Viking Therapeutics, Inc. $VKTX Stock Holdings Cut by Braidwell LP

Braidwell LP lessened its position in Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) by 47.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 759,455 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after selling 678,100 shares during the period. Braidwell LP owned approximately 0.67% of Viking Therapeutics worth $19,958,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. CNB Bank boosted its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 5.1% during the third quarter. CNB Bank now owns 5,756 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $151,000 after buying an additional 279 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in Viking Therapeutics by 58.4% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 955 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 352 shares in the last quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. lifted its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 6.4% in the 3rd quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 6,620 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $174,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. E Fund Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. E Fund Management Co. Ltd. now owns 17,580 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $466,000 after acquiring an additional 406 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 31,547 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $829,000 after purchasing an additional 416 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.03% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on VKTX. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $99.00 target price on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, February 12th. BTIG Research upgraded shares of Viking Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Viking Therapeutics from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Viking Therapeutics has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $87.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Matthew W. Foehr sold 16,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.11, for a total value of $561,760.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 132,036 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,635,783.96. This represents a 10.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Greg Zante sold 57,661 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.90, for a total transaction of $1,897,046.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 189,891 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,247,413.90. This represents a 23.29% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 364,731 shares of company stock valued at $12,053,627 over the last 90 days. 4.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Viking Therapeutics Stock Up 0.5%

NASDAQ:VKTX opened at $35.63 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $31.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $32.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.20 and a beta of 0.75. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a 1-year low of $18.92 and a 1-year high of $43.15.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.38) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.89) by ($0.49). During the same period in the previous year, the business posted ($0.32) earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -1.56 earnings per share for the current year.

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.