Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:TARS) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Tarsus Pharmaceuticals has a Consensus “Moderate Buy” rating from nine analysts, with an average 12-month price target of about $90.67. Recent calls were mixed, including upgrades and downgrades from firms such as Lifesci Capital, Oppenheimer, HC Wainwright, and Wall Street Zen.
• Insider activity showed notable selling: executive Jeffrey S. Farrow and Director William J. Phd Link both sold shares in June, and insiders sold 39,850 shares worth $2.45 million over the last quarter. Despite that, insiders still own 9.64% of the company.
• The company reported better-than-expected first-quarter results, posting EPS of -$0.16 versus an expected -$0.40 and revenue of $162.05 million versus $149.60 million estimated. Tarsus ended the week at $62.92 per share, with a market cap of $2.71 billion.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:TARS - Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the nine analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have issued a hold recommendation, four have given a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $90.6667.

TARS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Lifesci Capital upgraded Tarsus Pharmaceuticals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Friday, April 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $98.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and issued a $88.00 price target on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

In other Tarsus Pharmaceuticals news, insider Jeffrey S. Farrow sold 14,396 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.95, for a total value of $877,436.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 56,801 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,462,020.95. This represents a 20.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director William J. Phd Link sold 12,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.12, for a total value of $776,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 106,786 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,633,546.32. This trade represents a 10.48% decrease in their position. 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 have sold 39,850 shares of company stock worth $2,452,821 in the last quarter. 9.64% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 139.2% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 500 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 291 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 367.1% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 710 shares of the company's stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 558 shares during the last quarter. Comerica Bank raised its holdings in shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 470.0% in the fourth quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 855 shares of the company's stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 705 shares during the last quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC raised its holdings in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 106.1% in the 4th quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC now owns 909 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 15.5% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 1,283 shares of the company's stock valued at $105,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. 90.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

NASDAQ TARS opened at $62.92 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $2.71 billion, a P/E ratio of -55.19 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 3.74 and a quick ratio of 3.71. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $62.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $68.82. Tarsus Pharmaceuticals has a 1-year low of $38.51 and a 1-year high of $85.25.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TARS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.16) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.40) by $0.24. Tarsus Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 14.19% and a negative net margin of 9.02%.The company had revenue of $162.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $149.60 million. As a group, analysts anticipate that Tarsus Pharmaceuticals will post -0.59 EPS for the current year.

About Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a clinical‐stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies for diseases of the eye and ocular surface. The company's research platform centers on neuro‐effector modulation to address underlying disease mechanisms rather than solely treating symptoms. Tarsus's lead candidate, OC-01 (varenicline solution), is an intranasal formulation in Phase 3 development for the treatment of dry eye disease, a condition affecting millions worldwide and associated with significant patient discomfort and reduced quality of life.

In addition to its dry eye program, Tarsus is advancing preclinical and early‐stage programs targeting other ophthalmic indications, including allergic conjunctivitis and retinal disorders.

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