Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. Decreases Stake in Viking Therapeutics, Inc. $VKTX

Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. cut its stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) by 69.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 43,984 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after selling 100,573 shares during the quarter. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A.’s holdings in Viking Therapeutics were worth $1,431,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VKTX. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 536.3% in the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 992,695 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $34,923,000 after acquiring an additional 836,686 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 58.7% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 2,085,487 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $54,807,000 after purchasing an additional 771,704 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 41.8% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,092,840 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $55,000,000 after purchasing an additional 616,526 shares in the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 6,315.6% in the 2nd quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 596,650 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $15,811,000 after purchasing an additional 587,350 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Artia Global Partners LP raised its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 392.1% in the 4th quarter. Artia Global Partners LP now owns 719,365 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $25,307,000 after purchasing an additional 573,186 shares in the last quarter. 76.03% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on VKTX shares. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 target price on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Lake Street Capital started coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $89.00 price target on the stock. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $102.00 price target on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $93.60.

Viking Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of VKTX opened at $37.44 on Friday. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a 1-year low of $22.96 and a 1-year high of $43.15. The stock has a market cap of $4.35 billion, a PE ratio of -9.04 and a beta of 0.66. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $31.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.69.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.37) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.01) by ($0.36). During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.41) earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -4.7 EPS for the current fiscal 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.