Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) Stock Gets Price Target Reduction from The Goldman Sachs Group

Key Points

• Goldman Sachs cut its Ionis price target from $58 to $41 and maintained a Neutral rating; the new target implies 42.48% upside from the prior close.
• Ionis shares fell to $28.77 in Tuesday trading, near their 12-month low of $27.75. Analyst views remain mixed, though MarketBeat reports a consensus Moderate Buy rating and an average $78 target.
• Third-quarter revenue rose 54.8% year over year to about $243 million, and the quarterly loss was narrower than expected. However, Ionis lowered its TRYNGOLZA sales outlook and issued 2026 revenue guidance below analyst consensus.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS - Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by stock analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $58.00 to $41.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group's price objective points to a potential upside of 42.48% from the stock's previous close.

IONS has been the topic of a number of other reports. Wolfe Research cut Ionis Pharmaceuticals from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $90.00 to $85.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Bank of America reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $54.00 price target on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Monday. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $78.00.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of IONS stock traded down $2.23 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $28.77. 2,526,241 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,744,755. Ionis Pharmaceuticals has a 12 month low of $27.75 and a 12 month high of $86.74. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $46.20 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $65.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.07, a quick ratio of 7.73 and a current ratio of 7.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.78 billion, a PE ratio of -8.36 and a beta of 0.43.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, November 9th. The company reported ($0.66) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.23) by $0.57. The company had revenue of $242.72 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $178.17 million. Ionis Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 111.08% and a negative net margin of 64.76%. Ionis Pharmaceuticals's revenue for the quarter was up 54.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned ($0.80) EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Ionis Pharmaceuticals will post -3.62 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Ionis Pharmaceuticals

In other Ionis Pharmaceuticals news, EVP Shannon Devers sold 1,357 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.54, for a total value of $59,083.78. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 17,811 shares in the company, valued at $775,490.94. The trade was a 7.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Corporate insiders own 1.81% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ionis Pharmaceuticals

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 79.1% in the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 383,211 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,385,000 after purchasing an additional 169,300 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 318.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 103,141 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,745,000 after purchasing an additional 78,470 shares during the last quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $48,690,000. Perceptive Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 1st quarter valued at $37,845,000. Finally, Eagle Health Investments LP purchased a new stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter valued at $15,428,000. 93.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ionis Pharmaceuticals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ionis reported third-quarter revenue of about $243 million, up roughly 55% year over year and above expectations. Its quarterly loss was also narrower than analysts had forecast. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: DAWNZERA sales grew 40% to $37 million, providing a positive commercial update amid weakness in TRYNGOLZA’s launch. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Ionis cut its 2026 TRYNGOLZA sales outlook to approximately $50 million, down from its prior $100 million–$110 million target. The company cited slower-than-expected uptake and competitive pressure, undermining expectations for the drug’s commercial potential. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Ionis guided to 2026 revenue of $875 million–$900 million, below the roughly $921 million consensus estimate, adding to concerns about near-term growth. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Law firms announced investigations into potential investor claims related to Ionis, adding a legal overhang following the sales forecast reduction. These announcements concern potential claims and do not establish wrongdoing. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright and Needham lowered their price targets to $70 and $54, respectively, although both maintained Buy ratings. Read More. · Read More.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Ionis Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company that discovers and develops RNA-targeted medicines, with a focus on antisense oligonucleotides. Its medicines are designed to act on RNA and change the production of proteins linked to disease. The company's research and development programs span neurological, cardiovascular, metabolic and rare diseases. Ionis has developed medicines that it commercializes itself and products advanced or marketed with pharmaceutical partners. Its medicines and partnered products include treatments for conditions such as spinal muscular atrophy and transthyretin amyloidosis.

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