HC Wainwright Issues Pessimistic Outlook for ACAD Earnings

Key Points

• HC Wainwright cut ACADIA's Q3 2026 EPS forecast to $0.13 (from $0.16) and trimmed FY2026 to $0.37, but maintained a Buy rating and a $37 price target, signaling reduced near‑term expectations.
• ACADIA missed Q1 estimates with EPS of $0.02 versus a $0.04 consensus and revenue of $268.1M versus $280.3M, though revenue rose ~9.7% year‑over‑year and management reaffirmed 2026 guidance, highlighting a strong DAYBUE STIX launch (~$101M).
• Insiders sold shares in early May, and analysts remain mixed but generally positive — MarketBeat shows a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average target of $31.21 while the stock trades around $22.58 (market cap ≈ $3.9B).

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ACAD - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at HC Wainwright lowered their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for ACADIA Pharmaceuticals in a report issued on Thursday, May 7th. HC Wainwright analyst A. Ghosh now forecasts that the biopharmaceutical company will post earnings of $0.13 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.16. HC Wainwright has a "Buy" rating and a $37.00 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for ACADIA Pharmaceuticals' current full-year earnings is $0.45 per share. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for ACADIA Pharmaceuticals' Q4 2026 earnings at $0.21 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $0.37 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $1.70 EPS, FY2028 earnings at $2.76 EPS, FY2029 earnings at $3.09 EPS and FY2030 earnings at $3.22 EPS.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACAD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.04 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $268.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $280.25 million. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 34.30% and a return on equity of 10.23%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.11 earnings per share.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Mizuho upgraded ACADIA Pharmaceuticals from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and raised their price target for the stock from $29.00 to $35.00 in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on ACADIA Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. They set an "outperform" rating and a $33.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings cut shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Citizens Jmp lifted their target price on shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals from $25.00 to $24.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $31.21.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 5.1%

NASDAQ ACAD opened at $22.58 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.87 billion, a PE ratio of 10.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 22.40 and a beta of 0.86. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals has a 1-year low of $14.68 and a 1-year high of $28.35. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $22.06 and a 200-day moving average of $23.90.

Insider Buying and Selling at ACADIA Pharmaceuticals

In other ACADIA Pharmaceuticals news, insider James Kihara sold 1,332 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.79, for a total value of $29,024.28. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 29,129 shares in the company, valued at approximately $634,720.91. This trade represents a 4.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Mark C. Schneyer sold 3,506 shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.79, for a total value of $76,395.74. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 66,145 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,441,299.55. This represents a 5.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 15,527 shares of company stock valued at $350,917 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 26.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in ACADIA Pharmaceuticals by 67.5% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 958 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals by 113.0% during the third quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,425 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 756 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals by 107.0% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,712 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 885 shares during the period. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in ACADIA Pharmaceuticals by 304.5% in the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,335 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 1,005 shares in the last quarter. 96.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More ACADIA Pharmaceuticals News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company reaffirmed 2026 financial guidance and reported 1Q26 revenue growth (total revenues $268.1M) with DAYBUE STIX generating ~$101M, which management highlighted as a strong commercial start and a key driver of upside potential. Acadia Reports Q1 Results & Reaffirms Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Management tone on the Q1 earnings call was constructive — the company signaled confidence in the commercial rollout and pipeline progress, which can support investor sentiment despite near-term execution noise. ACADIA Signals Confident Path After Q1 Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue was up ~9.7% year-over-year, and margins remain healthy (net margin ~34%). These fundamentals are supportive but may be priced in given prior guidance. MarketBeat Q1 Summary & Conference Call
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly EPS ($0.02) and revenue ($268.1M) missed street estimates (consensus EPS ~$0.04; revenue ~$280.3M), raising concerns about near-term profitability and execution versus expectations. ACAD Q1 Earnings & Revenues Miss Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright trimmed EPS forecasts across near- and long-term horizons (notably FY2026 EPS cut from $0.46 to $0.37 and Q3/Q4 2026 cuts) — the firm still carries a Buy rating and $37 target, but the estimate downgrades signal reduced near-term expectations that could weigh on sentiment. (HC Wainwright research note, May 7)
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings materials and call transcript are available for deeper diligence if you want to parse commercial uptake metrics and R&D updates before taking a position. Earnings Call Transcript

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Established in 1993 and headquartered in San Diego, California, ACADIA's research centers concentrate on conditions with significant unmet medical needs, including Parkinson's disease psychosis, Alzheimer's disease psychosis, and schizophrenia. The company utilizes a range of scientific platforms, including selective receptor modulation and precision-targeted compounds, to advance its portfolio of small-molecule therapeutics.

The company's flagship product, NUPLAZID® (pimavanserin), received U.S.

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