First National Advisers LLC Raises Stock Position in United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR)

Key Points

• First National Advisers LLC increased its stake in United Therapeutics by 65.2%, acquiring an additional 3,073 shares, and now holds a total of 7,786 shares valued at approximately $2.4 million.
• Insider transactions revealed both Nilda Mesa and James Edgemond sold significant amounts of stock, with Edgemond selling 12,000 shares valued at about $3.9 million.
• Despite recent insider selling, analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating for United Therapeutics, with a target price averaging around $383.08.

First National Advisers LLC increased its position in United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR - Free Report) by 65.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 7,786 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after buying an additional 3,073 shares during the period. First National Advisers LLC's holdings in United Therapeutics were worth $2,400,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UTHR. Dunhill Financial LLC increased its position in United Therapeutics by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 100 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new position in United Therapeutics during the first quarter worth $49,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in United Therapeutics during the fourth quarter worth $62,000. Curat Global LLC acquired a new position in United Therapeutics during the first quarter worth $63,000. Finally, Natixis acquired a new stake in shares of United Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at about $85,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.08% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on UTHR. Wall Street Zen lowered United Therapeutics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on United Therapeutics from $348.00 to $328.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. UBS Group reduced their target price on United Therapeutics from $410.00 to $385.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 30th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $321.00 to $315.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 11th. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $425.00 price objective on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Monday, May 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $383.08.

United Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of UTHR traded down $0.58 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $297.56. The stock had a trading volume of 527,065 shares, compared to its average volume of 369,896. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $299.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $314.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.50 and a beta of 0.53. United Therapeutics Corporation has a 1-year low of $266.98 and a 1-year high of $417.82.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The biotechnology company reported $6.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.29 by $0.34. United Therapeutics had a net margin of 40.44% and a return on equity of 19.33%. The firm had revenue of $794.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $726.82 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $6.17 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 17.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 24.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at United Therapeutics

In other news, CFO James Edgemond sold 12,000 shares of United Therapeutics stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $325.37, for a total value of $3,904,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 8,118 shares in the company, valued at $2,641,353.66. This trade represents a 59.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Nilda Mesa sold 645 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $289.99, for a total transaction of $187,043.55. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,883 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,416,021.17. This represents a 11.67% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 81,681 shares of company stock worth $24,628,589 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 10.30% of the company's stock.

About United Therapeutics

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.