Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $IONS Shares Bought by Pictet Asset Management Holding SA

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) by 21.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,944,020 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 347,022 shares during the quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned 1.17% of Ionis Pharmaceuticals worth $87,249,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of IONS. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 79.1% in the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 383,211 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,385,000 after buying an additional 169,300 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 318.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 103,141 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,745,000 after buying an additional 78,470 shares during the last quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter valued at $48,690,000. Eagle Health Investments LP purchased a new stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter valued at $15,428,000. Finally, Perceptive Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 1st quarter valued at $37,845,000. 93.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Ionis Pharmaceuticals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue rose about 55% year over year to $242.7 million, exceeding estimates, while the per-share loss was narrower than analysts expected. Ionis Q3 earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: DAWNZERA sales increased 40% to $37 million in the third quarter, offering a bright spot in the commercial portfolio. Ionis: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Negative Sentiment: The main setback was TRYNGOLZA: Ionis cut its 2026 sales forecast to about $50 million from its prior $100 million–$110 million outlook, citing slower uptake and competitive pressure. The reduction has raised concerns about the drug’s launch and the company’s growth prospects. Ionis Slashes Key Drug Revenue Outlook by 50%
• Negative Sentiment: Ionis forecast 2026 revenue of $875 million–$900 million, below the roughly $920.8 million analyst consensus, adding to the concerns despite the quarterly beat. Ionis Q3 Revenue Rises; Lowers TRYNGOLZA Sales Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Law firms announced investigations following the guidance reduction. These are allegations and inquiries, not findings of wrongdoing, but may add uncertainty for investors. Investor investigation notice

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on IONS shares. UBS Group began coverage on Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a report on Thursday, October 15th. They set a “buy” rating and a $88.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $110.00 to $104.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Ionis Pharmaceuticals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the company from $54.00 to $66.00 in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $86.00 price target on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ionis Pharmaceuticals currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $88.29.

Insider Transactions at Ionis Pharmaceuticals

In related news, EVP Shannon Devers sold 1,357 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.54, for a total transaction of $59,083.78. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 17,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $775,490.94. This represents a 7.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 1.81% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of IONS stock opened at $31.00 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 7.73, a current ratio of 7.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.07. The business’s fifty day moving average is $46.20 and its 200 day moving average is $65.63. The stock has a market cap of $5.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.96 and a beta of 0.43. Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $27.75 and a twelve month high of $86.74.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 9th. The company reported ($0.66) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.23) by $0.57. Ionis Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 64.76% and a negative return on equity of 111.08%. The company had revenue of $242.72 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $178.17 million. During the same period last year, the company posted ($0.80) EPS. Ionis Pharmaceuticals’s revenue was up 54.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -3.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Ionis Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company that discovers and develops RNA-targeted medicines, with a focus on antisense oligonucleotides. Its medicines are designed to act on RNA and change the production of proteins linked to disease. The company’s research and development programs span neurological, cardiovascular, metabolic and rare diseases.

Ionis has developed medicines that it commercializes itself and products advanced or marketed with pharmaceutical partners. Its medicines and partnered products include treatments for conditions such as spinal muscular atrophy and transthyretin amyloidosis.