UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC Purchases 25,289 Shares of United Therapeutics Corporation $UTHR

Key Points

• UBS AM increased its stake in United Therapeutics Corporation by 10.9%, acquiring an additional 25,289 shares, resulting in ownership of 257,662 shares valued at approximately $79.4 million.
• Recent analyst upgrades provided mixed valuations; while Wells Fargo raised the target price to $414, JPMorgan reduced theirs to $330, reflecting varying sentiments in the market.
• Insider selling was notable, with Paul A. Mahon and Michael Benkowitz selling a total of 22,375 shares in early September, showcasing a decrease in insider ownership within the company.

UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its position in United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR - Free Report) by 10.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 257,662 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after acquiring an additional 25,289 shares during the quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC owned 0.57% of United Therapeutics worth $79,429,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in UTHR. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC grew its position in United Therapeutics by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,651 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $3,900,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC grew its position in United Therapeutics by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC now owns 1,132 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $349,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC grew its position in United Therapeutics by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 2,687 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $828,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. First Financial Bankshares Inc grew its position in United Therapeutics by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. First Financial Bankshares Inc now owns 13,769 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $4,245,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV grew its position in United Therapeutics by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV now owns 5,235 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $1,614,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. 94.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on UTHR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $350.00 to $330.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $295.00 to $414.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 3rd. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $415.00 to $560.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 4th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $348.00 to $328.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, HC Wainwright increased their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $400.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, September 5th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $438.85.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Paul A. Mahon sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $385.21, for a total transaction of $4,237,310.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 36,781 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,168,409.01. This trade represents a 23.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Michael Benkowitz sold 11,375 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $397.41, for a total transaction of $4,520,538.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 128,816 shares of company stock worth $45,836,113. Corporate insiders own 10.30% of the company's stock.

United Therapeutics Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of UTHR stock opened at $405.02 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.81, a PEG ratio of 6.17 and a beta of 0.62. The firm's 50 day moving average is $318.53 and its 200 day moving average is $307.48. United Therapeutics Corporation has a 12 month low of $266.98 and a 12 month high of $436.95.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The biotechnology company reported $6.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $6.80 by ($0.39). United Therapeutics had a return on equity of 18.73% and a net margin of 40.36%.The firm had revenue of $798.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $802.13 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.85 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 24.48 EPS for the current year.

United Therapeutics Company Profile

United Therapeutics Corporation, a biotechnology company, engages in the development and commercialization of products to address the unmet medical needs of patients with chronic and life-threatening diseases in the United States and internationally. The company offers Tyvaso DPI, an inhaled dry powder via pre-filled and single-use cartridges; Tyvaso, an inhaled solution via ultrasonic nebulizer; Remodulin (treprostinil) injection to treat patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to diminish symptoms associated with exercise; Orenitram, a tablet dosage form of treprostinil, to delay disease progression and improve exercise capacity in PAH patients; and Adcirca, an oral PDE-5 inhibitor to enhance the exercise ability in PAH patients.

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