Viking Therapeutics, Inc. $VKTX Shares Acquired by RFG Advisory LLC

RFG Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) by 19.4% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 143,560 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after buying an additional 23,346 shares during the quarter. RFG Advisory LLC’s holdings in Viking Therapeutics were worth $5,050,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 41.8% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,092,840 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $55,000,000 after buying an additional 616,526 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 58.7% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 2,085,487 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $54,807,000 after acquiring an additional 771,704 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 16.1% in the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 954,272 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $25,078,000 after acquiring an additional 131,994 shares during the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC lifted its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 6,315.6% in the second quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 596,650 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $15,811,000 after acquiring an additional 587,350 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 10.2% in the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 578,268 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $15,197,000 after acquiring an additional 53,496 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.03% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Viking Therapeutics

In related news, insider Neil William Aubuchon acquired 4,475 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $33.50 per share, with a total value of $149,912.50. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 4,475 shares in the company, valued at $149,912.50. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 5.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Viking Therapeutics Stock Up 3.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:VKTX opened at $32.28 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $3.75 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.80 and a beta of 0.72. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a 52 week low of $22.96 and a 52 week high of $43.15. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $33.59 and a 200-day simple moving average of $33.97.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.37) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.01) by ($0.36). During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.41) earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -4.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on VKTX shares. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $102.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, March 26th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Morgan Stanley set a $95.00 price target on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Truist Financial raised shares of Viking Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Viking Therapeutics currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.50.

About Viking Therapeutics

Viking Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company’s pipeline leverages small-molecule approaches to target hormone signaling pathways implicated in conditions such as non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and muscle wasting disorders.

The company’s lead programs include VK2809, a thyroid hormone receptor‐beta agonist designed to reduce liver fat and improve lipid profiles in patients with NASH and dyslipidemia, and VK5211, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) aimed at enhancing muscle mass and function in individuals with muscle wasting conditions.