiese Magana LLC acquired a new position in Viking Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth approximately $75,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.03% of the company's stock.
Viking Therapeutics Stock Performance
Shares of NASDAQ VKTX traded up $1.96 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $24.18. 6,924,952 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,999,607. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $27.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $43.07. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a 12 month low of $18.92 and a 12 month high of $81.86. The firm has a market cap of $2.72 billion, a PE ratio of -24.18 and a beta of 0.84.
Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.32) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.27) by ($0.05). During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.25) EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -1.56 EPS for the current year.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup initiated coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, February 7th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $38.00 price objective for the company. HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $102.00 price target on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. B. Riley restated a "buy" rating and set a $96.00 price objective (down previously from $109.00) on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Friday, February 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $30.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Maxim Group cut their target price on shares of Viking Therapeutics from $120.00 to $70.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Viking Therapeutics currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $89.75.
Get Our Latest Research Report on VKTX
Insider Activity at Viking Therapeutics
In related news, Director Sarah Kathryn Rouan acquired 1,240 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $24.15 per share, with a total value of $29,946.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,240 shares in the company, valued at $29,946. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 4.70% of the company's stock.
Viking Therapeutics Profile
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Free Report)
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.
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