Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX) Shares Sold by Squarepoint Ops LLC

Squarepoint Ops LLC decreased its holdings in Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX - Free Report) by 38.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 384,132 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after selling 242,051 shares during the quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC owned approximately 0.07% of Royalty Pharma worth $9,799,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of RPRX. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. increased its holdings in shares of Royalty Pharma by 42.6% during the 4th quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 16,968,321 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $432,862,000 after buying an additional 5,069,127 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Royalty Pharma during the fourth quarter valued at about $124,498,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets acquired a new stake in Royalty Pharma during the fourth quarter worth about $41,959,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Royalty Pharma by 187.0% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,903,676 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $48,563,000 after purchasing an additional 1,240,384 shares during the period. Finally, Swedbank AB raised its holdings in shares of Royalty Pharma by 10.3% in the 4th quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 12,164,170 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $310,308,000 after purchasing an additional 1,136,800 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 54.35% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on RPRX shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Royalty Pharma from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of Royalty Pharma in a report on Friday, March 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley began coverage on Royalty Pharma in a report on Friday, May 16th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $51.00 price target for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Royalty Pharma presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.50.

Royalty Pharma Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:RPRX traded up $0.24 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $32.69. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,681,613 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,473,797. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.44. Royalty Pharma plc has a fifty-two week low of $24.05 and a fifty-two week high of $34.32. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $32.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $30.26. The company has a market capitalization of $18.84 billion, a PE ratio of 22.54, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.49.

Royalty Pharma (NASDAQ:RPRX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $839.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $724.69 million. Royalty Pharma had a return on equity of 24.40% and a net margin of 37.94%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Royalty Pharma plc will post 4.49 EPS for the current year.

Royalty Pharma Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.69%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. Royalty Pharma's dividend payout ratio is currently 47.57%.

About Royalty Pharma

Royalty Pharma plc operates as a buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties and a funder of innovations in the biopharmaceutical industry in the United States. It is also involved in the identification, evaluation, and acquisition of royalties on various biopharmaceutical therapies. In addition, the company collaborates with innovators from academic institutions, research hospitals and not-for-profits, small and mid-cap biotechnology companies, and pharmaceutical companies.