Akebia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKBA) Releases Earnings Results

Akebia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKBA) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.04) by $0.02, Zacks reports. Akebia Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 8.83% and a negative return on equity of 62.72%. The business had revenue of $49.13 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.85 million.

Here are the key takeaways from Akebia Therapeutics’ conference call:

• Vafseo’s VOICE trial delivered a strong outcome: an interim analysis in 2,116 dialysis patients showed statistically significant superiority on the composite of mortality and hospitalization, driven by a 10% reduction in hospitalization. The trial was stopped early after exceeding its prespecified criteria.
• Vafseo net product revenue rose 34% sequentially to $21.3 million, with more than 10,500 active patients and a 17% increase in prescribers. Management cited expanding adoption among mid-sized dialysis organizations and growing engagement from DaVita following the VOICE results.
• Akebia initiated a phase II basket trial of ebribafusp in IgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, and C3 glomerulopathy, with initial data expected in 2027; a phase II ANCA-associated vasculitis study is planned for next year. Praliciguat’s phase II FSGS trial continues enrolling, while AKB-9090 phase I data are expected early next year.
• Akebia expects Vafseo revenue to decline in 2027 despite higher unit volume because planned pricing after the TDAPA period ends on December 31, 2026 will be substantially lower. AURYXIA revenue fell to $25.5 million from $47.2 million a year earlier due to generic competition, contributing to a quarterly net loss of $8.9 million.

Akebia Therapeutics Trading Down 2.3%

AKBA opened at $1.29 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $346.06 million, a PE ratio of -16.12 and a beta of 0.26. Akebia Therapeutics has a one year low of $0.82 and a one year high of $3.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.40. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $1.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $1.27.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AKBA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Akebia Therapeutics in a research note on Monday. Zacks Research raised Akebia Therapeutics from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Akebia Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Akebia Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $4.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Erik Ostrowski sold 56,019 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.11, for a total value of $62,181.09. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 616,616 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $684,443.76. This represents a 8.33% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 4.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Cibc World Markets Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Akebia Therapeutics during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Caption Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Akebia Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Akebia Therapeutics by 23.0% in the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 21,393 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 4,000 shares during the last quarter. Polymer Capital Management US LLC raised its position in Akebia Therapeutics by 49.5% in the third quarter. Polymer Capital Management US LLC now owns 18,232 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 6,034 shares during the period. Finally, Brevan Howard Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Akebia Therapeutics during the second quarter worth $62,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 33.92% of the company’s stock.

Akebia Therapeutics Company Profile

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for patients with kidney disease. The company’s lead product candidate, vadadustat, is an investigational oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor designed to treat anemia associated with chronic kidney disease in both dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis patients. Akebia’s research and development efforts also extend to preclinical programs targeting nephrology and related metabolic disorders.

Since its founding in 2007, Akebia has pursued strategic collaborations to advance its clinical pipeline and expand its market reach.