Akero Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKRO) Short Interest Update

Akero Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKRO - Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 6,330,000 shares, a growth of 8.0% from the August 15th total of 5,860,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 678,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 9.3 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on AKRO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Akero Therapeutics from $49.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 5th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Akero Therapeutics from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 13th. HC Wainwright lifted their price target on Akero Therapeutics from $62.00 to $64.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 7th. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on Akero Therapeutics in a report on Monday, August 28th. They set a "buy" rating and a $83.00 price target on the stock. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Akero Therapeutics currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $65.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at Akero Therapeutics

In other Akero Therapeutics news, CEO Andrew Cheng sold 25,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $1,122,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 447,680 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,091,878.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Akero Therapeutics news, insider Catriona Yale sold 11,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.76, for a total value of $558,360.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 46,627 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,366,786.52. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Andrew Cheng sold 25,000 shares of Akero Therapeutics stock in a transaction on Monday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $1,122,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 447,680 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,091,878.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have bought 80,000 shares of company stock worth $3,413,700 and have sold 78,094 shares worth $3,804,901. 9.69% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Akero Therapeutics

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its position in Akero Therapeutics by 24.8% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,809 shares of the company's stock valued at $84,000 after acquiring an additional 359 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its position in Akero Therapeutics by 104.5% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 1,817 shares of the company's stock valued at $100,000 after acquiring an additional 42,582 shares in the last quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY grew its position in shares of Akero Therapeutics by 21.4% during the fourth quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY now owns 2,156 shares of the company's stock worth $118,000 after buying an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY grew its position in shares of Akero Therapeutics by 21.4% during the fourth quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY now owns 2,156 shares of the company's stock worth $118,000 after buying an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Akero Therapeutics during the first quarter worth about $32,000.

Akero Therapeutics Stock Up 0.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:AKRO opened at $52.25 on Tuesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $46.43 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.30. The company has a current ratio of 29.77, a quick ratio of 29.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The company has a market capitalization of $2.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -20.41 and a beta of -0.94. Akero Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $25.21 and a 12-month high of $58.38.

Akero Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKRO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.60) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.61) by $0.01. Sell-side analysts expect that Akero Therapeutics will post -2.75 EPS for the current year.

Akero Therapeutics Company Profile

Akero Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical-stage company, engages in the development of transformational treatments for patients with serious metabolic diseases, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a disease without any approved therapies. Its lead product candidate is efruxifermin (EFX), an analog of fibroblast growth factor 21, which protects against cellular stress and regulates metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins throughout the body.

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