Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AARD) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is mixed: Thirteen analysts give Aardvark Therapeutics an average “Hold” rating, with a consensus 12-month price target of $16.30. Ratings include two sells, four holds, six buys and one strong buy.
• Recent broker actions were largely cautious: Morgan Stanley cut its price target to $3 and maintained an “underweight” rating, while BTIG downgraded the stock to “hold”; B. Riley retained a “buy” rating but lowered its target to $7.
• The stock traded at $7.08 after rising 7.3%: Aardvark has a $154.91 million market capitalization, a 52-week range of $3.35 to $17.94 and reported a quarterly loss of $0.99 per share.

Shares of Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AARD - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Hold" from the thirteen analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have given a hold recommendation, six have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $16.30.

A number of brokerages have commented on AARD. Weiss Ratings raised Aardvark Therapeutics from a "sell (e+)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. B. Riley Financial reduced their price objective on Aardvark Therapeutics from $8.00 to $7.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 15th. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $6.00 target price on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Monday, July 20th. BTIG Research downgraded shares of Aardvark Therapeutics from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an "underweight" rating and set a $3.00 price target (down from $7.00) on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, May 15th.

Aardvark Therapeutics Trading Up 7.3%

NASDAQ AARD opened at $7.08 on Tuesday. Aardvark Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $3.35 and a 12-month high of $17.94. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $5.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $6.94. The stock has a market cap of $154.91 million, a P/E ratio of -2.21 and a beta of 3.80.

Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported ($0.99) earnings per share for the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Aardvark Therapeutics will post -3.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Aardvark Therapeutics

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AARD. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. acquired a new position in Aardvark Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at $42,000. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth about $56,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund acquired a new position in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter valued at about $99,000. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth about $102,000.

Aardvark Therapeutics Company Profile

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specializing in the discovery and development of small-molecule modulators of the retinoic acid receptor–related orphan receptor gamma (RORγ). RORγ plays a central role in T-helper 17 (Th17) cell differentiation and inflammatory processes. By targeting this transcription factor, Aardvark aims to address a range of autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases.

The company's lead programs consist of selective RORγ inverse agonists designed to suppress pathogenic Th17-driven responses in conditions such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic inflammatory disorders.

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