2,241 United Therapeutics Corporation $UTHR Shares Sold by First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.

Key Points

• First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. cut its United Therapeutics stake by 59.6% in the third quarter, selling 2,241 shares and retaining 1,522 shares valued at approximately $825,000. Institutional investors collectively own 94.08% of the company.
• United Therapeutics reported quarterly EPS of $7.27, beating estimates of $6.86, but revenue of $783.3 million fell short of the $804.65 million consensus and declined 1.9% year over year. Shares recently opened at $533.12, below their 12-month high of $609.35.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $642.69, although executives recently sold shares, including CEO Martine Rothblatt’s approximately $5.13 million sale and EVP Paul Mahon’s $4.52 million sale.

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. trimmed its position in shares of United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR - Free Report) by 59.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,522 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after selling 2,241 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.'s holdings in United Therapeutics were worth $825,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Callan Family Office LLC bought a new position in United Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,217,000. Andra AP fonden grew its position in United Therapeutics by 33.5% in the second quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 34,904 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $18,912,000 after acquiring an additional 8,760 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in United Therapeutics in the second quarter worth approximately $3,359,000. Partners Capital Investment Group LLP acquired a new position in shares of United Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter worth $1,691,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its stake in shares of United Therapeutics by 6.6% during the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 127,125 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $68,899,000 after purchasing an additional 7,890 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.08% of the company's stock.

United Therapeutics Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of United Therapeutics stock opened at $533.12 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.07, a PEG ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 0.49. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $513.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $540.40. United Therapeutics Corporation has a 12-month low of $409.07 and a 12-month high of $609.35.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The biotechnology company reported $7.27 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.86 by $0.41. United Therapeutics had a return on equity of 20.18% and a net margin of 41.56%. The company had revenue of $783.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $804.65 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $6.41 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 26.40 earnings per share for the current year.

More United Therapeutics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: United Therapeutics settled six patent and antitrust disputes with Liquidia, reducing legal uncertainty around Liquidia’s YUTREPIA inhaled treprostinil treatment. The agreement limits YUTREPIA’s label, including excluding pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease, which could help protect UTHR’s competitive position. United Therapeutics Settles Litigation And Resets Pulmonary Hypertension Competition
• Positive Sentiment: The settlement is expected to provide United Therapeutics with approximately $380.7 million in payments, while giving investors greater visibility into the competitive landscape for treprostinil therapies. United Therapeutics Stock May Be Undervalued Following the Litigation Settlement
• Positive Sentiment: Traders purchased 12,089 UTHR call options, roughly 220% above average daily volume. The activity signals increased bullish speculation, although options flow does not guarantee sustained buying in the shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains generally favorable. Jefferies reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $728 target, and the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with targets above recent trading levels.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares for approximately $5.13 million, reducing her holdings by 2.84%. She still retains a substantial position, so the sale may reflect personal financial planning rather than a change in the company’s outlook. United Therapeutics CEO Stock Sale SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Paul Mahon sold 8,300 shares for approximately $4.52 million, cutting his direct stake by 15.52%. The second executive sale disclosed within two days may weigh on sentiment, even though insider transactions alone do not establish a deterioration in fundamentals. United Therapeutics EVP Stock Sale SEC Filing

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $620.00 to $613.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of United Therapeutics from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, October 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $685.00 to $687.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $515.00 to $566.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $642.69.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $539.99, for a total value of $5,129,905.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 324,443 shares in the company, valued at approximately $175,195,975.57. This trade represents a 2.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Paul Mahon sold 8,300 shares of United Therapeutics stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $544.30, for a total transaction of $4,517,690.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 45,172 shares in the company, valued at $24,587,119.60. This trade represents a 15.52% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 392,028 shares of company stock valued at $202,884,996 over the last 90 days. 8.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

United Therapeutics Profile

United Therapeutics Corporation is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and other serious cardiopulmonary conditions. The company's products include Tyvaso and Tyvaso DPI, inhaled formulations of treprostinil; Remodulin, an injectable form of treprostinil; Orenitram, an oral treprostinil product; and Adcirca, a tadalafil-based PAH treatment.

United Therapeutics markets its therapies primarily in the United States and internationally through commercial and regulatory activities in additional markets.

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