Insider Selling: Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TARS) Insider Sells 4,029 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Insider sale: Director Dianne Whitfield sold 4,029 shares on March 17 at an average $69.42 for about $279,693, cutting her stake by 8.52% to 43,273 shares.
• The company beat revenue estimates ($151.7M vs. $144.6M) but missed EPS (-$0.20 vs. -$0.19), and the stock traded down roughly 2.2% to $66.75 with 50- and 200-day moving averages near $69.59 and $70.20 respectively.
• Institutional ownership is about 90% and analyst sentiment is mixed-to-favorable: the consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of ~$91.83 while some firms (Oppenheimer, Guggenheim, Lifesci) have recently raised targets or issued bullish notes.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:TARS - Get Free Report) insider Dianne Whitfield sold 4,029 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.42, for a total value of $279,693.18. Following the transaction, the insider owned 43,273 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,004,011.66. This trade represents a 8.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 2.2%

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals stock traded down $1.49 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $66.75. The company's stock had a trading volume of 461,600 shares, compared to its average volume of 672,393. The company has a current ratio of 3.85, a quick ratio of 3.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $69.59 and its 200-day simple moving average is $70.20. Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $38.51 and a 52-week high of $85.25.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TARS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported ($0.20) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.19) by ($0.01). Tarsus Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 19.63% and a negative net margin of 14.72%.The business had revenue of $151.67 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $144.56 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -3.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 5.8% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 22,143 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,137,000 after buying an additional 1,217 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 2.0% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 71,220 shares of the company's stock worth $3,659,000 after acquiring an additional 1,394 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC raised its position in shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 105.8% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 10,456 shares of the company's stock worth $537,000 after acquiring an additional 190,000 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 15.9% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 10,356 shares of the company's stock worth $420,000 after acquiring an additional 1,418 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 8.0% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 934,420 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,859,000 after acquiring an additional 68,986 shares during the period. 90.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

TARS has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Guggenheim upped their target price on Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Tarsus Pharmaceuticals presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $91.83.

Key Tarsus Pharmaceuticals News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lifesci Capital upgraded TARS to "Strong‑Buy" and published a set of 2026 estimates that materially narrow expected losses (FY2026 now seen at -$1.01 vs. broader consensus -$3.17) and forecast a positive Q4‑2026 EPS of $0.09 — a clear bullish catalyst that can support upside expectations. Lifesci upgrade report
• Positive Sentiment: Large institutional investors have been increasing stakes (RTW, Deep Track, Jennison, Vanguard, Morgan Stanley among others), keeping roughly 90% institutional ownership — steady buying from big funds tends to support share-price stability and upside over time. MarketBeat TARS coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus remains mixed‑to‑favorable: the average recommendation is "Moderate Buy" and some firms (Guggenheim, Oppenheimer) have raised targets while others are more cautious — this keeps the outlook constructive but not unanimous. Analyst consensus article
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent quarterly results: revenue beat estimates ($151.7M vs. $144.6M) but EPS slightly missed ($0.20 loss vs. $0.19 expected). Revenue strength is supportive; continued negative margins and guidance keep risk elevated until pipeline milestones materialize. Earnings summary
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Director William J. Link sold 12,500 shares at an average $68.79 on March 16 (disclosed via SEC filing), reducing his stake by ~9.7%. Insider sales can create short‑term downward pressure or be interpreted by some investors as profit‑taking. InsiderTrades report (SEC Form 4)

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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