Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AARD) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

Key Points

• Short interest fell 18.1% to 1,132,986 shares as of March 31, equal to 5.2% of the float and a short‑interest ratio of 3.8 days based on average daily volume.
• Analyst consensus is "Moderate Buy" with a $22.60 average price target, though ratings and targets vary widely—from Oppenheimer's $21 (cut) to Raymond James' $47—ranging from Strong Buy to Sell.
• Stock is small and volatile with negative earnings: AARD opened at $5.08, has a market cap of about $111M, reported EPS of (‑$0.81) last quarter, a beta of 5.33, and a 52‑week range of $3.35–$17.94.

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AARD - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 1,132,986 shares, a decline of 18.1% from the March 15th total of 1,383,335 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 298,823 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.8 days. Currently, 5.2% of the company's shares are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on AARD. Oppenheimer cut their price objective on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics from $35.00 to $21.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 2nd. HC Wainwright reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Monday, March 2nd. B. Riley Financial began coverage on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. They set a "buy" rating and a $32.00 price objective on the stock. Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating and set a $47.00 price objective on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Friday, March 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Aardvark Therapeutics currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $22.60.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cresset Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,951,000. Diadema Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth about $208,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth about $56,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its position in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics by 259.5% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 14,080 shares of the company's stock worth $185,000 after purchasing an additional 10,163 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth about $102,000.

Aardvark Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of Aardvark Therapeutics stock opened at $5.08 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $7.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $10.97. The company has a market cap of $110.85 million, a P/E ratio of -1.73 and a beta of 5.33. Aardvark Therapeutics has a fifty-two week low of $3.35 and a fifty-two week high of $17.94.

Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 23rd. The company reported ($0.81) earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.81).

About Aardvark Therapeutics

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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