Brett Monia Sells 50,000 Shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) Stock

Key Points

• CEO Brett Monia sold 50,000 shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals on June 26 at an average price of $80.59, worth about $4.03 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, and Monia still held 245,571 shares afterward.
• Ionis reported strong quarterly results, with revenue of $246.09 million and EPS of -$0.56, both better than analyst expectations. Revenue jumped 86.4% year over year, though the company remains unprofitable.
• Recent catalysts have been positive, including FDA approval expanding TRYNGOLZA’s use and a licensing deal with Recordati for ex-U.S. rights to zilganersen. Analysts remain broadly constructive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a price target around $102.90.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS - Get Free Report) CEO Brett Monia sold 50,000 shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.59, for a total value of $4,029,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 245,571 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,790,566.89. This represents a 16.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of IONS stock traded up $2.84 on Friday, reaching $81.18. The company had a trading volume of 3,828,233 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,762,614. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.42 billion, a PE ratio of -39.22 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a quick ratio of 4.09, a current ratio of 4.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.75. Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a one year low of $39.37 and a one year high of $86.74. The business's 50-day moving average is $75.03 and its 200 day moving average is $77.36.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported ($0.56) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.85) by $0.29. The company had revenue of $246.09 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $195.56 million. Ionis Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 30.91% and a negative return on equity of 58.65%. The firm's revenue was up 86.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.93) EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -3.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IONS. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the first quarter valued at $30,000. Quarry LP bought a new stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter valued at $38,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth about $47,000. Institutional investors own 93.86% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Ionis Pharmaceuticals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ionis received FDA approval expanding TRYNGOLZA to treat severe hypertriglyceridemia, strengthening the drug’s commercial opportunity and making it the first approved therapy for the condition. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Ionis announced a licensing deal with Recordati for ex-U.S. rights to zilganersen in Alexander disease, which provides upfront and royalty potential while allowing Ionis to keep U.S. commercialization rights. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners raised its price target on Ionis, signaling continued analyst confidence in the company’s pipeline and commercial execution. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright kept a Buy rating but lowered some 2027 EPS estimates, which is a mild headwind but not a major shift in the firm’s overall view. Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on IONS shares. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $103.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday. Leerink Partners upped their price objective on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $122.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, HC Wainwright raised their price objective on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ionis Pharmaceuticals currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $102.90.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted therapies designed to modulate gene expression. The company's proprietary antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology enables the selective binding of short synthetic strands of nucleic acids to messenger RNA (mRNA), thereby inhibiting or altering the production of disease-causing proteins. Ionis' pipeline spans a range of therapeutic areas, including neurological disorders, cardiovascular conditions, metabolic diseases and rare genetic disorders.

Since its founding in 1989 by Dr.

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