United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) COO Michael Benkowitz Sells 22,500 Shares

Key Points

• Michael Benkowitz, COO of United Therapeutics, sold 22,500 shares of the company's stock on September 15th for a total of $9,012,600, at an average price of $400.56 per share.
• United Therapeutics reported earnings per share (EPS) of $6.41 for the last quarter, missing analysts' estimates of $6.80, while revenue was recorded at $798.6 million.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds own approximately 94.08% of United Therapeutics' stock, indicating significant confidence from large investors in the company.

United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) COO Michael Benkowitz sold 22,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $400.56, for a total transaction of $9,012,600.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Michael Benkowitz also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, September 8th, Michael Benkowitz sold 5,000 shares of United Therapeutics stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $392.21, for a total transaction of $1,961,050.00.
• On Tuesday, September 9th, Michael Benkowitz sold 11,375 shares of United Therapeutics stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $397.41, for a total transaction of $4,520,538.75.
• On Tuesday, September 2nd, Michael Benkowitz sold 22,500 shares of United Therapeutics stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $417.64, for a total transaction of $9,396,900.00.

United Therapeutics Trading Up 1.9%

UTHR traded up $7.70 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $417.57. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,940,191 shares, compared to its average volume of 874,340. The business's 50-day moving average price is $329.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $310.67. United Therapeutics Corporation has a 12 month low of $266.98 and a 12 month high of $436.95. The stock has a market cap of $18.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.30, a P/E/G ratio of 6.37 and a beta of 0.62.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The biotechnology company reported $6.41 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $6.80 by ($0.39). United Therapeutics had a net margin of 40.36% and a return on equity of 18.73%. The firm had revenue of $798.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $802.13 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $5.85 EPS. The company's revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 24.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on UTHR. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $348.00 to $328.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $350.00 to $330.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of United Therapeutics from $314.00 to $463.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $432.00 to $564.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $405.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Therapeutics currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $438.85.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Chung Wu Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. SVB Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in United Therapeutics in the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. WealthCollab LLC raised its holdings in United Therapeutics by 55.9% in the 2nd quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 106 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its holdings in United Therapeutics by 76.7% in the 2nd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 106 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in United Therapeutics by 141.7% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 145 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.08% of the company's stock.

About United Therapeutics

United Therapeutics Corporation, a biotechnology company, engages in the development and commercialization of products to address the unmet medical needs of patients with chronic and life-threatening diseases in the United States and internationally. The company offers Tyvaso DPI, an inhaled dry powder via pre-filled and single-use cartridges; Tyvaso, an inhaled solution via ultrasonic nebulizer; Remodulin (treprostinil) injection to treat patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to diminish symptoms associated with exercise; Orenitram, a tablet dosage form of treprostinil, to delay disease progression and improve exercise capacity in PAH patients; and Adcirca, an oral PDE-5 inhibitor to enhance the exercise ability in PAH patients.