Aardvark Therapeutics’ (AARD) “Buy” Rating Reiterated at HC Wainwright

HC Wainwright reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD) in a research note published on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $40.00 price target on the stock.

AARD has been the topic of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Monday, December 29th. William Blair began coverage on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, December 12th. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $47.00 price objective on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, January 12th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, November 7th. They set a “buy” rating and a $26.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, November 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $32.64.

Aardvark Therapeutics Stock Up 0.5%

NASDAQ:AARD opened at $12.67 on Monday. Aardvark Therapeutics has a 52 week low of $4.88 and a 52 week high of $19.58. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $13.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.16. The company has a market capitalization of $275.83 million and a P/E ratio of -5.98.

Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The company reported ($0.75) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.82) by $0.07.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Aardvark Therapeutics news, CEO Tien-Li Lee acquired 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $14.48 per share, with a total value of $101,360.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,551,613 shares in the company, valued at $22,467,356.24. The trade was a 0.45% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Nelson Sun bought 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $14.40 per share, with a total value of $43,200.00. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 108,484 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,562,169.60. The trade was a 2.84% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aardvark Therapeutics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AARD. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. purchased a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics in the second quarter valued at approximately $42,000. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at $47,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund acquired a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter worth $99,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in Aardvark Therapeutics by 72.9% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,989 shares of the company’s stock worth $108,000 after purchasing an additional 3,369 shares during the period. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. purchased a new position in Aardvark Therapeutics during the 1st quarter worth $153,000.

Key Aardvark Therapeutics News

Here are the key news stories impacting Aardvark Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IRB approval and FDA submission for amended ARD‑101 Phase 3 protocol — U.S. IRB approval granted for the amended trial that lowers the minimum enrollment age from 10 to 7, and Aardvark submitted the amendment to the FDA. Expanding eligibility increases the addressable patient pool, should speed enrollment in the HERO pivotal study, and is a tangible regulatory advancement that reduces clinical timeline risk. GlobeNewswire Release
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple media reports highlight the protocol expansion and regulatory filings — broader coverage can amplify investor awareness and institutional interest as the program advances. Business Insider MSN
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: BTIG reaffirmed a “buy” and set a $26 price target — implies ~100% upside from current levels and could attract buyers and momentum. Coverage summary also labels the consensus as modestly positive (“moderate buy”). Benzinga TickerReport
• Neutral Sentiment: Short interest reports appear anomalous/zero in recent filings (0 shares, NaN changes). This looks like a data or reporting artifact rather than a meaningful change in bearish positioning; it should not be treated as a material signal without confirmation. (No authoritative short‑interest link provided.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Company fundamentals/context: market cap ~ $276M, negative P/E (clinical‑stage), and last quarterly EPS beat (reported -$0.75 vs. -$0.82 consensus) — clinical progress, not near‑term revenue, is the main driver of valuation.

About Aardvark Therapeutics

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specializing in the discovery and development of small-molecule modulators of the retinoic acid receptor–related orphan receptor gamma (RORγ). RORγ plays a central role in T-helper 17 (Th17) cell differentiation and inflammatory processes. By targeting this transcription factor, Aardvark aims to address a range of autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases.

The company’s lead programs consist of selective RORγ inverse agonists designed to suppress pathogenic Th17-driven responses in conditions such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic inflammatory disorders.