Royal Bank Of Canada Has Lowered Expectations for United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) Stock Price

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) had its target price decreased by investment analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $704.00 to $677.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the biotechnology company’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s target price indicates a potential upside of 25.64% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on UTHR. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Wells Fargo & Company raised United Therapeutics from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $575.00 to $735.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley set a $515.00 price target on United Therapeutics in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on United Therapeutics from $685.00 to $687.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on United Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, April 10th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $700.00 price objective for the company. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $646.00.

United Therapeutics Price Performance

NASDAQ UTHR opened at $538.84 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $539.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $534.22. United Therapeutics has a fifty-two week low of $292.34 and a fifty-two week high of $609.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.11 billion, a PE ratio of 19.28, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.59.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The biotechnology company reported $7.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.86 by $0.41. United Therapeutics had a return on equity of 20.18% and a net margin of 41.56%.The firm had revenue of $783.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $804.65 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $6.41 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that United Therapeutics will post 26.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at United Therapeutics

In related news, EVP Paul A. Mahon sold 8,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $517.05, for a total transaction of $4,291,515.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 45,172 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,356,182.60. This trade represents a 15.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Martine A. Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $518.74, for a total value of $4,928,030.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 324,443 shares in the company, valued at approximately $168,301,561.82. This trade represents a 2.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 482,833 shares of company stock worth $265,555,592 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 8.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Arjuna Capital lifted its holdings in shares of United Therapeutics by 2.8% in the first quarter. Arjuna Capital now owns 662 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $393,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Sage Rhino Capital LLC grew its position in United Therapeutics by 5.1% during the first quarter. Sage Rhino Capital LLC now owns 474 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $281,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC increased its stake in United Therapeutics by 5.4% in the 1st quarter. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC now owns 465 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $276,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of United Therapeutics by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 661 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $392,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Independent Advisor Alliance raised its holdings in shares of United Therapeutics by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 833 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $406,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.08% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting United Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings exceeded expectations. United Therapeutics reported second-quarter EPS of $7.27, above the roughly $6.86 consensus and up from $6.41 a year earlier. Strong profitability, including a net margin above 40%, provides a favorable fundamental backdrop. United Therapeutics Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline milestones are offsetting near-term product concerns. Investors are focusing on progress for ralinepag, including its Phase 3 milestone and regulatory applications. The program could provide a new growth driver and reduce reliance on Tyvaso amid competitive pressures. EPS Strength and Ralinepag’s Phase 3 Milestone
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable. H.C. Wainwright reiterated a Buy rating with a $660 price target. RBC maintained an Outperform rating and set a $677 target, despite reducing its previous target from $704. These targets indicate continued confidence in United Therapeutics’ longer-term prospects. Buy Rating Reiterated on United Therapeutics
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue fell short of estimates. Second-quarter revenue was $783.3 million, below the $804.65 million consensus and down 1.9% year over year. The revenue miss highlights near-term pressure even as earnings and pipeline updates were encouraging. United Therapeutics Q2 Earnings Results
• Negative Sentiment: Senior executives sold sizable positions. CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares for approximately $4.9 million, while EVP Paul Mahon sold 8,300 shares for about $4.3 million. The transactions may reflect personal or scheduled sales, but the reductions in insider ownership could weigh on investor sentiment. United Therapeutics Insider Selling

United Therapeutics Company Profile

United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ: UTHR) is a biotechnology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of unique products to address life-threatening illnesses. The company’s primary focus has been on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), where it has launched several therapies designed to improve functional capacity and quality of life for patients. Its marketed products include continuous infusion treprostinil (Remodulin), inhaled treprostinil (Tyvaso), oral treprostinil (Orenitram) and tadalafil (Adcirca), each tailored to different modes of administration and patient needs.