United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) CEO Martine Rothblatt Sells 7,886 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 7,886 shares for about $4.52 million, reducing her stake by 2.36%; she retained 326,057 shares after the sale.
• United Therapeutics reported quarterly revenue of $832.5 million, above expectations and up 4.1% year over year, but earnings per share of $5.71 fell short of the $6.01 consensus.
• The company authorized a $2 billion share repurchase plan, covering up to 8.3% of its outstanding shares. Analysts’ consensus rating was “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $676.40.

United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 7,886 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $572.69, for a total value of $4,516,233.34. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 326,057 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $186,729,583.33. This represents a 2.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

United Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:UTHR traded up $6.15 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $588.61. The company's stock had a trading volume of 433,109 shares, compared to its average volume of 556,544. The firm has a market cap of $25.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.21, a P/E/G ratio of 4.41 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a 50-day moving average of $535.33 and a 200-day moving average of $533.99. United Therapeutics Corporation has a 12 month low of $449.58 and a 12 month high of $614.23.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The biotechnology company reported $5.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $6.01 by ($0.30). United Therapeutics had a net margin of 38.61% and a return on equity of 19.18%. The business had revenue of $832.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $781.14 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $7.16 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 24.77 earnings per share for the current year.

United Therapeutics announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Thursday, October 22nd that allows the company to repurchase $2 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the biotechnology company to reacquire up to 8.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Share buyback plans are usually an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Therapeutics

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in United Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,868,735,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its position in shares of United Therapeutics by 8.9% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 866,930 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $514,016,000 after buying an additional 70,829 shares during the last quarter. Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at approximately $450,140,000. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of United Therapeutics by 23.5% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 270,578 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $160,447,000 after buying an additional 51,555 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of United Therapeutics in the second quarter worth $159,522,000. Institutional investors own 94.08% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on UTHR shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on United Therapeutics from $700.00 to $703.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on United Therapeutics from $697.00 to $725.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on United Therapeutics from $515.00 to $566.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Leerink Partners increased their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $685.00 to $725.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, October 19th. Finally, UBS Group set a $725.00 target price on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Monday, October 19th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $676.40.

About United Therapeutics

United Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that develops and commercializes treatments for serious diseases, with a primary focus on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Its therapies include treprostinil products delivered by injection, inhalation, or oral tablet, marketed under brands including Remodulin, Tyvaso, and Orenitram. The company also markets Unituxin, a treatment for high-risk neuroblastoma. Founded in 1996 by Martine Rothblatt, United Therapeutics is also pursuing technologies intended to address the shortage of transplantable organs.

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