Apis Capital Advisors LLC Purchases 19,000 Shares of Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX)

Apis Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX - Free Report) by 24.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 96,000 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after acquiring an additional 19,000 shares during the period. Viking Therapeutics comprises about 2.6% of Apis Capital Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. Apis Capital Advisors LLC owned 0.09% of Viking Therapeutics worth $3,863,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VKTX. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 27.7% in the 4th quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 48,707 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $1,960,000 after purchasing an additional 10,564 shares in the last quarter. Freestone Grove Partners LP purchased a new stake in Viking Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth about $224,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda purchased a new stake in Viking Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth about $63,000. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 15.9% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 537,239 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $21,516,000 after purchasing an additional 73,710 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 11.4% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 535,984 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $21,568,000 after purchasing an additional 54,871 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.03% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Viking Therapeutics

In other Viking Therapeutics news, Director Sarah Kathryn Rouan acquired 1,240 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $24.15 per share, for a total transaction of $29,946.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 1,240 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $29,946. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 4.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Viking Therapeutics Price Performance

NASDAQ:VKTX traded up $0.71 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $28.27. 2,245,873 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,096,647. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $26.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $38.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -28.27 and a beta of 0.75. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a twelve month low of $18.92 and a twelve month high of $81.81.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The biotechnology company reported ($0.41) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.31) by ($0.10). During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($0.26) earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -1.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on VKTX. Maxim Group cut their price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics from $120.00 to $70.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. B. Riley restated a "buy" rating and issued a $96.00 price objective (down previously from $109.00) on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Friday, February 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $30.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup began coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, February 7th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $38.00 price objective for the company. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $102.00 price target on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $87.15.

Viking Therapeutics Profile

Viking Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. The company's lead drug candidate is VK2809, an orally available tissue and receptor-subtype selective agonist of the thyroid hormone receptor beta (TRß), which is in Phase IIb clinical trials to treat patients with biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, as well as NAFLD.