Terns Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TERN) Earns “Neutral” Rating from HC Wainwright

Terns Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TERN)‘s stock had its “neutral” rating reissued by stock analysts at HC Wainwright in a research note issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on TERN. Barclays upped their target price on Terns Pharmaceuticals from $36.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on Terns Pharmaceuticals from $28.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. TD Cowen raised Terns Pharmaceuticals to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $70.00 price objective on shares of Terns Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Terns Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $58.11.

Terns Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ TERN traded up $2.79 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $52.79. 56,182,630 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,155,289. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $40.32 and its 200-day moving average price is $28.40. The firm has a market cap of $5.48 billion, a P/E ratio of -51.23 and a beta of -0.31. Terns Pharmaceuticals has a twelve month low of $1.87 and a twelve month high of $52.75.

Insider Activity

In other Terns Pharmaceuticals news, insider Emil Kuriakose sold 1,155 shares of Terns Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.57, for a total value of $44,548.35. Following the transaction, the insider owned 50,365 shares in the company, valued at $1,942,578.05. The trade was a 2.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Amy L. Burroughs sold 14,583 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.71, for a total value of $681,171.93. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 288,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,498,068.96. This represents a 4.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 170,409 shares of company stock worth $6,563,769 over the last ninety days. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Terns Pharmaceuticals

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Avoro Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Terns Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter valued at about $175,740,000. Seven Fleet Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Terns Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at $1,491,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Terns Pharmaceuticals by 26.9% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 606,247 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,492,000 after acquiring an additional 128,573 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp bought a new stake in Terns Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $215,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Terns Pharmaceuticals by 240.0% in the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 9,173 shares of the company’s stock worth $371,000 after purchasing an additional 6,475 shares during the last quarter. 98.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Terns Pharmaceuticals

Here are the key news stories impacting Terns Pharmaceuticals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Merck agreed to acquire Terns for $53.00 per share in cash (approximately $6.7B equity value), delivering a takeover premium and providing a clear near‑term exit for shareholders. Merck to Acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Business Wire)
• Neutral Sentiment: The deal is driven by Terns’ lead candidate TERN‑701 (an oral allosteric BCR::ABL1 inhibitor in Phase 1/2 for certain CML patients), which complements Merck’s oncology/hematology portfolio but is still early‑stage; regulatory and clinical risk remain. Merck to Acquire Terns (GlobeNewswire)
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s acquisition is framed as a strategic move to bolster oncology as its blockbuster Keytruda faces patent expiry pressures; this provides context for the buyer’s willingness to pay but doesn’t eliminate execution risk. Merck to buy Terns to boost cancer pipeline (CNBC)
• Negative Sentiment: Halper Sadeh LLC has launched an investigation questioning whether Terns’ board secured a fair price for shareholders, introducing potential legal/closing‑delay risk or claims that could pressure deal terms or timeline. Halper Sadeh investigating Terns deal fairness (Business Wire)

About Terns Pharmaceuticals

Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a clinical‐stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing oral small‐molecule therapies for the treatment of chronic liver diseases and other serious conditions. The company’s research and development efforts center on novel mechanisms of action designed to address the underlying causes of progressive liver disorders, including inflammation, fibrosis and metabolic dysregulation. By advancing targeted compounds that can be administered orally, Terns aims to offer patients more convenient and effective treatment options compared to injectable or biologic therapies.

The company’s pipeline features several candidates in various stages of preclinical and clinical evaluation.