Maxim Group Downgrades Assertio (NASDAQ:ASRT) to Hold

Key Points

• Maxim Group downgraded Assertio (NASDAQ:ASRT) from "strong‑buy" to "hold," joining other firms that cut ratings and price targets; MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of "Hold" with a consensus price target of $18.00.
• Assertio beat recent quarterly revenue and EPS estimates (revenue $13.54M; EPS -$1.86 vs. -$3.05 est.), sold SYMPAZAN® to Cosette to monetize assets and improve liquidity, and issued FY‑2026 revenue guidance of roughly $110–$125M.
• Shares moved lower after reports of a discounted buyout by Garda Therapeutics (deal: $18 cash plus a contingent value right), while short interest rose and a shareholder class‑action investigation was launched, adding legal and closing‑risk downward pressure.

Assertio (NASDAQ:ASRT - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Maxim Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on ASRT. Wall Street Zen downgraded Assertio from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 21st. HC Wainwright restated a "neutral" rating and set a $18.00 price target (down from $35.00) on shares of Assertio in a report on Thursday. Lake Street Capital downgraded Assertio from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price target for the company from $45.00 to $18.00 in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Assertio in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Assertio from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $18.00.

Assertio Price Performance

ASRT opened at $18.02 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $116.14 million, a P/E ratio of -3.71 and a beta of 0.43. The business's 50-day moving average price is $13.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.41. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Assertio has a 12 month low of $8.55 and a 12 month high of $20.45.

Assertio (NASDAQ:ASRT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 16th. The company reported ($1.86) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($3.05) by $1.19. Assertio had a negative return on equity of 30.26% and a negative net margin of 25.59%.The company had revenue of $13.54 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.20 million. On average, equities analysts expect that Assertio will post -0.15 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ASRT. Nantahala Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Assertio by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Nantahala Capital Management LLC now owns 8,810,073 shares of the company's stock worth $5,649,000 after acquiring an additional 370,311 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP grew its holdings in shares of Assertio by 536.0% during the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 381,584 shares of the company's stock worth $336,000 after acquiring an additional 321,584 shares during the period. Opaleye Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Assertio during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,585,000. Perritt Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of Assertio by 51.6% during the 3rd quarter. Perritt Capital Management Inc now owns 350,316 shares of the company's stock worth $309,000 after acquiring an additional 119,281 shares during the period. Finally, Edgewood Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Assertio during the 4th quarter worth approximately $975,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 48.96% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Assertio

Here are the key news stories impacting Assertio this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street price‑target aggregation highlights large upside potential (Zacks notes a ~115% implied upside based on analyst targets), which could attract speculative buying and longer‑term interest. Does Assertio (ASRT) Have the Potential to Rally 115.05% as Wall Street Analysts Expect?
• Positive Sentiment: Assertio has sold SYMPAZAN® and additional branded products to Cosette Pharmaceuticals — a portfolio monetization move that should generate cash and simplify the commercial footprint (potentially positive for near‑term liquidity and margins). Cosette Pharmaceuticals Expands Branded Portfolio through Acquisition of SYMPAZAN® and Additional Products from Assertio
• Neutral Sentiment: Assertio updated FY‑2026 guidance, issuing revenue guidance roughly in a $110–$125M range versus a ~$111M consensus — guidance is near street expectations but the company left EPS guidance unclear in public notes, so impact is muted until further clarity is provided.
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and cut its price target to $18 (from $35). The reaffirmation keeps the stock in a hold/neutral bucket despite the lower target.
• Negative Sentiment: Lake Street Capital downgraded Assertio from "buy" to "hold" and slashed its price target to $18 from $45 — a sharp target cut that signals weaker analyst conviction and can pressure near‑term demand. Lake Street downgrades Assertio Holdings (ASRT)
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose meaningfully in March to ~301,837 shares (~4.9% of shares outstanding; ~1.4 days to cover), indicating increased bearish positioning that can amplify downward moves if sentiment deteriorates.
• Negative Sentiment: A shareholder class‑action firm announced an investigation related to Assertio’s sale to Garda Therapeutics (the deal would pay $18.00 cash plus a contingent value right), introducing legal and closing‑risk uncertainty. Shareholder Alert: Investigation of Assertio Holdings, Inc.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock moved lower after‑hours on reports of a discounted buyout/deal structure, which likely contributed to immediate selling pressure and the recent downgrades. ASRT stock drops after-hours on discounted buyout deal

Assertio Company Profile

Assertio Therapeutics, Inc, formerly known as Depomed, is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including neuropathic pain, migraine and breakthrough cancer pain. The company's commercial portfolio includes three FDA-approved products—Qutenza (8% capsaicin) for postherpetic neuralgia, Butrans (buprenorphine) transdermal system for chronic pain and Onsolis (fentanyl buccal soluble film) for breakthrough cancer pain—which are marketed primarily in the United States under licensing agreements with global partners.

In addition to its marketed therapies, Assertio maintains a pipeline of preclinical and clinical-stage candidates targeting a range of pain and neurological conditions.

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