United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR – Get Free Report) CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares of United Therapeutics stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $560.07, for a total value of $5,320,665.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 324,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $181,710,791.01. The trade was a 2.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.
United Therapeutics Trading Up 3.8%
UTHR opened at $584.79 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $517.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $539.73. United Therapeutics Corporation has a 12-month low of $409.07 and a 12-month high of $609.35. The firm has a market cap of $25.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.92, a PEG ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.49.
United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The biotechnology company reported $7.27 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.86 by $0.41. The company had revenue of $783.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $804.65 million. United Therapeutics had a return on equity of 20.18% and a net margin of 41.56%. United Therapeutics’s revenue was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $6.41 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 26.07 earnings per share for the current year.
United Therapeutics declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, October 22nd that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the biotechnology company to buy up to 8.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Share repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Therapeutics
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UTHR. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of United Therapeutics during the second quarter worth about $2,868,735,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its stake in shares of United Therapeutics by 8.9% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 866,930 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $514,016,000 after buying an additional 70,829 shares during the period. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Therapeutics during the second quarter worth approximately $450,140,000. Swedbank AB raised its holdings in United Therapeutics by 0.7% in the first quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 327,122 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $193,977,000 after acquiring an additional 2,350 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its holdings in United Therapeutics by 0.8% in the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 309,220 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $183,306,000 after acquiring an additional 2,383 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.08% of the company’s stock.
Key United Therapeutics News
Here are the key news stories impacting United Therapeutics this week:
- Positive Sentiment: $2 billion share repurchase authorization: The board approved an additional $2 billion buyback. Repurchases could reduce the outstanding share count, support earnings per share and signal management believes the stock is attractively valued. United Therapeutics Authorizes Additional $2 Billion Share Buyback Program
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to raise expectations: Leerink Partners increased its price target to $725 from $685 while maintaining an “outperform” rating. Other recent targets are also above the current trading range, with the analyst consensus remaining “Moderate Buy.” United Therapeutics Stock Gets Price Target Increase from Leerink Partners
- Neutral Sentiment: Third-quarter results are scheduled for November 4: Investors will be watching Tyvaso sales, guidance and progress in the company’s organ-transplantation programs. The prior quarter showed stronger-than-expected EPS but revenue below consensus and a year-over-year decline. United Therapeutics to Report Third-Quarter Results
- Neutral Sentiment: CEO Martine Rothblatt sold shares: Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares for about $5.3 million, reducing her position by 2.84% but leaving her with more than 324,000 shares. The transaction may reflect scheduled diversification rather than a change in outlook. SEC Insider Trading Filing
- Negative Sentiment: Tyvaso faces near-term uncertainty: RBC said the settlement with Liquidia could create pressure for Tyvaso’s outlook, raising concerns about competitive dynamics and the growth trajectory of United Therapeutics’ key pulmonary hypertension products. United Therapeutics Tyvaso Outlook Faces Near-Term Pressure
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several brokerages recently weighed in on UTHR. UBS Group set a $725.00 target price on shares of United Therapeutics in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $685.00 to $687.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of United Therapeutics from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price objective on United Therapeutics from $620.00 to $613.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, United Therapeutics presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $650.43.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on United Therapeutics
About United Therapeutics
United Therapeutics Corporation is a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for patients with life-threatening conditions, particularly pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The company’s portfolio includes Tyvaso and Tyvaso DPI, inhaled formulations of treprostinil; Remodulin, an injectable treprostinil product; and Orenitram, an oral treprostinil therapy. These treatments are designed to improve exercise ability and delay disease progression in people with PAH.
The company also markets Unituxin, an antibody therapy used as part of treatment for high-risk neuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancer.
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