Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Invests $101.35 Million in United Therapeutics Co. (NASDAQ:UTHR)

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of United Therapeutics Co. (NASDAQ:UTHR - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 328,783 shares of the biotechnology company's stock, valued at approximately $101,354,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. owned 0.73% of United Therapeutics at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in United Therapeutics by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 663 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $234,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of United Therapeutics by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,090 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $385,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Therapeutics by 12.0% in the fourth quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 280 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $99,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC grew its position in United Therapeutics by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 1,974 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $697,000 after buying an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its stake in United Therapeutics by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 9,108 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $3,214,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the period. 94.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Therapeutics news, Director Tommy G. Thompson sold 2,500 shares of United Therapeutics stock in a transaction on Monday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $318.80, for a total transaction of $797,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 8,480 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,703,424. The trade was a 22.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Paul A. Mahon sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.18, for a total value of $3,367,980.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 36,781 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,261,606.58. This trade represents a 23.02% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 79,500 shares of company stock valued at $23,907,950. 10.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

United Therapeutics Stock Performance

United Therapeutics stock traded up $5.21 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $288.56. 843,236 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 454,356. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.67, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.57. The business's 50-day moving average is $300.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $330.20. United Therapeutics Co. has a 12 month low of $266.98 and a 12 month high of $417.82.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The biotechnology company reported $6.63 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.29 by $0.34. United Therapeutics had a return on equity of 19.22% and a net margin of 40.31%. The business had revenue of $794.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $726.82 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $6.17 EPS. United Therapeutics's revenue for the quarter was up 17.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that United Therapeutics Co. will post 24.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on United Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, June 2nd. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $405.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $314.00 target price (down from $395.00) on shares of United Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, April 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $355.00 to $350.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of United Therapeutics from $321.00 to $315.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of United Therapeutics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $393.08.

About United Therapeutics

United Therapeutics Corporation, a biotechnology company, engages in the development and commercialization of products to address the unmet medical needs of patients with chronic and life-threatening diseases in the United States and internationally. The company offers Tyvaso DPI, an inhaled dry powder via pre-filled and single-use cartridges; Tyvaso, an inhaled solution via ultrasonic nebulizer; Remodulin (treprostinil) injection to treat patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to diminish symptoms associated with exercise; Orenitram, a tablet dosage form of treprostinil, to delay disease progression and improve exercise capacity in PAH patients; and Adcirca, an oral PDE-5 inhibitor to enhance the exercise ability in PAH patients.