Swedbank AB Trims Stake in United Therapeutics Corporation $UTHR

Key Points

• Swedbank AB trimmed its stake in United Therapeutics by 1.3% in the fourth quarter, selling 4,346 shares and ending with 324,772 shares valued at about $158.2 million.
• United Therapeutics reported mixed first-quarter results, posting EPS of $5.82 versus the $7.00 estimate while revenue of $781.5 million also came in slightly below expectations and was down 1.6% year over year.
• Insiders sold shares recently, including CEO Martine A. Rothblatt and Director Nilda Mesa, even as analysts remain broadly positive with an average rating of Moderate Buy and a price target of $619.42.

Swedbank AB decreased its stake in shares of United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR - Free Report) by 1.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 324,772 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after selling 4,346 shares during the period. Swedbank AB owned 0.75% of United Therapeutics worth $158,245,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in United Therapeutics during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Activest Wealth Management increased its position in United Therapeutics by 1,400.0% during the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 60 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. WealthCollab LLC increased its position in United Therapeutics by 55.9% during the second quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 106 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. increased its position in United Therapeutics by 76.7% during the second quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 106 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in United Therapeutics during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.08% of the company's stock.

United Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of UTHR opened at $568.43 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $563.25 and a two-hundred day moving average of $511.57. United Therapeutics Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $272.12 and a fifty-two week high of $609.35. The company has a market capitalization of $24.13 billion, a PE ratio of 20.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.60.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The biotechnology company reported $5.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.00 by ($1.18). United Therapeutics had a return on equity of 19.24% and a net margin of 40.62%.The company had revenue of $781.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $797.40 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $6.63 earnings per share. United Therapeutics's revenue was down 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 27.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at United Therapeutics

In related news, Director Nilda Mesa sold 258 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $581.93, for a total value of $150,137.94. Following the sale, the director directly owned 5,028 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,925,944.04. This trade represents a 4.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Martine A. Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $565.98, for a total transaction of $5,376,810.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 40,513 shares in the company, valued at $22,929,547.74. This represents a 19.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 569,913 shares of company stock valued at $317,603,631 over the last three months. Insiders own 8.60% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UTHR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Friday, April 10th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $700.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley set a $516.00 price target on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $575.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Bank of America boosted their price target on United Therapeutics from $569.00 to $626.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, HC Wainwright boosted their price target on United Therapeutics from $600.00 to $660.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $619.42.

United Therapeutics Company 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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