Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ARWR) Trading Down 9.4% Following Insider Selling

Shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARWR) fell 9.4% during mid-day trading on Monday following insider selling activity. The company traded as low as $61.20 and last traded at $61.4360. 629,260 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 5% from the average session volume of 664,139 shares. The stock had previously closed at $67.79.

Specifically, CEO Christopher Richard Anzalone sold 13,187 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.10, for a total transaction of $871,660.70. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 3,792,739 shares in the company, valued at approximately $250,700,047.90. This represents a 0.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider James C. Hamilton sold 40,164 shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction on Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.11, for a total transaction of $2,534,750.04. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 171,958 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,852,269.38. This represents a 18.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In other Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals news, COO Patrick O’brien sold 49,493 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.11, for a total value of $3,123,503.23. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 474,908 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,971,443.88. This trade represents a 9.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ARWR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. HC Wainwright increased their price objective on shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Bank of America increased their price target on Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals from $62.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals from $70.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Chardan Capital boosted their price target on shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals from $60.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $71.89.

Key Headlines Impacting Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst price-target increases that signal renewed institutional confidence — Goldman Sachs raised its target to $85 (neutral), Morgan Stanley to $81 (equal weight) and Chardan Capital to $80 (buy); these lifts imply ~21–29% upside from recent levels. Analyst Price Target Raises
• Positive Sentiment: Promising interim Phase 1/2a obesity data: Arrowhead reported ARO‑INHBE and ARO‑ALK7 showed meaningful fat and weight reductions and the company said its RNAi candidate roughly doubled four‑month weight loss when combined with tirzepatide in early data — a major potential upside for future commercial partnerships or combination strategies. Clinical Data Release
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call option activity suggests speculative bullish interest and short-term positioning by traders. Options Activity
• Neutral Sentiment: Some headlines reported a market reaction following regulatory/news events (e.g., reporting around an FCS siRNA approval in Canada) that produced short‑term volatility; context suggests mixed investor interpretation rather than clear directional news. Regulatory/Market Reaction
• Negative Sentiment: Planned capital raises: Arrowhead announced proposed public offerings of $500M convertible senior notes due 2032 and $200M of common stock (plus an underwriter option). That sizable issuance is likely being viewed as dilutive and a near‑term supply overhang, a primary pressure on the stock today. Offering Announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling: multiple insiders (CEO Christopher Anzalone, COO Patrick O’Brien and director James Hamilton) disclosed sales totaling tens of thousands of shares in early January — many investors treat clustered insider sales as a negative signal or as additional supply into the market. Insider Sales: O’Brien Insider Sales: Hamilton Insider Sales: Anzalone

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $55.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $35.74. The stock has a market cap of $8.93 billion, a P/E ratio of -821.02 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 4.86 and a current ratio of 4.86.

Institutional Trading of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals by 138.0% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 4,785,062 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $60,962,000 after buying an additional 2,774,933 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals by 3,507.8% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,155,998 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $34,065,000 after acquiring an additional 2,096,238 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals by 3,142.5% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,081,689 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $71,797,000 after purchasing an additional 2,017,489 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,414,000. Finally, Deerfield Management Company L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,249,000. 62.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics. Since its founding in 2008, Arrowhead has leveraged its proprietary delivery platform—known internally as the Advanced RNAi Compound (ARC) technology—to silence disease-causing genes in patients suffering from genetically defined diseases. The company’s approach aims to offer durable, targeted treatments across a range of therapeutic areas.

The company’s pipeline includes multiple candidates in various stages of development.