Liquidia (NASDAQ:LQDA) Stock Price Target Lowered at Needham & Company LLC

Key Points

• Needham lowered Liquidia’s price target from $110 to $72 but maintained a “buy” rating, implying 137.94% potential upside from the reported $30.26 share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Liquidia has a consensus “hold” rating and an average price target of $94.92, with ratings spanning strong buy to sell.
• YUTREPIA faces significant patent litigation risk after a court found two United Therapeutics patent claims valid and infringed; Liquidia plans to appeal, while potential remedies could restrict the drug’s commercial availability.

Liquidia (NASDAQ:LQDA - Get Free Report) had its target price reduced by equities researchers at Needham & Company LLC from $110.00 to $72.00 in a research report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC's target price would suggest a potential upside of 137.94% from the stock's current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on the company. HC Wainwright set a $36.00 target price on Liquidia in a report on Friday, July 24th. Stephens set a $130.00 target price on shares of Liquidia in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Lifesci Capital cut Liquidia from an "outperform" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $90.00 target price for the company. in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Liquidia in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $130.00 price objective on Liquidia in a report on Friday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $94.92.

Liquidia Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LQDA opened at $30.26 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $74.00 and a 200 day moving average of $62.32. The company has a current ratio of 2.31, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.09 and a beta of 0.53. Liquidia has a 12-month low of $21.35 and a 12-month high of $93.61.

Liquidia (NASDAQ:LQDA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The company reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.76 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $171.68 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $168.48 million. Liquidia had a return on equity of 149.65% and a net margin of 30.74%.The firm's revenue was up 1842.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.49) earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Liquidia will post 2.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Raman Singh sold 8,468 shares of Liquidia stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.16, for a total value of $560,242.88. Following the transaction, the director owned 44,637 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,953,183.92. The trade was a 15.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Rajeev Saggar sold 50,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.06, for a total transaction of $3,703,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 142,265 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,536,145.90. This trade represents a 26.01% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 597,519 shares of company stock worth $46,091,764. Insiders own 25.60% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Liquidia

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in LQDA. WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new position in Liquidia during the 2nd quarter worth $335,000. Arizona State Retirement System raised its stake in Liquidia by 5.4% in the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 17,627 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,405,000 after buying an additional 900 shares during the last quarter. Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in Liquidia in the second quarter worth about $177,000. Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new stake in Liquidia in the second quarter worth about $758,000. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in shares of Liquidia during the second quarter worth about $1,236,000. 64.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Liquidia News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Liquidia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: YUTREPIA adoption is generating substantial revenue, profits and cash flow, providing Liquidia with an operating foundation for continued growth. The company also plans to appeal the ruling and pursue a potential label modification. Liquidia: Bullish On Their Growth Potential Despite YUTREPIA's Legal Tail Risk
• Neutral Sentiment: The Delaware District Court found two of the six asserted claims in United Therapeutics’ ’327 patent valid and infringed, while ruling that the remaining claims were invalid. The companies must submit proposed remedies within one week, leaving the precise commercial impact unresolved. Liquidia Provides Update on Hatch-Waxman Litigation Tied to '327 Patent
• Negative Sentiment: The adverse patent decision threatens YUTREPIA’s commercial outlook. Potential remedies range from removing the pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD) indication to restricting the product’s broader market availability; United Therapeutics is seeking injunctive relief. Liquidia has said it will appeal, but the company cannot yet estimate its potential financial exposure. Liquidia Slumps After US Court Rules for United Therapeutics in Patent Fight
• Negative Sentiment: The litigation news triggered repeated LULD and news-pending trading halts as investors reassessed YUTREPIA’s revenue potential. The sharp selloff reflects the risk that the product’s rapid growth—revenue rose more than 1,800% year over year in the latest reported quarter—could be curtailed by the patent remedy.

Liquidia Company Profile

Liquidia Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for patients with serious cardiopulmonary diseases and other rare conditions. The company uses its proprietary PRINT technology to engineer drug particles with controlled size, shape and composition, with the goal of improving the delivery and performance of medicines.

Liquidia's lead product is Yutrepia (treprostinil) inhalation powder, a dry-powder inhaler designed for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

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