Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKBA) Stock Has Average Price Target of $3.90

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is mixed: Seven analysts give Akebia Therapeutics a consensus “Hold” rating, with four buys, two holds, and one sell. The average 12-month price target is $3.90.
• AKBA opened at $0.71, near the lower end of its 52-week range of $0.54 to $2.23, with a market capitalization of approximately $195.8 million.
• Akebia reported quarterly adjusted losses of $0.02 per share, beating estimates for a $0.04 loss, while revenue of $49.13 million slightly exceeded expectations. Institutional investors own approximately 33.9% of the company.

Shares of Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKBA - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Hold" from the seven ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $3.90.

A number of brokerages have commented on AKBA. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Akebia Therapeutics from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "sell (e+)" rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Westpark Capital began coverage on shares of Akebia Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $4.50 target price for the company. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $4.00 price target on shares of Akebia Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. Wall Street Zen raised Akebia Therapeutics from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Akebia Therapeutics from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th.

Akebia Therapeutics Stock Performance

AKBA opened at $0.71 on Friday. Akebia Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $0.54 and a 52-week high of $2.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $195.78 million, a PE ratio of -6.42 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.43. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $0.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1.15.

Akebia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKBA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.02) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $49.13 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $48.85 million. Akebia Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 88.88% and a negative net margin of 13.54%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Akebia Therapeutics will post -0.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Akebia Therapeutics

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AKBA. State of Wyoming raised its position in shares of Akebia Therapeutics by 1,090.7% in the third quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 192,008 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $177,000 after purchasing an additional 175,883 shares during the period. PFG Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Akebia Therapeutics during the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Headlands Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Akebia Therapeutics by 60.3% during the second quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 77,992 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $89,000 after acquiring an additional 29,334 shares during the period. Two Sigma Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Akebia Therapeutics during the second quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Nantahala Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Akebia Therapeutics in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,280,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 33.92% of the company's stock.

Akebia Therapeutics Company Profile

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for patients with kidney disease and related conditions. The company's primary areas of interest include anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), iron deficiency, and disorders involving mineral metabolism.

Akebia's key product is Vafseo (vadadustat), an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor designed to stimulate the body's natural production of erythropoietin and support red blood cell formation.

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