Stephens Inc. AR Invests $2.01 Million in Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $IONS

Key Points

• Stephens Inc. AR initiated a new position in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the first quarter, buying 26,761 shares worth about $2.01 million. Other institutional investors also added to the stock, and institutions now own 93.86% of shares outstanding.
• Ionis Pharmaceuticals reported quarterly earnings that beat expectations, posting ($0.56) EPS versus the expected ($0.85) and revenue of $246.09 million, well above estimates. However, the company still posted negative margins and analysts expect continued losses for the year.
• The stock has come under pressure after key trial setbacks for eplontersen/Wainua in cardiovascular disease, contributing to a sharp selloff. At the same time, analysts remain generally positive overall, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a target price around $100.80.

Stephens Inc. AR purchased a new position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 26,761 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,009,000.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 1st quarter worth approximately $232,000. Optas LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $303,000. Strs Ohio boosted its stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 659.8% in the first quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 28,782 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,161,000 after buying an additional 24,994 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 1.2% in the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 1,434,995 shares of the company's stock valued at $107,077,000 after buying an additional 16,504 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ground Swell Capital LLC acquired a new position in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the first quarter worth $547,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.86% of the company's stock.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Trading Down 23.9%

NASDAQ:IONS opened at $64.27 on Friday. Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $40.03 and a 52-week high of $86.74. The company has a quick ratio of 4.09, a current ratio of 4.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.75. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $76.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $77.41. The company has a market capitalization of $10.62 billion, a PE ratio of -31.05 and a beta of 0.36.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported ($0.56) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.85) by $0.29. Ionis Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 30.91% and a negative return on equity of 58.65%. The firm had revenue of $246.09 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $195.56 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.93) EPS. The firm's revenue was up 86.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -3.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

IONS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $113.00 to $90.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Raymond James Financial set a $87.00 price target on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $106.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a report on Monday, May 18th. They set a "buy" rating and a $115.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $100.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $100.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP C Frank Bennett sold 5,536 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.58, for a total value of $462,698.88. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 75,018 shares in the company, valued at $6,270,004.44. This represents a 6.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Patrick R. O'neil sold 3,069 shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.00, for a total value of $245,520.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 61,470 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,917,600. This represents a 4.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 244,038 shares of company stock valued at $19,139,399. Corporate insiders own 1.81% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Ionis Pharmaceuticals

Here are the key news stories impacting Ionis Pharmaceuticals this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Ionis and AstraZeneca said the Phase 3 CARDIO-TTRansform trial for eplontersen in ATTR-CM did not meet its primary endpoint, a key clinical and commercial setback for the program. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters reported that AstraZeneca-Ionis’ Wainua failed to meet the main goal of reducing cardiovascular deaths and recurring heart problems in the late-stage study, reinforcing concerns about the franchise. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Shares saw unusually large put-buying, suggesting some traders are positioning for further downside after the trial disappointment.
• Negative Sentiment: Two insiders disclosed stock sales under pre-arranged 10b5-1 plans, including Director Allene M. Diaz and EVP Holly B. Kordasiewicz, which may add to near-term investor caution.
• Neutral Sentiment: Needham lowered its price target to $86 from $105 but reiterated a Buy rating, indicating continued optimism despite the reduced valuation outlook. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Some coverage notes that investors are debating whether the selloff creates a buying opportunity, but this is sentiment-driven rather than a fundamental catalyst. Article Title

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Profile

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted therapies designed to modulate gene expression. The company's proprietary antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology enables the selective binding of short synthetic strands of nucleic acids to messenger RNA (mRNA), thereby inhibiting or altering the production of disease-causing proteins. Ionis' pipeline spans a range of therapeutic areas, including neurological disorders, cardiovascular conditions, metabolic diseases and rare genetic disorders.

Since its founding in 1989 by Dr.

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