California State Teachers Retirement System Acquires 4,987 Shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated $LGND

Key Points

• California State Teachers Retirement System increased its Ligand Pharmaceuticals stake by 26.5% in the first quarter, acquiring 4,987 shares for a total holding of 23,784 shares valued at approximately $4.75 million. Institutional investors collectively own 91.28% of the stock.
• Ligand reported quarterly EPS of $2.37, beating the $1.97 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 33.8% year over year to $63.69 million. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $9.00–$9.50, above analyst expectations.
• Despite favorable earnings and mostly bullish analyst ratings, shares recently traded down 2.3% to $293.15. Insiders have sold 35,231 shares worth approximately $9.2 million over the past 90 days, while the consensus analyst rating remains “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $336.57.

California State Teachers Retirement System grew its stake in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:LGND - Free Report) by 26.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 23,784 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after acquiring an additional 4,987 shares during the quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System owned about 0.12% of Ligand Pharmaceuticals worth $4,748,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 86.3% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 149 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Ligand Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at about $52,000. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 17,050.0% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 343 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc boosted its position in Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 1,040.0% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 342 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. 91.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Trading Down 2.3%

Shares of NASDAQ LGND opened at $293.15 on Friday. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 52-week low of $137.14 and a 52-week high of $326.63. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $285.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $235.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 20.95 and a current ratio of 34.52. The company has a market cap of $5.87 billion, a PE ratio of 31.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.13.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LGND - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The biotechnology company reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.40. Ligand Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 20.06% and a net margin of 67.88%.The firm had revenue of $63.69 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $61.30 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.60 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 33.8% on a year-over-year basis. Ligand Pharmaceuticals has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.000-9.500 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 4.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ligand Pharmaceuticals news, Director John L. Lamattina sold 4,591 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.88, for a total value of $1,151,790.08. Following the sale, the director owned 26,969 shares in the company, valued at $6,765,982.72. The trade was a 14.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Andrew Reardon sold 5,000 shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.06, for a total value of $1,135,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 41,382 shares in the company, valued at $9,396,196.92. This trade represents a 10.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 35,231 shares of company stock valued at $9,199,401 in the last 90 days. 5.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

More Ligand Pharmaceuticals News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ligand Pharmaceuticals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ligand reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.37, beating analysts’ $1.95 consensus estimate, while revenue of $63.69 million exceeded expectations of $60.87 million. Revenue increased 33.8% year over year, and EPS rose from $1.60 in the prior-year quarter. Ligand Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $9.00-$9.50, above the $8.13 analyst consensus. The outlook implies continued earnings growth and supports the investment case for Ligand’s royalty-focused business model. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Q2 Adjusted Earnings, Revenue Rise; 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook Lifted, Revenue Outlook Reaffirmed
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target from $340 to $345 and maintained an “outperform” rating. HC Wainwright also lifted its target from $289 to $358 and assigned a “buy” rating, signaling that analysts see further upside. Analyst Price Target Updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Ligand reaffirmed fiscal 2026 revenue guidance of $270 million-$310 million. Although the midpoint is below the $287.5 million consensus estimate, the range remains consistent with the company’s previous outlook and may reflect the timing of royalty and licensing revenue. Ligand Pharmaceuticals 2026 Q2 Results Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s decline following the earnings beat suggests investors may have been looking for a larger revenue outlook increase or may be locking in gains after the shares’ strong run. The mixed revenue guidance could be limiting the immediate reaction to the otherwise favorable results. Biopharma Royalty Powerhouse Dips Despite Beat-and-Raise Quarter

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $340.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday. Oppenheimer reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $326.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. HC Wainwright lifted their price target on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $289.00 to $358.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $387.00 price objective on the stock. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $336.57.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company that acquires, develops and out-licenses proprietary technologies designed to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies discover and develop novel medicines. Operating primarily through its research services and royalty-generating businesses, Ligand focuses on building a diversified portfolio of technology platforms and partnering with industry leaders to advance therapeutic candidates across multiple disease areas.

The company's product offerings center around several core platforms.

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