Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMPH) Short Interest Up 5.4% in April

Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMPH - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,870,000 shares, an increase of 5.4% from the March 31st total of 3,670,000 shares. Approximately 11.0% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 430,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 9.0 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AMPH. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of Amphastar Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Amphastar Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, March 5th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $60.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Amphastar Pharmaceuticals from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $66.00.

Amphastar Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 2.0 %

Amphastar Pharmaceuticals stock traded up $0.83 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $42.08. The stock had a trading volume of 434,952 shares, compared to its average volume of 448,252. The company has a market capitalization of $2.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.22, a PEG ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $44.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $50.88. Amphastar Pharmaceuticals has a one year low of $35.93 and a one year high of $67.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 2.17 and a quick ratio of 1.70.

Amphastar Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AMPH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 28th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.84 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $178.11 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.90 million. Amphastar Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 26.95% and a net margin of 21.34%. On average, analysts expect that Amphastar Pharmaceuticals will post 3.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Amphastar Pharmaceuticals

In related news, Director Michael A. Zasloff sold 12,500 shares of Amphastar Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.18, for a total value of $589,750.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 21,326 shares in the company, valued at $1,006,160.68. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Floyd F. Petersen sold 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.10, for a total transaction of $26,550.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 80,333 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,265,682.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Michael A. Zasloff sold 12,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.18, for a total transaction of $589,750.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 21,326 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,006,160.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 14,000 shares of company stock worth $660,860 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 27.10% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Amphastar Pharmaceuticals

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its position in Amphastar Pharmaceuticals by 37.2% in the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 9,861 shares of the company's stock worth $454,000 after buying an additional 2,674 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. purchased a new position in Amphastar Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth about $215,000. Shariaportfolio Inc. purchased a new position in Amphastar Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth about $575,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its position in Amphastar Pharmaceuticals by 20.1% in the 3rd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 9,436 shares of the company's stock worth $434,000 after buying an additional 1,582 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp purchased a new position in Amphastar Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth about $258,000. Institutional investors own 65.09% of the company's stock.

About Amphastar Pharmaceuticals

Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a bio-pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells generic and proprietary injectable, inhalation, and intranasal products in the United States, China, and France. It offers BAQSIMI, a nasal spray for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia; Primatene Mist, an over-the-counter epinephrine inhalation product for the temporary relief of mild symptoms of intermittent asthma; Enoxaparin, to prevent and treat deep vein thrombosis; REXTOVY and Naloxone for opioid overdose; Glucagon for injection emergency kit; and Cortrosyn, for use as a diagnostic agent in the screening of patients with adrenocortical insufficiency.