Ascendis Pharma A/S (NASDAQ:ASND) Given New $315.00 Price Target at UBS Group

Key Points

• UBS raised its price target on Ascendis Pharma to $315 from $269 and maintained a Buy rating, implying 14.31% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: 19 analysts rate the stock Buy and two Hold, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target of $310.57.
• Ascendis shares rose 3.2% to $275.56 in Friday trading. In its reported quarter, the company missed EPS expectations but exceeded revenue estimates.

Ascendis Pharma A/S (NASDAQ:ASND - Get Free Report) had its price target hoisted by research analysts at UBS Group from $269.00 to $315.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the biotechnology company's stock. UBS Group's price target points to a potential upside of 14.31% from the company's previous close.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Ascendis Pharma A/S from $326.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised Ascendis Pharma A/S from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, November 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their target price on Ascendis Pharma A/S from $268.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Friday. Wedbush reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $327.00 price target on shares of Ascendis Pharma A/S in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Ascendis Pharma A/S from $275.00 to $273.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $310.57.

Ascendis Pharma A/S Trading Up 3.2%

ASND stock traded up $8.48 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $275.56. The stock had a trading volume of 177,699 shares, compared to its average volume of 700,609. The firm has a market cap of $17.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.33 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a current ratio of 2.99, a quick ratio of 2.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. Ascendis Pharma A/S has a 1-year low of $188.08 and a 1-year high of $282.15. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $242.58 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $239.65.

Ascendis Pharma A/S (NASDAQ:ASND - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 14th. The biotechnology company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.71 by ($0.68). Ascendis Pharma A/S had a net margin of 70.99% and a return on equity of 32.54%. The firm had revenue of $387.22 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $376.75 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Ascendis Pharma A/S will post 3.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ascendis Pharma A/S news, SVP Mads Bodenhoff sold 3,000 shares of Ascendis Pharma A/S stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.19, for a total value of $810,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 3,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $810,570. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 40.00% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ascendis Pharma A/S

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Allworth Financial LP increased its position in Ascendis Pharma A/S by 103.4% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 240 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $64,000 after buying an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Ascendis Pharma A/S by 34.0% in the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 272 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in Ascendis Pharma A/S by 48.4% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 279 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its stake in Ascendis Pharma A/S by 94.9% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 304 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $70,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in Ascendis Pharma A/S by 3,491.7% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 431 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $115,000 after acquiring an additional 419 shares during the period.

Top Ascendis Pharma A/S Stories

Here are a few of the latest stories about ASND:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 results topped estimates. Ascendis reported earnings of $1.94 per share versus a $0.89 consensus and revenue of $418.71 million versus expectations of $409.40 million. Product revenue rose 89% year over year to €366 million, with YORVIPATH the largest contributor. Ascendis Pharma Q3 results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts mostly raised their targets. TD Cowen lifted its target to $352 and Cantor Fitzgerald to $315, both retaining bullish ratings. Canaccord also raised its target, to $274, while keeping a hold rating. These revisions signal improved expectations, though price targets are not guarantees. TD Cowen ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Employee warrant grants. Ascendis granted 28,030 warrants to employees. The grants may support retention but could modestly dilute existing shareholders. Employee warrant announcement

Ascendis Pharma A/S Company Profile

Ascendis Pharma A/S is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Denmark that develops medicines for rare diseases, with a focus on endocrinology. Founded in 2006, the company uses its TransCon technology platform to design therapies intended to provide sustained delivery of medicines. Its commercial products include SKYTROFA (lonapegsomatropin), a once-weekly growth hormone treatment for children with growth hormone deficiency, and YORVIPATH (palopegteriparatide), a treatment for adults with hypoparathyroidism.

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