Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) Insider Acquires $149,912.50 in Stock

Key Points

• Insider purchase: Director Neil William Aubuchon bought 4,475 shares of Viking Therapeutics at $33.50 each on March 10 for $149,912.50, a transaction disclosed in an SEC filing.
• Stock action: VKTX jumped 3.1% to $34.66 on Tuesday with ~2.95 million shares traded (above its ~2.71M average), trading in a 12‑month range of $18.92–$43.15 and with 50/200‑day moving averages near $31.79/$32.28.
• Fundamentals and analyst view: Viking missed Q results (EPS -$1.38 vs. -$0.89 expected), while analysts maintain a consensus of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of about $87.80 amid mixed individual ratings.

Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX - Get Free Report) insider Neil William Aubuchon acquired 4,475 shares of Viking Therapeutics stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $33.50 per share, for a total transaction of $149,912.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 4,475 shares in the company, valued at approximately $149,912.50. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Viking Therapeutics Trading Up 3.1%

Shares of VKTX traded up $1.05 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $34.66. 2,948,887 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,705,391. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a 12 month low of $18.92 and a 12 month high of $43.15. The company's fifty day moving average price is $31.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $32.28.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.38) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.89) by ($0.49). During the same period last year, the firm posted ($0.32) EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -1.56 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price target on shares of Viking Therapeutics from $106.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Zacks Research raised shares of Viking Therapeutics from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. BTIG Research raised shares of Viking Therapeutics to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $99.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $87.80.

Institutional Trading of Viking Therapeutics

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VKTX. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 13.0% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 347,716 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $8,396,000 after acquiring an additional 39,886 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new position in Viking Therapeutics in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $230,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in Viking Therapeutics by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 470,028 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $11,351,000 after acquiring an additional 6,696 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 52.2% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 73,259 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $1,941,000 after purchasing an additional 25,120 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 39.7% during the 2nd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 13,974 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $370,000 after purchasing an additional 3,974 shares during the last quarter. 76.03% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Viking Therapeutics Company Profile

Viking Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company's pipeline leverages small-molecule approaches to target hormone signaling pathways implicated in conditions such as non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and muscle wasting disorders.

The company's lead programs include VK2809, a thyroid hormone receptor‐beta agonist designed to reduce liver fat and improve lipid profiles in patients with NASH and dyslipidemia, and VK5211, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) aimed at enhancing muscle mass and function in individuals with muscle wasting conditions.

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