United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) Downgraded by StockNews.com to "Buy"

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Thursday.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on UTHR. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, February 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of United Therapeutics from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $213.00 to $215.00 in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $309.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 7th. Leerink Partnrs restated an "outperform" rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, February 5th. Finally, SVB Leerink started coverage on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Monday, February 5th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $330.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $292.67.

United Therapeutics Price Performance

United Therapeutics stock traded down $0.55 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $237.24. The company's stock had a trading volume of 624,041 shares, compared to its average volume of 432,655. United Therapeutics has a 12 month low of $204.44 and a 12 month high of $261.54. The company has a quick ratio of 4.28, a current ratio of 4.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $229.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $228.21. The company has a market capitalization of $11.16 billion, a PE ratio of 11.96 and a beta of 0.52.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The biotechnology company reported $4.36 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.28 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $614.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $575.01 million. United Therapeutics had a net margin of 42.31% and a return on equity of 17.72%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 25.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.67 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that United Therapeutics will post 23.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Therapeutics

In related news, CEO Martine A. Rothblatt sold 15,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.33, for a total value of $3,724,950.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 130 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,282.90. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other United Therapeutics news, CEO Martine A. Rothblatt sold 14,125 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.18, for a total transaction of $3,336,042.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 130 shares in the company, valued at $30,703.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Martine A. Rothblatt sold 15,000 shares of United Therapeutics stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.33, for a total value of $3,724,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 130 shares in the company, valued at $32,282.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 124,990 shares of company stock worth $29,301,585 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 12.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of United Therapeutics

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Therapeutics in the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in United Therapeutics during the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Neo Ivy Capital Management bought a new stake in United Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter valued at $48,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in United Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth $51,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of United Therapeutics by 49.6% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 196 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.