HC Wainwright Has Negative Estimate for VKTX FY2026 Earnings

Key Points

• HC Wainwright lowered Viking Therapeutics’ FY2026 EPS estimate to a loss of $5.51 per share from $4.74, below the $5.26 consensus, while maintaining a “Buy” rating.
• Viking reported a third-quarter loss of $1.55 per share, missing analysts’ $1.06 estimate and widening from a $0.81 loss in the year-earlier period.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive but mixed: VKTX has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $92.27, despite some firms cutting targets and one issuing a sell rating.

Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX - Free Report) - Equities researchers at HC Wainwright decreased their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, October 29th. HC Wainwright analyst J. Pantginis now anticipates that the biotechnology company will earn ($5.51) per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of ($4.74). HC Wainwright currently has a "Buy" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Viking Therapeutics' current full-year earnings is ($5.26) per share. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for Viking Therapeutics' Q4 2026 earnings at ($1.48) EPS and FY2027 earnings at ($5.99) EPS.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.55) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.06) by ($0.49). During the same period in the prior year, the business earned ($0.81) earnings per share.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on VKTX. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Viking Therapeutics from $75.00 to $65.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Truist Financial reduced their price target on Viking Therapeutics from $87.00 to $85.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. UBS Group started coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. They set a "buy" rating and a $94.00 price target for the company. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on Viking Therapeutics from $114.00 to $106.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $92.27.

Viking Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of Viking Therapeutics stock opened at $27.28 on Monday. Viking Therapeutics has a 12 month low of $23.82 and a 12 month high of $43.15. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $30.51 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $32.42. The company has a current ratio of 7.27, a quick ratio of 7.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.48 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.05 and a beta of 0.79.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Viking Therapeutics

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Profund Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 4.2% in the third quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 50,459 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $1,645,000 after buying an additional 2,052 shares during the last quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 371.4% during the 3rd quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,305 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $75,000 after buying an additional 1,816 shares in the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $496,000. Choreo LLC increased its position in Viking Therapeutics by 6.9% during the third quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 6,660 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $217,000 after buying an additional 429 shares during the last quarter. Finally, North Star Investment Management Corp. grew its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 42.5% during the 3rd quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 4,358 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $142,000 after purchasing an additional 1,300 shares in the last quarter. 76.03% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Viking Therapeutics News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Viking Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Viking reported progress in Phase III studies of VK2735, its obesity candidate, including maintenance data showing up to 22% weight loss with less-frequent dosing. The injectable-induction and oral or monthly-maintenance approach could help address patient concerns about frequent injections. Viking Q3 2026 earnings call transcript
• Positive Sentiment: The company said its obesity pipeline remains on track and highlighted a strengthened cash position, giving it additional resources to fund late-stage trials and development. VKTX Q3 earnings call highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains mixed. Some brokerage recommendations imply that VKTX should be added to portfolios, but the reports caution that sell-side ratings can be overly optimistic and may not reliably predict returns. Analysts conflicted on Viking Therapeutics
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter results disappointed investors: Viking reported a loss of $1.55 per share versus the $1.06 analyst consensus, generated no revenue, and increased spending on clinical programs. The wider loss reflects rising costs as VK2735 moves through late-stage development. VKTX Q3 earnings miss estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Management’s potential first-half 2029 launch target frustrated some investors because regulatory review, additional clinical readouts and commercialization requirements leave several execution risks. VK2735 2029 launch outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Viking faces formidable competition from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, whose established and advancing GLP-1 franchises could raise the bar for VK2735 and pressure its eventual market opportunity. GLP-1 market competition

Viking Therapeutics Company Profile

Viking Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in San Diego, California. Founded in 2012, the company develops therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders, with a focus on conditions involving obesity, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and other liver and lipid disorders.

Viking's lead program is VK2735, an investigational dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist being developed in injectable and oral formulations for obesity and related metabolic conditions.

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