Vanguard Group Inc. Purchases 127,470 Shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $TARS

Key Points

• Vanguard Group increased its stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 5.6% in the fourth quarter, buying 127,470 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 2.4 million shares worth about $196.5 million.
• Tarsus Pharmaceuticals beat quarterly expectations, reporting a smaller-than-expected loss of $0.16 per share and revenue of $162.05 million, both ahead of analyst estimates.
• Wall Street sentiment remains mixed but generally constructive, with a Moderate Buy consensus and a $90.67 average price target, though some firms have trimmed near-term earnings forecasts.

Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:TARS - Free Report) by 5.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,399,560 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 127,470 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 5.65% of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals worth $196,476,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $15,898,000. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 2,604,580 shares of the company's stock valued at $154,790,000 after acquiring an additional 136,582 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. lifted its stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 78.1% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 40,591 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,412,000 after acquiring an additional 17,797 shares in the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lifted its stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 77.0% in the 3rd quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 91,590 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,443,000 after acquiring an additional 39,838 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Artisan Partners Limited Partnership lifted its stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 558,326 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,181,000 after acquiring an additional 19,023 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.01% of the company's stock.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Trading Down 4.3%

Shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $61.21 on Friday. Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.51 and a 12-month high of $85.25. The stock has a market cap of $2.63 billion, a P/E ratio of -53.69 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a quick ratio of 3.82, a current ratio of 3.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The business's 50 day moving average is $68.72 and its 200-day moving average is $71.87.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TARS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.16) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.40) by $0.24. Tarsus Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 14.19% and a negative net margin of 9.02%.The company had revenue of $162.05 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $149.60 million. Equities research analysts predict that Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -0.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on TARS. Zacks Research cut Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Oppenheimer began coverage on Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Friday, April 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $98.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $68.00 target price on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Lifesci Capital upgraded Tarsus Pharmaceuticals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $90.67.

Insider Activity at Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

In other news, CEO Bobak R. Azamian sold 11,964 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.00, for a total transaction of $801,588.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 33,421 shares in the company, valued at $2,239,207. This represents a 26.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Jeffrey S. Farrow sold 2,186 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.00, for a total value of $146,462.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 43,316 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,902,172. This represents a 4.80% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 79,391 shares of company stock worth $5,432,035. Insiders own 8.97% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Tarsus reported Q1 EPS of -$0.16, beating expectations for a -$0.40 loss, and revenue of $162.05 million, above the $149.60 million consensus. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company said Q1 XDEMVY net product sales topped $145 million, up more than 85% year over year, and reaffirmed 2026 guidance of $670 million to $700 million in XDEMVY sales. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Management also highlighted broader business momentum, including stronger prescribing trends and the start of a Phase 2 Lyme disease prevention trial for TP-05. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: LifeSci Capital and HC Wainwright mostly kept bullish ratings on Tarsus, but several firms slightly lowered near-term EPS estimates after the report, which could temper enthusiasm. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Lifescis Capital cut Q1, Q2, Q3 and FY2026 EPS estimates, and HC Wainwright trimmed FY2027-FY2029 estimates slightly, reflecting continued losses in the near term despite long-term optimism. Article Title

About Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a clinical‐stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies for diseases of the eye and ocular surface. The company's research platform centers on neuro‐effector modulation to address underlying disease mechanisms rather than solely treating symptoms. Tarsus's lead candidate, OC-01 (varenicline solution), is an intranasal formulation in Phase 3 development for the treatment of dry eye disease, a condition affecting millions worldwide and associated with significant patient discomfort and reduced quality of life.

In addition to its dry eye program, Tarsus is advancing preclinical and early‐stage programs targeting other ophthalmic indications, including allergic conjunctivitis and retinal disorders.

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