Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) CEO Sells 14,565 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• CEO Brett Monia sold 14,565 shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals at an average price of $78.41, totaling about $1.14 million. The transaction was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, and Monia still owns 245,571 shares.
• Ionis stock rose 3.6% to $81.18 amid heavier-than-normal trading volume. The company’s shares are trading near their 52-week high of $86.74.
• The company has had several positive catalysts, including FDA approval expanding TRYNGOLZA and a licensing deal with Recordati for ex-U.S. rights to zilganersen. Analysts remain generally bullish, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $102.90.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS - Get Free Report) CEO Brett Monia sold 14,565 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.41, for a total transaction of $1,142,041.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 245,571 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,255,222.11. The trade was a 5.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 3.6%

NASDAQ:IONS traded up $2.84 on Friday, reaching $81.18. 3,828,233 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,762,614. The company has a market capitalization of $13.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -39.22 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a current ratio of 4.10, a quick ratio of 4.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.75. Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $39.37 and a 12 month high of $86.74. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $75.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $77.36.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported ($0.56) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.85) by $0.29. The business had revenue of $246.09 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $195.56 million. Ionis Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 30.91% and a negative return on equity of 58.65%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 86.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($0.93) earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -3.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Ionis Pharmaceuticals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ionis received FDA approval expanding TRYNGOLZA to treat severe hypertriglyceridemia, strengthening the drug’s commercial opportunity and making it the first approved therapy for the condition. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Ionis announced a licensing deal with Recordati for ex-U.S. rights to zilganersen in Alexander disease, which provides upfront and royalty potential while allowing Ionis to keep U.S. commercialization rights. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners raised its price target on Ionis, signaling continued analyst confidence in the company’s pipeline and commercial execution. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright kept a Buy rating but lowered some 2027 EPS estimates, which is a mild headwind but not a major shift in the firm’s overall view. Article Title

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

IONS has been the topic of several analyst reports. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $111.00 price objective on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. HC Wainwright boosted their price target on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $103.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $108.00 price objective on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a report on Monday, June 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $102.90.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. bought a new stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $47,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $47,000. Institutional investors own 93.86% of the company's stock.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted therapies designed to modulate gene expression. The company's proprietary antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology enables the selective binding of short synthetic strands of nucleic acids to messenger RNA (mRNA), thereby inhibiting or altering the production of disease-causing proteins. Ionis' pipeline spans a range of therapeutic areas, including neurological disorders, cardiovascular conditions, metabolic diseases and rare genetic disorders.

Since its founding in 1989 by Dr.

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