Septerna (NASDAQ:SEPN) Shares Gap Down - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Septerna shares fell 6.2% at the open, dropping from a prior close of $40.38 to $38.41 and later trading near $37.86.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $52.44; several firms recently raised their targets, including JonesTrading to $62.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting a loss of $0.29 per share versus the $0.43 estimate and revenue of $26.75 million versus $19.22 million expected. However, insiders sold 37,178 shares worth approximately $1.53 million over the past three months.

Septerna, Inc. (NASDAQ:SEPN - Get Free Report)'s share price gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $40.38, but opened at $38.41. Septerna shares last traded at $37.86, with a volume of 12,176 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SEPN has been the topic of a number of research reports. JonesTrading raised their target price on shares of Septerna from $43.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Septerna from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on Septerna from $45.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Septerna from $38.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated a "strong-buy" rating and issued a $49.00 price objective on shares of Septerna in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $52.44.

Septerna Stock Down 1.3%

The company has a market cap of $1.77 billion, a P/E ratio of -70.56 and a beta of 2.30. The business's 50 day moving average is $38.39 and its 200 day moving average is $32.10.

Septerna (NASDAQ:SEPN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported ($0.29) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.43) by $0.14. Septerna had a negative return on equity of 9.57% and a negative net margin of 24.51%.The business had revenue of $26.75 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.22 million. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Septerna, Inc. will post -1.41 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Septerna news, SVP Daniel D. Long sold 3,333 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.83, for a total value of $126,087.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 96,412 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,647,265.96. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Elizabeth Bhatt sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.00, for a total transaction of $1,100,000.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 174,209 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,665,196. The trade was a 12.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 37,178 shares of company stock worth $1,532,154 in the last three months. 5.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. First Light Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Septerna by 31.4% during the second quarter. First Light Asset Management LLC now owns 963,260 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,260,000 after acquiring an additional 230,400 shares during the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP grew its holdings in Septerna by 5.0% in the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 17,350 shares of the company's stock worth $581,000 after purchasing an additional 822 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its position in shares of Septerna by 17.3% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 21,219 shares of the company's stock worth $711,000 after purchasing an additional 3,136 shares in the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new position in shares of Septerna during the second quarter worth $445,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Septerna during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,201,000.

Septerna Company Profile

Septerna, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing oral small-molecule medicines that target G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRs are a large class of cell-surface proteins involved in numerous biological processes and are established targets for therapies across a range of diseases.

The company uses its proprietary Native Orthosteric Ligand Discovery platform to study GPCRs in their native cellular environments and identify small-molecule compounds that can modulate these receptors.

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