Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Acquires 14,193 Shares of Ascendis Pharma A/S $ASND

Key Points

• Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its Ascendis Pharma stake by 245.4%, purchasing 14,193 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 19,977 shares worth approximately $5.3 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive: Ascendis Pharma has a consensus “Buy” rating and an average price target of $310.05, despite some recent target reductions.
• Director Jean Jacques Bienaime purchased 2,000 shares for about $492,660, while the company’s latest earnings report showed revenue above estimates but EPS below expectations.

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its holdings in shares of Ascendis Pharma A/S (NASDAQ:ASND - Free Report) by 245.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 19,977 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after purchasing an additional 14,193 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio's holdings in Ascendis Pharma A/S were worth $5,328,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of ASND. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ascendis Pharma A/S in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Arax Advisory Partners lifted its position in shares of Ascendis Pharma A/S by 212.2% during the 4th quarter. Arax Advisory Partners now owns 153 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the period. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in Ascendis Pharma A/S during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Ascendis Pharma A/S during the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in Ascendis Pharma A/S by 111.9% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 214 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on ASND. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Ascendis Pharma A/S from $275.00 to $273.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings upgraded Ascendis Pharma A/S from a "sell (d)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Wedbush reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $327.00 target price on shares of Ascendis Pharma A/S in a research report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Ascendis Pharma A/S from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on Ascendis Pharma A/S from $345.00 to $329.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ascendis Pharma A/S currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $310.05.

More Ascendis Pharma A/S News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ascendis Pharma A/S this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its price target to $312 from $304 while maintaining an “Outperform” rating, indicating increased confidence in Ascendis Pharma’s outlook. Oppenheimer Adjusts Price Target on Ascendis Pharma
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright maintained its “Buy” rating and $345 price target while dramatically increasing its FY2026 earnings-per-share forecast to $17.04 from $3.93. The upgrade provides a significant bullish earnings catalyst, although it contrasts with the firm’s lower estimates for later periods.
• Positive Sentiment: Wedbush reaffirmed an “Outperform” rating and set a $327 price target, suggesting substantial potential upside from the reference price. Wedbush Reaffirms Ascendis Pharma Outperform Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Ascendis Pharma received an average analyst rating of “Buy,” reinforcing broadly favorable Wall Street sentiment. Ascendis Pharma Receives Average Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright lowered its FY2027 EPS forecast to $11.25 from $11.88 and reduced estimates for several 2026–2027 quarters. However, the firm retained its Buy rating and $345 target, suggesting the revisions may reflect timing or modeling changes rather than a change in its overall investment thesis.
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America lowered its price target to $304, creating a modest counterpoint to the positive revisions from Oppenheimer, Wedbush and HC Wainwright. Bank of America Lowers Ascendis Pharma Price Target

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jean Jacques Bienaime acquired 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $246.33 per share, with a total value of $492,660.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 2,900 shares in the company, valued at $714,357. This trade represents a 222.22% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 40.00% of the company's stock.

Ascendis Pharma A/S Stock Up 2.7%

Ascendis Pharma A/S stock opened at $267.31 on Thursday. Ascendis Pharma A/S has a 1-year low of $186.05 and a 1-year high of $282.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.74 and a beta of 0.35. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $257.46 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $240.09. The company has a current ratio of 2.99, a quick ratio of 2.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Ascendis Pharma A/S (NASDAQ:ASND - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 14th. The biotechnology company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.71 by ($0.68). Ascendis Pharma A/S had a return on equity of 32.54% and a net margin of 70.99%.The business had revenue of $387.22 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $376.75 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ascendis Pharma A/S will post 6.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Ascendis Pharma A/S

Ascendis Pharma A/S is a Denmark‐based biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies for rare endocrine diseases. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Hellerup, the company leverages its proprietary TransCon drug delivery platform to create long‐acting prodrugs designed to improve safety, efficacy and patient convenience. Ascendis Pharma maintains research and development operations in Europe and the United States, with clinical studies spanning North America, Europe and Asia.

The company's lead product, lonapegsomatropin (Skytrofa®), is a once‐weekly growth hormone therapy approved by the U.S.

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