Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX - Get Free Report) was down 1.3% on Monday . The stock traded as low as $40.77 and last traded at $41.70. Approximately 919,009 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 79% from the average daily volume of 4,468,729 shares. The stock had previously closed at $42.25.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several research firms recently issued reports on VKTX. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. StockNews.com raised Viking Therapeutics to a "sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $102.00 price target on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. B. Riley began coverage on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $109.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $138.00 price target on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Viking Therapeutics has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $106.75.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Viking Therapeutics
Viking Therapeutics Stock Performance
The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $57.58 and its 200 day simple moving average is $57.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.72 billion, a P/E ratio of -45.50 and a beta of 0.89.
Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The biotechnology company reported ($0.22) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.24) by $0.02. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.23) EPS. Analysts anticipate that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, CFO Greg Zante sold 131,687 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.61, for a total value of $10,088,541.07. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 149,366 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,442,929.26. This represents a 46.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Lawson Macartney sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.67, for a total transaction of $137,340.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 47,965 shares in the company, valued at $3,293,756.55. This trade represents a 4.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 144,687 shares of company stock valued at $11,115,671. 4.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Viking Therapeutics
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Blue Trust Inc. acquired a new stake in Viking Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 124.6% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 438 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. Stone House Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 66.7% during the third quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its stake in 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 buying an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. 76.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Viking Therapeutics Company Profile
(
Get 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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