Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LGND) Given New $277.00 Price Target at Oppenheimer

Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LGND) had its price objective lifted by equities researchers at Oppenheimer from $275.00 to $277.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the biotechnology company’s stock. Oppenheimer’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 41.02% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Benchmark increased their price objective on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $175.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $270.00 price objective for the company. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $234.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, HC Wainwright boosted their price target on Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $231.00 to $239.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $245.17.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:LGND traded up $0.26 on Friday, reaching $196.43. The company had a trading volume of 51,925 shares, compared to its average volume of 209,304. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.87 billion, a PE ratio of 94.80 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a current ratio of 24.69, a quick ratio of 24.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Ligand Pharmaceuticals has a 52-week low of $93.58 and a 52-week high of $212.49. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $193.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $185.01.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LGND) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The biotechnology company reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.56. The business had revenue of $59.67 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $55.59 million. Ligand Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 19.34% and a return on equity of 5.71%. The firm’s revenue was up 39.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.27 earnings per share. Ligand Pharmaceuticals has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.000-9.000 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Ligand Pharmaceuticals will post 1.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Ligand Pharmaceuticals

In related news, Director John W. Kozarich sold 467 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.91, for a total value of $91,489.97. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 43,187 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,460,765.17. The trade was a 1.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Octavio Espinoza sold 1,804 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.31, for a total transaction of $339,711.24. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 26,186 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,931,085.66. The trade was a 6.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 3,205 shares of company stock valued at $611,192. Insiders own 7.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 86.3% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 149 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Ligand Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 85.8% during the 3rd quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 210 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, USA Financial Formulas purchased a new stake in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 91.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — Non‑GAAP EPS of $2.02 topped estimates and revenue of $59.7M beat expectations; Q4 revenue rose ~39.5% year‑over‑year, signaling accelerating royalty and partner income. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc (LGND) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Surpassing Expectations and …
• Positive Sentiment: Very strong FY‑2026 EPS guide — management reiterated adjusted EPS guidance of $8.00–$9.00 for FY‑2026 (well above Wall Street’s prior consensus), signaling materially higher earnings power ahead even though revenue guidance is a wider $245M–$285M. Ligand Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Long‑term royalty growth outlook — company projects roughly 23% CAGR in royalty revenue through 2030 as its royalty portfolio accelerates, supporting multi‑year organic cash flow growth. Ligand outlines 23% CAGR royalty growth outlook through 2030 as royalty portfolio accelerates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary is constructive — at least one firm flagged upside to the shares after the print, which may support further positive revisions if royalty growth continues. Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LGND) Stock Price Expected to Rise, HC Wainwright Analyst Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Conference materials and transcripts available — the earnings press release, slide deck and full call transcript provide detail on assumptions behind the lofty EPS guide; review those to understand non‑GAAP adjustments, royalties mix and timing. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (LGND) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Immediate market reaction mixed — some outlets reported a notable intraday decline (~6% noted by one piece) despite the beat/guidance, suggesting profit‑taking, skepticism about sustainability of guidance, or model‑timing concerns from investors. Why Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated’s (LGND) Stock Is Down 5.99%

About Ligand Pharmaceuticals

Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company that acquires, develops and out-licenses proprietary technologies designed to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies discover and develop novel medicines. Operating primarily through its research services and royalty-generating businesses, Ligand focuses on building a diversified portfolio of technology platforms and partnering with industry leaders to advance therapeutic candidates across multiple disease areas.

The company’s product offerings center around several core platforms.