Simplify Asset Management Inc. Buys 3,919 Shares of United Therapeutics Corporation $UTHR

Key Points

• Simplify Asset Management increased its stake in United Therapeutics by 19.7% in the fourth quarter, buying 3,919 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 23,839 shares worth about $11.6 million.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with 94.08% of United Therapeutics stock held by institutional investors. Several other funds also boosted positions, including Cerity Partners LLC, which raised its stake by 77.3%.
• Wall Street sentiment is generally positive, with 11 Buy ratings and 2 Hold ratings and an average price target of $619.42. However, the company’s latest quarterly earnings missed estimates, reporting $5.82 EPS versus the expected $7.00.

Simplify Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR - Free Report) by 19.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 23,839 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,919 shares during the period. United Therapeutics accounts for about 0.2% of Simplify Asset Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Simplify Asset Management Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of United Therapeutics worth $11,616,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of United Therapeutics by 141.7% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 145 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of United Therapeutics by 18.8% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 443 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $127,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Therapeutics during the second quarter worth approximately $277,000. Cerity Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of United Therapeutics by 77.3% during the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 12,843 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $3,691,000 after buying an additional 5,600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia raised its stake in shares of United Therapeutics by 6.9% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 1,628 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $468,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. 94.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $569.00 to $626.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Morgan Stanley set a $516.00 price target on shares of United Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $525.00 to $625.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. HC Wainwright boosted their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $600.00 to $660.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $655.00 to $705.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Therapeutics currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $619.42.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Therapeutics

In other news, CFO James Edgemond sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $527.48, for a total value of $5,274,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 18,876 shares in the company, valued at $9,956,712.48. This represents a 34.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders have sold a total of 555,473 shares of company stock valued at $310,786,074 in the last ninety days. 8.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

United Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ UTHR opened at $568.43 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $24.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.98, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.60. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $563.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $512.08. United Therapeutics Corporation has a 52-week low of $272.12 and a 52-week high of $609.35.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 40.62% and a return on equity of 19.24%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $6.63 EPS. Analysts predict that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 27.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Therapeutics 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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