Neil William Aubuchon Buys 4,475 Shares of Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) Stock

Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) insider Neil William Aubuchon acquired 4,475 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were acquired 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 directly owned 4,475 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $149,912.50. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Viking Therapeutics Stock Performance

NASDAQ VKTX opened at $35.76 on Thursday. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a one year low of $18.92 and a one year high of $43.15. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $31.79 and a 200 day moving average of $32.37. The company has a market capitalization of $4.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.25 and a beta of 0.75.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.38) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.89) by ($0.49). During the same period last year, the firm earned ($0.32) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -1.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VKTX has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $99.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, February 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. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. BTIG Research raised Viking Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price target on Viking Therapeutics from $106.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $87.80.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Viking Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VKTX. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 58.4% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 955 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 352 shares during the last quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Viking Therapeutics in the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Viking Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 58.0% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 945 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 347 shares during the period. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.03% of the company’s stock.

About Viking Therapeutics

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.