Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International (NASDAQ:KNSA) Hits New 1-Year High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Kiniksa hit a new 52-week high, trading as high as $49.33 (last $48.07); analysts rate the stock a Moderate Buy on average with a $55.29 target and recent bullish notes (Wells Fargo $53 overweight; Canaccord $62 buy).
• Latest quarter: revenue of $202.13M beat estimates and rose 65% year‑over‑year, while EPS of $0.17 missed consensus, and analysts forecast a full‑year EPS of −0.55.
• There has been notable insider selling recently (48,605 shares, ~$2.12M in the past 90 days) even though insiders still hold a substantial stake (~53%), which investors may view as a mixed signal.

Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc (NASDAQ:KNSA - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $49.33 and last traded at $48.07, with a volume of 55405 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $48.15.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on KNSA. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Zacks Research raised Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Canaccord Genuity Group initiated coverage on Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $62.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $55.29.

Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International Trading Up 0.5%

The company's 50-day moving average is $45.15 and its 200-day moving average is $41.67. The firm has a market cap of $3.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 65.43 and a beta of 0.06.

Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International (NASDAQ:KNSA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.29 by ($0.12). The business had revenue of $202.13 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $200.86 million. Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International had a return on equity of 11.48% and a net margin of 8.71%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 65.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.12) earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc will post -0.55 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International

In other Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International news, Director Barry D. Quart sold 2,690 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.00, for a total transaction of $121,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 12,546 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $564,570. The trade was a 17.66% 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. Also, CFO Mark Ragosa sold 17,845 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.28, for a total transaction of $772,331.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,086 shares of the company's stock, valued at $523,082.08. This trade represents a 59.62% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 48,605 shares of company stock valued at $2,122,646. 53.48% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International in the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International by 140.4% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 911 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 532 shares in the last quarter. Nano Cap New Millennium Growth Fund L P bought a new position in shares of Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. 53.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International

Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, acquiring and developing therapeutics for patients suffering from lifethreatening and debilitating immune-mediated diseases. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts, Kiniksa applies a patient-centric approach to build a diversified portfolio of marketed medicines and clinical-stage candidates targeting inflammation and immunology. The company's core mission is to address complex conditions with significant unmet medical needs by advancing both novel and differentiated therapies.

The company's lead marketed product is Ilaris (canakinumab), an interleukin-1β blocker licensed for the treatment of cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, adult-onset Still's disease and Schnitzler syndrome.

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