Royalty Pharma PLC (NASDAQ:RPRX) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Royalty Pharma PLC (NASDAQ:RPRX) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $45.60.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on RPRX. TD Cowen upped their price target on Royalty Pharma from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Royalty Pharma from $55.00 to $54.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Royalty Pharma in a research note on Tuesday, September 30th. They set a “buy” rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Royalty Pharma in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Leerink Partners set a $45.00 price objective on Royalty Pharma in a report on Thursday, December 11th.

Royalty Pharma Price Performance

RPRX stock opened at $38.38 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 3.48 and a quick ratio of 3.48. Royalty Pharma has a 1 year low of $24.05 and a 1 year high of $41.24. The company’s 50-day moving average is $38.21 and its 200-day moving average is $36.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.15 billion, a PE ratio of 29.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.47.

Royalty Pharma (NASDAQ:RPRX) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.06. Royalty Pharma had a return on equity of 26.36% and a net margin of 32.51%.The company had revenue of $609.29 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $765.01 million. Equities research analysts expect that Royalty Pharma will post 4.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Royalty Pharma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. Royalty Pharma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Terrance P. Coyne sold 69,594 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.30, for a total transaction of $2,735,044.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 54,760 shares in the company, valued at $2,152,068. This represents a 55.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP George W. Lloyd sold 132,426 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.34, for a total transaction of $5,077,212.84. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 606,929 shares of company stock valued at $23,780,885 over the last three months. 18.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. CWM LLC raised its position in Royalty Pharma by 1.5% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 18,591 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $656,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the period. Augustine Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Royalty Pharma by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Augustine Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,722 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $242,000 after buying an additional 283 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Royalty Pharma by 9.6% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,306 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $117,000 after buying an additional 289 shares during the period. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP lifted its position in Royalty Pharma by 1.0% in the third quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP now owns 29,384 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,037,000 after buying an additional 289 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Royalty Pharma by 3.5% during the third quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 9,149 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $323,000 after buying an additional 306 shares during the period. 54.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Royalty Pharma Company Profile

Royalty Pharma plc operates as a buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties and a funder of innovations in the biopharmaceutical industry in the United States. It is also involved in the identification, evaluation, and acquisition of royalties on various biopharmaceutical therapies. In addition, the company collaborates with innovators from academic institutions, research hospitals and not-for-profits, small and mid-cap biotechnology companies, and pharmaceutical companies.