Q2 EPS Forecast for Ionis Pharmaceuticals Lowered by Analyst

Key Points

• HC Wainwright lowered its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for Ionis Pharmaceuticals to a loss of $1.00 per share from $0.82, while keeping a Buy rating and $130 price target. The firm also trimmed its 2026 and 2027 earnings outlooks, reflecting a more cautious near-term view.
• Wall Street sentiment remains broadly positive despite the cut, with several other analysts maintaining or raising bullish ratings and price targets. MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average target of $102.90.
• Ionis recently posted stronger-than-expected results, beating quarterly EPS and revenue estimates in its last earnings report. The company also has recent catalysts including FDA approval expanding TRYNGOLZA and a licensing deal with Recordati for zilganersen outside the U.S.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS - Free Report) - HC Wainwright cut their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a report issued on Thursday, June 25th. HC Wainwright analyst M. Kapoor now forecasts that the company will post earnings of ($1.00) per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of ($0.82). HC Wainwright currently has a "Buy" rating and a $130.00 price target on the stock. The consensus estimate for Ionis Pharmaceuticals' current full-year earnings is ($3.69) per share. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for Ionis Pharmaceuticals' Q3 2026 earnings at ($1.06) EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at ($0.83) EPS, FY2026 earnings at ($3.45) EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at ($0.70) EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at ($0.64) EPS and FY2027 earnings at ($1.07) EPS.

IONS has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $95.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $103.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Oppenheimer reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $111.00 price target on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $100.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ionis Pharmaceuticals has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $102.90.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ IONS opened at $81.18 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.75, a quick ratio of 4.09 and a current ratio of 4.10. Ionis Pharmaceuticals has a one year low of $39.37 and a one year high of $86.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.42 billion, a P/E ratio of -39.22 and a beta of 0.37. The company's fifty day moving average is $75.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $77.33.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported ($0.56) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.85) by $0.29. Ionis Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 58.65% and a negative net margin of 30.91%.The firm had revenue of $246.09 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $195.56 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($0.93) earnings per share. Ionis Pharmaceuticals's revenue was up 86.4% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. acquired a new stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the first quarter worth $30,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter worth $38,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. 93.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Ionis Pharmaceuticals

In other Ionis Pharmaceuticals news, Director Spencer R. Berthelsen sold 8,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.49, for a total value of $587,920.00. Following the sale, the director owned 156,013 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,465,395.37. This represents a 4.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Brett P. Monia sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.59, for a total transaction of $4,029,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 245,571 shares in the company, valued at $19,790,566.89. This represents a 16.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 190,153 shares of company stock worth $14,606,373 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.81% of the company's stock.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Ionis Pharmaceuticals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ionis received FDA approval expanding TRYNGOLZA to treat severe hypertriglyceridemia, strengthening the drug’s commercial opportunity and making it the first approved therapy for the condition. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Ionis announced a licensing deal with Recordati for ex-U.S. rights to zilganersen in Alexander disease, which provides upfront and royalty potential while allowing Ionis to keep U.S. commercialization rights. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners raised its price target on Ionis, signaling continued analyst confidence in the company’s pipeline and commercial execution. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright kept a Buy rating but lowered some 2027 EPS estimates, which is a mild headwind but not a major shift in the firm’s overall view. Article Title

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted therapies designed to modulate gene expression. The company's proprietary antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology enables the selective binding of short synthetic strands of nucleic acids to messenger RNA (mRNA), thereby inhibiting or altering the production of disease-causing proteins. Ionis' pipeline spans a range of therapeutic areas, including neurological disorders, cardiovascular conditions, metabolic diseases and rare genetic disorders.

Since its founding in 1989 by Dr.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.