Wasatch Advisors LP Raises Stock Position in Viking Therapeutics, Inc. $VKTX

Wasatch Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) by 89.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 313,158 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 147,752 shares during the quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP owned about 0.27% of Viking Therapeutics worth $10,190,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 536.3% in the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 992,695 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $34,923,000 after acquiring an additional 836,686 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 58.7% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 2,085,487 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $54,807,000 after purchasing an additional 771,704 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 41.8% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,092,840 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $55,000,000 after purchasing an additional 616,526 shares during the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC boosted its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 6,315.6% in the 2nd quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 596,650 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $15,811,000 after purchasing an additional 587,350 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Artia Global Partners LP boosted its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 392.1% in the 4th quarter. Artia Global Partners LP now owns 719,365 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $25,307,000 after purchasing an additional 573,186 shares in the last quarter. 76.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Viking Therapeutics Stock Performance

VKTX opened at $38.04 on Friday. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $22.96 and a fifty-two week high of $43.15. The company has a fifty day moving average of $31.59 and a two-hundred day moving average of $32.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.19 and a beta of 0.69.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.37) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.01) by ($0.36). During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($0.41) earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -4.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on VKTX shares. Lake Street Capital initiated coverage on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $89.00 price target on the stock. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and set a $102.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Wolfe Research started coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $95.00 price target on Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Viking Therapeutics has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $93.60.

Viking Therapeutics Profile

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.