United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) Director Christopher Patusky Sells 1,000 Shares

Key Points

• Director Christopher Patusky sold 1,000 shares on April 17 at an average price of $578.88 for $578,880, leaving him with 1,490 shares (a 40.16% reduction in his holdings valued at roughly $862,531).
• Significant insider selling also occurred recently: CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares (~$5.5M) on April 15 and EVP Paul A. Mahon sold 8,300 shares (~$4.79M) on April 16, which may weigh on investor sentiment if further disposals follow.
• Shares traded up to $588.38 on higher-than-average volume amid a sharp spike in call buying (about 15,930 calls, a ~665% jump) and analyst coverage remaining broadly constructive with a consensus "Moderate Buy" and an average target near $601.50.

United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) Director Christopher Patusky sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $578.88, for a total value of $578,880.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,490 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $862,531.20. The trade was a 40.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

United Therapeutics Stock Up 1.4%

United Therapeutics stock traded up $7.87 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $588.38. 662,752 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 499,787. The stock's fifty day moving average is $524.67 and its 200-day moving average is $488.35. United Therapeutics Corporation has a 12 month low of $272.12 and a 12 month high of $607.89. The stock has a market cap of $25.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.09, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.75.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The biotechnology company reported $7.70 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.78 by $0.92. United Therapeutics had a return on equity of 19.30% and a net margin of 41.94%.The company had revenue of $790.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $814.80 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $6.19 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 24.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting United Therapeutics

Here are the key news stories impacting United Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options flow — Traders bought 15,930 UTHR call options on Friday (about a 665% jump versus average call volume), indicating speculative or hedged bullish positioning that can amplify near-term upside or volatility.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target increases and constructive coverage — Multiple firms have raised price targets recently (examples cited include Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, BofA and RBC) and the consensus remains a "Moderate Buy" with an average target near $601.50, supporting positive investor sentiment. Analyst Coverage & MarketBeat Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Small CEO sale disclosed — CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 75 shares (March 13) for roughly $40k; the size is immaterial to overall ownership and is unlikely on its own to drive stock direction. InsiderTrades Alert
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional/hedge fund activity — Several funds adjusted positions (some added, some trimmed); UTHR remains heavily institutionally owned (~94%), which tends to moderate retail-driven swings. MarketBeat: Insider & Institutional Activity
• Negative Sentiment: Material insider selling by CEO — Martine Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares on April 15 (~$5.5M at ~$580.36), a significant reduction in her reported holding per filings; large insider sales can be perceived negatively by investors. SEC Filing: CEO Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Large EVP sale — EVP Paul A. Mahon sold 8,300 shares on April 16 for roughly $4.79M, a meaningful insider disposition that may pressure sentiment if more insider sales follow. SEC Filing: EVP Sale

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Therapeutics

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UTHR. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Activest Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of United Therapeutics by 1,400.0% in the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 60 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the period. WealthCollab LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Therapeutics by 55.9% in the second quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 106 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of United Therapeutics by 76.7% in the second quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 106 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. 94.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Bank of America raised their price objective on United Therapeutics from $569.00 to $626.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Raymond James Financial started coverage on United Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, April 10th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $700.00 price objective for the company. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on United Therapeutics from $655.00 to $705.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, United Therapeutics currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $601.50.

United Therapeutics Company Profile

United Therapeutics Corporation NASDAQ: UTHR is a biotechnology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of unique products to address life-threatening illnesses. The company's primary focus has been on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), where it has launched several therapies designed to improve functional capacity and quality of life for patients. Its marketed products include continuous infusion treprostinil (Remodulin), inhaled treprostinil (Tyvaso), oral treprostinil (Orenitram) and tadalafil (Adcirca), each tailored to different modes of administration and patient needs.

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