Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:RARE)

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ:RARE) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Stock investors purchased 3,801 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 154% compared to the typical daily volume of 1,498 call options.

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Stock Performance

Shares of RARE stock traded up $3.06 on Tuesday, hitting $22.78. 10,266,977 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,471,021. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.84 and a beta of 0.16. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $33.66 and its 200 day simple moving average is $32.11. Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical has a one year low of $18.41 and a one year high of $46.50.

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ:RARE) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.81) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.23) by ($0.58). The business had revenue of $159.93 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $167.42 million. Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical had a negative net margin of 91.95% and a negative return on equity of 414.17%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 14.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($1.40) earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical will post -5.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on RARE. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical from $114.00 to $63.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. TD Cowen decreased their target price on Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical from $86.00 to $75.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $105.00 price target on shares of Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical in a research report on Friday, September 5th. Leerink Partners decreased their price objective on shares of Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical from $80.00 to $70.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $80.00 target price on shares of Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical in a research note on Tuesday, September 9th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $75.19.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical news, CFO Howard Horn sold 3,081 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.38, for a total transaction of $112,086.78. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 95,146 shares in the company, valued at $3,461,411.48. This represents a 3.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 11,108 shares of company stock valued at $365,262. Company insiders own 5.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Covestor Ltd raised its position in Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical by 26.0% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,787 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 369 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank lifted its stake in Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical by 56.2% in the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,092 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 393 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its holdings in Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical by 1.8% in the second quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 22,773 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $828,000 after acquiring an additional 404 shares in the last quarter. Xponance Inc. increased its position in Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 13,494 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $406,000 after purchasing an additional 406 shares during the period. Finally, China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 18,988 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $690,000 after purchasing an additional 434 shares in the last quarter. 97.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several major analysts reaffirmed buy/outperform ratings even after cutting targets, signaling continued conviction in Ultragenyx’s remaining pipeline and long‑term value; that support likely helped the stock bounce. Analyst Price Target Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options flow — investors bought ~3,801 call contracts (a ~154% jump vs. average) — indicating speculative buying or hedging that can amplify intraday gains. (Market options data)
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider transaction: CAO Theodore Huizenga sold 85 shares (a very small stake reduction), which is routine and not a material insider exit. SEC filing: Insider Sale Filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading was briefly halted on RARE when the company released the clinical update; halts can intensify moves but are procedural. (News pending halt)
• Negative Sentiment: Ultragenyx and partner Mereo announced Phase III Orbit and Cosmic studies of setrusumab (UX143) in osteogenesis imperfecta failed to meet their primary endpoint (no significant reduction in clinical fracture rate). This clinical failure was the primary driver of yesterday’s large share decline and a >$1B market‑cap hit. Reuters: Trial Failure
• Negative Sentiment: The Portnoy Law Firm has opened an investigation into possible securities fraud and may file a class action, increasing legal and headline risk for the stock. GlobeNewswire: Legal Investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Several firms slashed price targets (Jefferies, Baird, Leerink, Wells Fargo), lowering near‑term upside expectations even where ratings were maintained; that compresses the stock’s valuation runway until new positive data or guidance. Analyst Target Cuts
• Negative Sentiment: Management indicated significant cutbacks following the study miss, a step that can reduce burn but also signals scaled‑back near‑term growth. BizJ: Cuts After Failure

About Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for rare and ultra-rare genetic disorders. Since its founding in 2010 and headquarters in Novato, California, the company has built expertise in protein replacement therapies, small molecules and gene therapy approaches to address high-unmet medical needs. Ultragenyx applies a precision medicine model, leveraging both in-house research and strategic collaborations to advance its product pipeline from discovery through regulatory approval.

The company’s commercial portfolio includes Crysvita (burosumab-tmyl) for X-linked hypophosphatemia, Mepsevii (vestronidase alfa-vjbk) for mucopolysaccharidosis VII and Dojolvi (triheptanoin) for long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders.