BlackRock Inc. Purchases New Shares in Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. $AARD

Key Points

• BlackRock acquired 187,045 shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in the second quarter, worth approximately $1.08 million and representing about 0.85% of the company. Other institutions, including Vanguard and Millennium Management, also increased their positions.
• AARD shares opened at $5.38, well below their 52-week high of $17.94. The company reported a quarterly loss of $0.66 per share, beating the consensus estimate of a $0.87 loss, but analysts expect a full-year loss of approximately $3.17 per share.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed, with a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $15.33; Morgan Stanley downgraded its target to $3.00 and maintained an “underweight” rating. The company also faces securities litigation allegations tied to disclosures about its lead drug candidate, with a lead-plaintiff deadline of October 13, 2026.

BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AARD - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 187,045 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,077,000. BlackRock Inc. owned about 0.85% of Aardvark Therapeutics as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in AARD. Citadel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Aardvark Therapeutics by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 1,359,883 shares of the company's stock worth $18,073,000 after acquiring an additional 76,151 shares during the last quarter. Laurion Capital Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics by 6.1% in the third quarter. Laurion Capital Management LP now owns 1,049,721 shares of the company's stock valued at $13,951,000 after purchasing an additional 60,653 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Aardvark Therapeutics by 20.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 555,721 shares of the company's stock worth $7,386,000 after purchasing an additional 94,744 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in Aardvark Therapeutics by 51.2% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 483,340 shares of the company's stock worth $6,344,000 after buying an additional 163,717 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SymBiosis Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Aardvark Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at $6,255,000.

Aardvark Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of AARD stock opened at $5.38 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $117.71 million, a PE ratio of -1.68 and a beta of 3.74. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $6.33 and a 200-day moving average of $5.74. Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. has a one year low of $3.35 and a one year high of $17.94.

Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.66) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.87) by $0.21. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. will post -3.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Aardvark Therapeutics News Summary

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

• Negative Sentiment: The lawsuits allege that Aardvark and certain executives and directors violated federal securities laws by making misleading statements or failing to disclose material information. One investor notice cites former COO Bryan Jones’s description of ARD-101 as having a “very, very clean” safety profile before alleged cardiac observations reportedly led to a Phase 3 pause and a full FDA clinical hold. The allegations have not been proven in court. AARD Shareholder Alert
• Negative Sentiment: Several firms—including Rosen, Hagens Berman, Faruqi & Faruqi, Pomerantz, Schall Brown & Schwartz, and Bronstein Gewirtz & Grossman—are soliciting investors or announcing participation in the pending litigation. The unusually large number of notices increases visibility around Aardvark’s legal and disclosure risks and could add reputational and potential financial liabilities. Rosen Aardvark Investor Notice
• Negative Sentiment: Investors have until October 13, 2026 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff. While this deadline is procedural and does not establish liability, the ongoing case keeps attention focused on potential shareholder losses and the company’s clinical-development disclosures. Hagens Berman Aardvark Class Action Notice

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on AARD. Morgan Stanley restated an "underweight" rating and set a $3.00 target price (down from $7.00) on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, May 15th. BTIG Research lowered Aardvark Therapeutics from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen raised Aardvark Therapeutics from a "strong sell" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. B. Riley Financial cut their target price on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics from $8.00 to $7.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Aardvark Therapeutics from a "sell (e+)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $15.33.

Aardvark Therapeutics Company Profile

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specializing in the discovery and development of small-molecule modulators of the retinoic acid receptor–related orphan receptor gamma (RORγ). RORγ plays a central role in T-helper 17 (Th17) cell differentiation and inflammatory processes. By targeting this transcription factor, Aardvark aims to address a range of autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases.

The company's lead programs consist of selective RORγ inverse agonists designed to suppress pathogenic Th17-driven responses in conditions such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic inflammatory disorders.

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