Lisanti Capital Growth LLC Buys 21,330 Shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $TARS

Key Points

• Lisanti Capital Growth boosted its Tarsus Pharmaceuticals stake by 49.6% in Q4, buying 21,330 shares and bringing its total holding to 64,341 shares valued at about $5.27 million.
• Wall Street analysts remain mixed but generally constructive on TARS, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $90.67, though recent downgrades and one sell rating show some caution.
• Tarsus reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting a smaller-than-expected loss and revenue above estimates, even as insiders sold shares and the stock traded around $62.26.

Lisanti Capital Growth LLC increased its stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:TARS - Free Report) by 49.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 64,341 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 21,330 shares during the quarter. Tarsus Pharmaceuticals makes up approximately 1.2% of Lisanti Capital Growth LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Lisanti Capital Growth LLC owned approximately 0.15% of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals worth $5,268,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of TARS. Deep Track Capital LP increased its stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 71.4% in the 3rd quarter. Deep Track Capital LP now owns 3,000,000 shares of the company's stock worth $178,290,000 after buying an additional 1,250,000 shares in the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 11,730.0% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 437,119 shares of the company's stock worth $35,791,000 after buying an additional 433,424 shares in the last quarter. MPM Bioimpact LLC purchased a new stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in the 2nd quarter worth $13,834,000. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $15,898,000. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 86.1% during the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 459,436 shares of the company's stock valued at $18,612,000 after purchasing an additional 212,592 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.01% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on TARS shares. Zacks Research downgraded Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Oppenheimer started coverage on Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Friday, April 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $98.00 target price on the stock. Guggenheim lifted their target price on Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $90.67.

Insider Transactions at Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

In other news, insider Dianne C. Whitfield sold 4,174 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.00, for a total transaction of $279,658.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 35,028 shares in the company, valued at $2,346,876. This trade represents a 10.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Bryan Wahl sold 4,231 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.00, for a total value of $283,477.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel owned 63,959 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,285,253. The trade was a 6.20% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 79,391 shares of company stock worth $5,432,035. 9.64% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $62.26 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $2.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -54.61 and a beta of 0.52. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $66.07 and a 200-day moving average price of $71.38. The company has a quick ratio of 3.71, a current ratio of 3.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.51 and a twelve month high of $85.25.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TARS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.16) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.40) by $0.24. The firm had revenue of $162.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $149.60 million. Tarsus Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 14.19% and a negative net margin of 9.02%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -0.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Profile

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a clinical‐stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies for diseases of the eye and ocular surface. The company's research platform centers on neuro‐effector modulation to address underlying disease mechanisms rather than solely treating symptoms. Tarsus's lead candidate, OC-01 (varenicline solution), is an intranasal formulation in Phase 3 development for the treatment of dry eye disease, a condition affecting millions worldwide and associated with significant patient discomfort and reduced quality of life.

In addition to its dry eye program, Tarsus is advancing preclinical and early‐stage programs targeting other ophthalmic indications, including allergic conjunctivitis and retinal disorders.

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