Viking Therapeutics, Inc. $VKTX Stock Position Increased by M&T Bank Corp

Key Points

• M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 605.1% in Q4, now holding 69,914 shares worth about $2.46 million, and institutional/hedge fund ownership stands near 76%.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus target price of $96.63, though coverage is mixed (four Strong Buy, four Buy, three Hold, one Sell).
• Insider Neil William Aubuchon bought 4,475 shares at $33.50, and Viking is a clinical‑stage biopharma (lead programs VK2809 and VK5211) with a $3.82B market cap that recently reported an earnings-per-share miss.

M&T Bank Corp lifted its position in Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX - Free Report) by 605.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 69,914 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after buying an additional 59,998 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp owned approximately 0.06% of Viking Therapeutics worth $2,460,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. RFG Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 84.8% during the third quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 120,214 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $3,159,000 after purchasing an additional 55,175 shares during the period. Royal Fund Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics during the fourth quarter worth $1,518,000. Rafferty Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 26.6% during the third quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 199,387 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $5,240,000 after purchasing an additional 41,888 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 570.7% during the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 95,804 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $2,518,000 after purchasing an additional 81,519 shares during the period. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics during the third quarter worth $1,805,000. 76.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on VKTX shares. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $102.00 target price on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Wolfe Research started coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. They set a "peer perform" rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, April 20th. BTIG Research raised Viking Therapeutics to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $99.00 target price on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $96.63.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Neil William Aubuchon purchased 4,475 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $33.50 per share, for a total transaction of $149,912.50. Following the purchase, the insider owned 4,475 shares in the company, valued at $149,912.50. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 5.30% of the company's stock.

Viking Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of VKTX stock opened at $32.99 on Tuesday. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $22.96 and a fifty-two week high of $43.15. The stock's 50-day moving average is $33.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $34.06. The firm has a market cap of $3.82 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.37 and a beta of 0.83.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.38) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.89) by ($0.49). During the same period in the prior year, the business earned ($0.32) earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -3.78 EPS for the current year.

Viking Therapeutics Company Profile

Viking Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company's pipeline leverages small-molecule approaches to target hormone signaling pathways implicated in conditions such as non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and muscle wasting disorders.

The company's lead programs include VK2809, a thyroid hormone receptor‐beta agonist designed to reduce liver fat and improve lipid profiles in patients with NASH and dyslipidemia, and VK5211, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) aimed at enhancing muscle mass and function in individuals with muscle wasting conditions.

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