Vanda Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VNDA) Stock Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Shares recently crossed above their 200-day moving average of $6.67, trading as high as $7.29 and last at $6.99 on about 1.2M shares, though the 50-day average remains higher at $7.52.
• Analyst sentiment is a consensus “Moderate Buy” (5 Buys, 2 Holds, 1 Sell) with an average price target of $14.90 and several recent target increases from firms like B. Riley, HC Wainwright and Truist.
• The company reported an earnings miss (Q4 EPS -$2.39 vs. -$2.18 est.), has negative margins and ROE, and insiders sold ~314,342 shares (~$2.58M) last quarter while owning 8.9% of the stock.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VNDA - Get Free Report)'s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $6.67 and traded as high as $7.29. Vanda Pharmaceuticals shares last traded at $6.99, with a volume of 1,200,996 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on VNDA. B. Riley Financial boosted their target price on Vanda Pharmaceuticals from $11.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 31st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. HC Wainwright upped their price objective on Vanda Pharmaceuticals from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Wall Street Zen cut Vanda Pharmaceuticals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. Finally, Truist Financial began coverage on Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a report on Thursday, March 5th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $18.00 price objective for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $14.90.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $413.18 million, a PE ratio of -1.87 and a beta of 0.71. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $7.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $6.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 2.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VNDA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($2.39) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($2.18) by ($0.21). Vanda Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 102.02% and a negative return on equity of 23.85%. The company had revenue of $57.22 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $59.28 million. Research analysts anticipate that Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. will post -2.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vanda Pharmaceuticals news, SVP Gunther Birznieks sold 42,431 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.27, for a total value of $350,904.37. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 494,197 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,087,009.19. This trade represents a 7.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Mihael Hristos Polymeropoulos sold 156,235 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.17, for a total value of $1,276,439.95. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 2,704,496 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,095,732.32. This trade represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 314,342 shares of company stock worth $2,583,985. Insiders own 8.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 456.6% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 6,495 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 5,328 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 3,010.5% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 10,389 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $92,000 after acquiring an additional 10,055 shares in the last quarter. Jain Global LLC bought a new position in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $94,000. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $53,000. Institutional investors own 88.14% of the company's stock.

About Vanda Pharmaceuticals

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders and rare diseases. The company's research and development efforts center on sleep-wake regulation, mood disorders, and movement disorders. Vanda's mission is to address unmet medical needs by advancing novel molecules through clinical trials and regulatory review.

Vanda's flagship commercial product is Hetlioz (tasimelteon), a melatonin receptor agonist approved by the U.S.

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