HC Wainwright Has Pessimistic Outlook of VKTX Q2 Earnings

Key Points

• HC Wainwright cut its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for Viking to ($1.34) from ($0.64) while retaining a Buy rating and a $102 price target, and now forecasts FY2026 EPS of ($5.04) and FY2027 EPS of ($6.41).
• Viking reported Q2 EPS of ($1.37), missing the consensus estimate of ($1.01), with the market consensus for full-year 2026 at ($4.56) per share.
• Analyst opinions are mixed—ranging from Strong Buy to Sell—resulting in a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target of $95.50; insiders recently bought shares and institutions own about 76% of the stock.

Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX - Free Report) - HC Wainwright dropped their Q2 2026 EPS estimates for Viking Therapeutics in a report released on Thursday, April 30th. HC Wainwright analyst J. Pantginis now forecasts that the biotechnology company will earn ($1.34) per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of ($0.64). HC Wainwright currently has a "Buy" rating and a $102.00 target price on the stock. The consensus estimate for Viking Therapeutics' current full-year earnings is ($4.56) per share. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for Viking Therapeutics' Q3 2026 earnings at ($1.15) EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at ($1.17) EPS, FY2026 earnings at ($5.04) EPS and FY2027 earnings at ($6.41) EPS.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.37) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.01) by ($0.36). During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.41) earnings per share.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on VKTX. BTIG Research raised Viking Therapeutics to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Morgan Stanley set a $95.00 price target on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Cantor Fitzgerald reduced their target price on shares of Viking Therapeutics from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Viking Therapeutics from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $95.50.

Viking Therapeutics Stock Performance

VKTX opened at $30.00 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $33.63 and a 200 day moving average of $34.02. Viking Therapeutics has a fifty-two week low of $22.96 and a fifty-two week high of $43.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.25 and a beta of 0.72.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Neil William Aubuchon acquired 4,475 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $33.50 per share, with a total value of $149,912.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider directly owned 4,475 shares in the company, valued at approximately $149,912.50. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 5.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Viking Therapeutics

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VKTX. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 536.3% during the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 992,695 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $34,923,000 after buying an additional 836,686 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 58.7% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 2,085,487 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $54,807,000 after purchasing an additional 771,704 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 41.8% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,092,840 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $55,000,000 after purchasing an additional 616,526 shares during the period. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC grew its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 6,315.6% in the second quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 596,650 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $15,811,000 after purchasing an additional 587,350 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Artia Global Partners LP grew its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 392.1% during the 4th quarter. Artia Global Partners LP now owns 719,365 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $25,307,000 after buying an additional 573,186 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.03% of the company's stock.

About Viking Therapeutics

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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