Oppenheimer Has Lowered Expectations for Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD) Stock Price

Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD) had its target price decreased by equities researchers at Oppenheimer from $35.00 to $21.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Oppenheimer’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 279.75% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on AARD. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Friday, November 14th. William Blair started coverage on Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Friday, December 12th. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $7.00 price objective (down from $29.00) on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Monday. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $47.00 target price on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of Aardvark Therapeutics from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $18.00 to $6.00 in a research report on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $25.09.

Aardvark Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of AARD stock traded down $6.96 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $5.53. The company had a trading volume of 990,831 shares, compared to its average volume of 169,610. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $13.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.18. Aardvark Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $4.88 and a 52-week high of $17.94. The company has a market capitalization of $120.39 million and a P/E ratio of -2.61.

Insider Buying and Selling at Aardvark Therapeutics

In other news, CEO Tien-Li Lee acquired 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $14.48 per share, with a total value of $101,360.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,551,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,467,356.24. This represents a 0.45% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Nelson Sun bought 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $14.40 per share, with a total value of $43,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 108,484 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,562,169.60. The trade was a 2.84% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing.

Institutional Trading of Aardvark Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. SymBiosis Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at about $6,255,000. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,248,000. Cresset Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,951,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Aardvark Therapeutics by 53.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 297,865 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,910,000 after purchasing an additional 103,830 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics by 20.6% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 555,721 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,386,000 after buying an additional 94,744 shares during the period.

Trending Headlines about Aardvark Therapeutics

Here are the key news stories impacting Aardvark Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG kept a “buy” rating on AARD even after lowering its price target sharply (from $26 to $9), which signals at least one analyst still sees upside despite the cuts. BTIG Research buy rating / price target cut
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on AARD, leaving its stance steady for now amid the recent news flow. HC Wainwright rating
• Negative Sentiment: The company announced a voluntary pause of its Phase 3 HERO trial for Prader‑Willi Syndrome, a material clinical setback that is the primary driver of the selloff and market concern. Why Is Aardvark Therapeutics Stock Sinking Monday?
• Negative Sentiment: Stifel Nicolaus reaffirmed a “hold” rating but slashed its target from $24 to $6, signaling a much weaker near‑term outlook from that broker. Stifel Nicolaus rating and target change
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley kept an “equal weight” rating but cut its target dramatically (from $29 to $7), another sign analysts are materially lowering expectations. Morgan Stanley rating and target change
• Negative Sentiment: Aardvark is facing a shareholder fraud investigation opportunity filed by the Schall Law Firm, which adds legal risk and uncertainty for investors. Fraud investigation / Schall Law Firm

About Aardvark Therapeutics

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specializing in the discovery and development of small-molecule modulators of the retinoic acid receptor–related orphan receptor gamma (RORγ). RORγ plays a central role in T-helper 17 (Th17) cell differentiation and inflammatory processes. By targeting this transcription factor, Aardvark aims to address a range of autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases.

The company’s lead programs consist of selective RORγ inverse agonists designed to suppress pathogenic Th17-driven responses in conditions such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic inflammatory disorders.