Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Canaccord Genuity Group Analyst Says

Key Points

• Canaccord Genuity raised Viking Therapeutics’ price target to $114 from $107 and maintained a “Buy” rating, implying substantial upside from the stock’s recent price of $32.53. The broader analyst consensus is “Moderate Buy,” with an average target of $97.88.
• Viking’s second-quarter loss of $1.10 per share was narrower than the expected $1.21 loss, while the company ended June with approximately $502 million in cash to fund its clinical programs.
• The company’s obesity drug programs remain the main catalyst: Phase 3 injectable VK2735 trials are fully enrolled, with maintenance-dosing data expected in the third quarter of 2026 and oral VK2735 Phase 3 testing planned for the fourth quarter. However, Viking remains unprofitable with no approved products, and recent insider stock sales could weigh on sentiment.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by investment analysts at Canaccord Genuity Group from $107.00 to $114.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the biotechnology company's stock. Canaccord Genuity Group's target price would indicate a potential upside of 250.48% from the company's current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Lake Street Capital started coverage on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $89.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Zacks Research cut Viking Therapeutics from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Truist Financial began coverage on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $83.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $95.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, April 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Viking Therapeutics currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $97.88.

Viking Therapeutics Stock Down 2.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:VKTX traded down $0.90 during trading on Thursday, reaching $32.53. The stock had a trading volume of 1,316,998 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,622,393. The stock has a market cap of $3.78 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.82 and a beta of 0.66. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $34.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $32.97. Viking Therapeutics has a fifty-two week low of $22.96 and a fifty-two week high of $43.15.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.10) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.21) by $0.11. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.58) earnings per share. The business's revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Viking Therapeutics will post -4.7 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Viking Therapeutics

In other Viking Therapeutics news, CFO Greg Zante sold 21,217 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.47, for a total transaction of $710,132.99. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 212,204 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,102,467.88. This represents a 9.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO Brian Lian sold 148,517 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.32, for a total value of $4,948,586.44. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,572,441 shares in the company, valued at $85,713,734.12. This trade represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 187,951 shares of company stock valued at $6,268,442 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 5.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Viking Therapeutics

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 58.0% in the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 945 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 347 shares during the period. Ballast Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics in the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Viking Therapeutics during the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in Viking Therapeutics by 169.2% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,077 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 677 shares during the period. Finally, Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Viking Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.03% of the company's stock.

Viking Therapeutics News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Viking said its Phase 3 VANQUISH 1 and 2 trials of injectable VK2735 for obesity are fully enrolled and progressing. The company expects to report maintenance-dosing data in the third quarter of 2026, while Phase 3 testing of oral VK2735 is expected to begin in the fourth quarter. Management believes the pill could become the first oral dual GLP-1 agonist to reach the market, offering a potentially differentiated position in the highly competitive obesity-treatment market. Viking Therapeutics second-quarter corporate update
• Positive Sentiment: VKTX reported a second-quarter loss of $1.10 per share, narrower than analysts’ expected $1.21 loss. Viking also ended June with approximately $502 million in cash and equivalents, giving it resources to fund its clinical programs. Its Phase 1 study of amylin agonist VK3019 is also underway. Viking Therapeutics second-quarter financial results
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains broadly favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and price targets well above recent trading levels. However, these views largely reflect existing expectations and may provide limited near-term support without new clinical data. Wall Street bull case for Viking Therapeutics
• Negative Sentiment: The quarterly loss widened from $0.58 per share a year earlier to $1.10, as research and development spending increased, while revenue remained essentially nonexistent. Because VKTX has no approved products, valuation is tied mainly to future clinical success and commercialization potential.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Brian Lian sold 148,517 shares, CFO Greg Zante sold 21,217 shares and COO Marianna Mancini sold 18,217 shares. The transactions were reportedly made to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards, and the executives retained substantial holdings, but the combined sales may still weigh on sentiment. Viking Therapeutics insider transactions

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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