Candriam S.C.A. Reduces Position in United Therapeutics Corporation $UTHR

Key Points

• Candriam S.C.A. cut its United Therapeutics stake by 50.4% in the first quarter, selling 64,149 shares and leaving it with 63,066 shares valued at about $37.4 million.
• United Therapeutics reported Q1 earnings of $5.82 per share, missing analyst expectations of $7.00, while revenue of $781.5 million also came in below estimates.
• Analysts remain generally positive on the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $644.82, even after some recent target adjustments.

Candriam S.C.A. trimmed its position in United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR - Free Report) by 50.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 63,066 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after selling 64,149 shares during the quarter. Candriam S.C.A. owned approximately 0.14% of United Therapeutics worth $37,397,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its holdings in United Therapeutics by 2.9% in the first quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 8,840 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $5,242,000 after buying an additional 251 shares during the last quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in United Therapeutics during the 1st quarter worth about $230,000. Swedbank AB boosted its position in shares of United Therapeutics by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 327,122 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $193,977,000 after acquiring an additional 2,350 shares in the last quarter. Sage Rhino Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of United Therapeutics by 5.1% during the 1st quarter. Sage Rhino Capital LLC now owns 474 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $281,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DGS Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of United Therapeutics by 22.9% in the 1st quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 1,034 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $613,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.08% of the company's stock.

United Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of United Therapeutics stock opened at $547.06 on Friday. United Therapeutics Corporation has a one year low of $272.12 and a one year high of $609.35. The company has a market cap of $23.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.19, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.58. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $556.70 and a two-hundred day moving average of $529.44.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The biotechnology company reported $5.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.00 by ($1.18). The firm had revenue of $781.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $797.40 million. United Therapeutics had a return on equity of 19.24% and a net margin of 40.62%.During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $6.63 earnings per share. The company's revenue was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 26.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UTHR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on United Therapeutics from $701.00 to $704.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. HC Wainwright raised their price objective on shares of United Therapeutics from $600.00 to $660.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of United Therapeutics from $620.00 to $613.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Therapeutics presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $644.82.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Therapeutics news, CFO James Edgemond sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $574.88, for a total value of $5,748,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 18,876 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,851,434.88. This represents a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders sold a total of 603,543 shares of company stock worth $339,592,598 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 8.60% of the company's stock.

United Therapeutics Company Profile

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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