Vanda Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VNDA) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Vanda Pharmaceuticals has been downgraded from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" by analysts at Wall Street Zen.
• The company reported a quarterly loss of ($0.46) EPS, missing analysts' expectations and projecting a negative net margin of 32.90%.
• Insider transactions included CEO Mihael Polymeropoulos purchasing 10,000 shares, while Director Stephen Mitchell sold 7,000 shares, indicating mixed insider sentiment.

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VNDA - Free Report) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report issued on Saturday.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on VNDA. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $13.00 target price on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 0.4%

NASDAQ VNDA traded up $0.02 on Friday, reaching $4.23. 218,290 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 573,572. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $4.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $4.54. The company has a market cap of $249.66 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.73 and a beta of 0.72. Vanda Pharmaceuticals has a 12 month low of $3.81 and a 12 month high of $5.55.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VNDA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.46) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.34) by ($0.12). Vanda Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 12.89% and a negative net margin of 32.90%. The business had revenue of $52.59 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $54.77 million. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Vanda Pharmaceuticals will post -1.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Mihael Hristos Polymeropoulos purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 21st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $4.40 per share, with a total value of $44,000.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,325,731 shares in the company, valued at $10,233,216.40. The trade was a 0.43% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Stephen Ray Mitchell sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.59, for a total value of $32,130.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 97,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $445,606.38. This trade represents a 6.73% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 8.90% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vanda Pharmaceuticals

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VNDA. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 300,276 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $1,438,000 after purchasing an additional 6,079 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 108.9% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 335,741 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,608,000 after acquiring an additional 175,019 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Vanda Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth about $551,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 348,846 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,671,000 after purchasing an additional 39,195 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,450,310 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $6,949,000 after purchasing an additional 24,483 shares during the period. 88.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of therapies to address high unmet medical needs worldwide. The company's marketed products include HETLIOZ to treat non-24-hour sleep-wake disorders; and Fanapt oral tablets for the treatment of schizophrenia.