Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TARS) Downgraded to "Hold" Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Tarsus Pharmaceuticals was downgraded to a "Hold" by Wall Street Zen, though analysts remain mixed overall with a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $91.83.
• Insider selling has been notable recently — the CEO and a director sold sizable stakes and insiders disposed of 79,391 shares worth about $5.43 million in the last 90 days, while institutional investors own roughly 90% of the stock.
• Tarsus's lead candidate, OC-01 (varenicline solution), is in Phase 3 development for dry eye disease, which remains the company's core near-term clinical focus.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TARS - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on TARS. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Oppenheimer raised their price target on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $68.00 price target on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $91.83.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $67.24 on Friday. Tarsus Pharmaceuticals has a 52-week low of $38.51 and a 52-week high of $85.25. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $69.26 and a 200-day moving average of $72.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.86 billion, a P/E ratio of -41.51 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a quick ratio of 3.82, a current ratio of 3.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TARS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported ($0.20) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.19) by ($0.01). Tarsus Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 19.63% and a negative net margin of 14.72%.The business had revenue of $151.67 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $144.56 million. As a group, analysts predict that Tarsus Pharmaceuticals will post -3.17 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

In other Tarsus Pharmaceuticals news, CEO Bobak R. Azamian sold 11,964 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.00, for a total transaction of $801,588.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 33,421 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,239,207. This trade represents a 26.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director William J. Phd Link sold 12,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.79, for a total transaction of $859,875.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 116,332 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,002,478.28. The trade was a 9.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 79,391 shares of company stock valued at $5,432,035 in the last 90 days. 8.97% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Comerica Bank lifted its position in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 470.0% in the 4th quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 855 shares of the company's stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 705 shares during the last quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC lifted its position 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 purchasing an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its position 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 purchasing an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter valued at about $164,000. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 26.4% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,063 shares of the company's stock valued at $169,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares during the last quarter. 90.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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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