Baillie Gifford & Co. Takes Position in United Therapeutics Corporation $UTHR

Key Points

• Baillie Gifford initiated a new position in United Therapeutics, buying 323,016 shares in the 4th quarter valued at about $157.4 million, representing roughly a 0.75% stake per the SEC filing.
• Wall Street sentiment is positive—multiple analysts raised target prices (up to $705) and the stock carries a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with a $601.50 consensus target.
• Offsetting institutional interest, insiders have been net sellers: the CEO and CFO executed Rule 10b5‑1 sales and insiders sold 364,770 shares worth about $188.2 million in the past 90 days, leaving insiders with 10.3% ownership.

Baillie Gifford & Co. purchased a new position in United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 323,016 shares of the biotechnology company's stock, valued at approximately $157,390,000. Baillie Gifford & Co. owned approximately 0.75% of United Therapeutics as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its holdings in United Therapeutics by 125.6% during the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 88 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in United Therapeutics during the fourth quarter worth $48,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Therapeutics in the third quarter worth approximately $44,000. WealthCollab LLC raised its stake in shares of United Therapeutics by 55.9% in the second quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 106 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of United Therapeutics by 76.7% in the second quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 106 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.08% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on United Therapeutics from $587.00 to $643.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. HC Wainwright lifted their target price on United Therapeutics from $600.00 to $660.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Raymond James Financial started coverage on United Therapeutics in a research report on Friday. They set an "outperform" rating and a $700.00 target price on the stock. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $575.00 to $660.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $655.00 to $705.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $601.50.

United Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:UTHR opened at $571.73 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.06 billion, a PE ratio of 20.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.75. United Therapeutics Corporation has a twelve month low of $272.12 and a twelve month high of $607.89. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $516.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $484.97.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The biotechnology company reported $7.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.78 by $0.92. The business had revenue of $790.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $814.80 million. United Therapeutics had a net margin of 41.94% and a return on equity of 19.30%. United Therapeutics's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $6.19 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 24.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Martine A. Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $580.45, for a total value of $5,514,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 40,513 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $23,515,770.85. This trade represents a 19.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO James Edgemond sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $577.89, for a total transaction of $5,778,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,876 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,908,251.64. This represents a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 364,770 shares of company stock worth $188,238,205. 10.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About United Therapeutics

United Therapeutics Corporation NASDAQ: UTHR is a biotechnology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of unique products to address life-threatening illnesses. The company's primary focus has been on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), where it has launched several therapies designed to improve functional capacity and quality of life for patients. Its marketed products include continuous infusion treprostinil (Remodulin), inhaled treprostinil (Tyvaso), oral treprostinil (Orenitram) and tadalafil (Adcirca), each tailored to different modes of administration and patient needs.

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