Analysts Set Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX) Price Target at $33.20

Shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX) have received an average rating of “Buy” from the eight analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $33.20.

Several brokerages have recently commented on CPRX. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Catalyst Pharmaceuticals from $31.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, November 16th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $33.00 target price on shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, November 7th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Catalyst Pharmaceuticals

In other Catalyst Pharmaceuticals news, Director Molly Harper sold 26,746 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.25, for a total transaction of $621,844.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,360 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $54,870. This represents a 91.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Carmen Jeffrey Del sold 10,983 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.33, for a total value of $256,233.39. Following the transaction, the insider owned 3,962 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $92,433.46. The trade was a 73.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 10.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Swiss National Bank grew its holdings in shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 229,300 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $5,352,000 after purchasing an additional 4,600 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth about $2,230,000. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its holdings in shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 63,968 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,493,000 after buying an additional 1,484 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its position in shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals by 203.5% during the 4th quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 72,457 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,691,000 after buying an additional 48,585 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fox Run Management L.L.C. lifted its holdings in shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals by 91.9% in the 4th quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. now owns 25,170 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $587,000 after acquiring an additional 12,052 shares during the last quarter. 79.22% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CPRX traded down $0.34 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $23.59. The stock had a trading volume of 175,226 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,222,160. Catalyst Pharmaceuticals has a 12-month low of $19.05 and a 12-month high of $26.58. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $23.67 and a 200-day moving average of $21.94. The company has a market capitalization of $2.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.74.

About Catalyst Pharmaceuticals

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for patients living with rare neuromuscular, neurological and metabolic diseases. The company’s mission centers on delivering safe and effective treatments that address unmet medical needs in small patient populations.

The company’s lead product is Firdapse® (amifampridine phosphate), a treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for adults with Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS).