BVF Inc. IL Grows Stake in Septerna, Inc. $SEPN

Key Points

• BVF Inc. IL increased its stake in Septerna, Inc. by 79.3%, owning approximately 4.4 million shares valued at $25.45 million, marking it as the firm’s 21st largest position.
• Septerna reported a loss of ($0.56) earnings per share for the last quarter, significantly lower than the consensus estimate of ($0.05).
• Research analysts maintain a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for Septerna, with a price target averaging $26.75, despite some analysts adjusting their ratings recently.

BVF Inc. IL lifted its position in shares of Septerna, Inc. (NASDAQ:SEPN - Free Report) by 79.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,396,124 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 1,944,100 shares during the period. Septerna comprises 1.0% of BVF Inc. IL's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. BVF Inc. IL owned 9.88% of Septerna worth $25,454,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. TRV GP VI LLC grew its stake in Septerna by 33.6% in the first quarter. TRV GP VI LLC now owns 4,211,659 shares of the company's stock worth $24,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,059,203 shares during the period. Driehaus Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Septerna by 20.6% during the first quarter. Driehaus Capital Management LLC now owns 3,122,608 shares of the company's stock worth $18,080,000 after acquiring an additional 533,055 shares in the last quarter. Deep Track Capital LP bought a new stake in Septerna during the fourth quarter worth about $43,806,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC bought a new stake in Septerna in the fourth quarter worth $25,111,000. Finally, Deerfield Management Company L.P. Series C bought a new stake in Septerna in the fourth quarter worth $19,736,000.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on SEPN. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $25.00 price target on shares of Septerna in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Septerna from $11.00 to $18.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Septerna from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $26.00 price objective on shares of Septerna in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $26.75.

Septerna Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:SEPN traded up $0.31 during trading on Friday, hitting $14.43. 202,291 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 259,739. Septerna, Inc. has a 52-week low of $4.17 and a 52-week high of $28.99. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $12.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.12. The company has a market cap of $643.36 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.43.

Septerna (NASDAQ:SEPN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.56) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by ($0.51). Septerna had a negative return on equity of 31.52% and a negative net margin of 12,053.03%.The business had revenue of $0.12 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $22.50 million. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Septerna, Inc. will post -7.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Septerna Company Profile

We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new era of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) oral small molecule drug discovery powered by our proprietary Native Complex Platform™. Our industrial-scale platform aims to unlock the full potential of GPCR therapies and has led to the discovery and development of our deep pipeline of product candidates focused initially on treating patients in three therapeutic areas: endocrinology, immunology and inflammation, and metabolic diseases.