Septerna (NASDAQ:SEPN) COO Elizabeth Bhatt Sells 25,000 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Septerna COO Elizabeth Bhatt sold 25,000 shares at an average price of $44, generating $1.1 million and reducing her direct holdings by 12.55% to 174,209 shares.
• Septerna shares traded at $45.14, near their 12-month high of $51.10, after the company reported quarterly revenue of $26.75 million and an adjusted loss of $0.29 per share—both better than analyst expectations.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with several firms raising price targets; Septerna has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average target of $51.33, despite remaining unprofitable.

Septerna, Inc. (NASDAQ:SEPN - Get Free Report) COO Elizabeth Bhatt sold 25,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.00, for a total value of $1,100,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 174,209 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,665,196. This trade represents a 12.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Septerna Stock Performance

NASDAQ:SEPN traded down $3.05 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $45.14. 877,638 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 361,538. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $35.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $29.40. The firm has a market cap of $2.11 billion, a P/E ratio of -83.59 and a beta of 2.29. Septerna, Inc. has a twelve month low of $10.74 and a twelve month high of $51.10.

Septerna (NASDAQ:SEPN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported ($0.29) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.43) by $0.14. Septerna had a negative return on equity of 9.59% and a negative net margin of 24.51%.The firm had revenue of $26.75 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.22 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that Septerna, Inc. will post -1.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Septerna

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Woodline Partners LP raised its position in shares of Septerna by 94.2% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 582,585 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,373,000 after purchasing an additional 282,585 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers grew its position in shares of Septerna by 16.6% in the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 23,318 shares of the company's stock valued at $135,000 after purchasing an additional 3,323 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Septerna by 19.1% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 487,956 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,158,000 after purchasing an additional 78,316 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of Septerna by 15.0% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,101 shares of the company's stock worth $107,000 after purchasing an additional 1,315 shares during the period. Finally, CW Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Septerna during the 2nd quarter worth about $133,000.

Key Stories Impacting Septerna

Here are the key news stories impacting Septerna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JonesTrading raised its price target to $62 from $43 and upgraded Septerna to “buy,” implying substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. JonesTrading raises Septerna price target
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright increased its target to $60 from $40 and maintained a “buy” rating, reinforcing optimism about Septerna’s pipeline and growth prospects. HC Wainwright raises Septerna price target
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its target to $50 from $48 and assigned an “overweight” rating, adding to the favorable analyst consensus. Wells Fargo raises Septerna price target
• Positive Sentiment: Septerna reported quarterly revenue of $26.75 million versus expectations of $19.22 million and an adjusted loss of $0.29 per share versus the expected $0.43 loss. The earnings beat recently supported a strong rally in SEPN shares. Septerna shares rise on earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest was zero shares, meaning short-selling data currently provides little indication of additional buying pressure or bearish positioning.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the positive catalysts, the stock appears to be undergoing profit-taking after its earnings-related advance. Septerna remains unprofitable, with a negative net margin and analysts expecting a full-year loss, which may be encouraging volatility after its rapid run-up.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Septerna from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating and set a $49.00 target price on shares of Septerna in a research note on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus set a $49.00 price target on shares of Septerna in a report on Tuesday. HC Wainwright upped their price target on shares of Septerna from $40.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on Septerna from $35.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Septerna currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $51.33.

Septerna Company Profile

We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new era of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) oral small molecule drug discovery powered by our proprietary Native Complex Platform™. Our industrial-scale platform aims to unlock the full potential of GPCR therapies and has led to the discovery and development of our deep pipeline of product candidates focused initially on treating patients in three therapeutic areas: endocrinology, immunology and inflammation, and metabolic diseases. GPCRs are the largest and most diverse family of cell membrane receptors and regulate physiological processes in nearly every organ system of the human body.

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