Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:XENE) Given Average Rating of "Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts remain broadly bullish: Seventeen brokerages give Xenon Pharmaceuticals an average “Buy” rating, with a consensus 12-month price target of $77.13 versus the stock’s reported $59.75 price.
• Institutional ownership is substantial: Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.45% of XENE, with firms including Goldman Sachs and AllianceBernstein recently increasing their positions.
• The company exceeded quarterly EPS expectations: Xenon reported a quarterly loss of $1.11 per share, better than the consensus estimate of a $1.16 loss, though analysts expect a full-year loss of $4.73 per share.

Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:XENE - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of "Buy" by the seventeen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $77.1333.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $74.00 price target on shares of Xenon Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Xenon Pharmaceuticals from $82.00 to $81.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Xenon Pharmaceuticals in a report on Monday, July 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Xenon Pharmaceuticals from a "strong sell" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Xenon Pharmaceuticals from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th.

Insider Transactions at Xenon Pharmaceuticals

In other news, insider Christopher Kenney sold 7,068 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.25, for a total transaction of $425,847.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 2 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $120.50. This trade represents a 99.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director Steven Gannon sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.06, for a total value of $640,600.00. Following the sale, the director owned 1,870 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $119,792.20. The trade was a 84.25% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.91% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Xenon Pharmaceuticals

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in XENE. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Xenon Pharmaceuticals by 7.9% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 442,732 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $14,854,000 after buying an additional 32,486 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Xenon Pharmaceuticals in the 2nd quarter valued at $532,000. Sei Investments Co. acquired a new stake in Xenon Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth $711,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new stake in Xenon Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth $816,000. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in Xenon Pharmaceuticals by 14.2% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,518,527 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $47,530,000 after acquiring an additional 189,141 shares in the last quarter. 95.45% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Xenon Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

XENE stock opened at $59.75 on Tuesday. The business's 50-day moving average is $63.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $57.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.78 billion, a P/E ratio of -12.61 and a beta of 0.61. Xenon Pharmaceuticals has a 1 year low of $35.60 and a 1 year high of $72.66.

Xenon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:XENE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.11) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.16) by $0.05. During the same period last year, the company earned ($1.07) EPS. On average, analysts expect that Xenon Pharmaceuticals will post -4.73 EPS for the current year.

About Xenon Pharmaceuticals

Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc is a clinical‐stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing novel, small‐molecule drugs targeting ion channels in the central and peripheral nervous system. The company's research focus centers on neurological and pain disorders—including epilepsy, migraine, and neuropathic pain—by modulating key ion‐channel proteins to restore normal neuronal function. Xenon's scientific platform draws upon advances in ion‐channel biology and structure‐based drug design to identify and optimize therapeutic candidates with the potential for improved safety and efficacy profiles compared with existing treatments.

The company's pipeline comprises multiple preclinical and clinical programs.

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