Zacks Research Downgrades Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TARS) to Hold

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TARS) was downgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

TARS has been the subject of a number of other reports. Mizuho assumed coverage on Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $100.00 price target for the company. Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $68.00 price objective on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Tarsus Pharmaceuticals from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Tarsus Pharmaceuticals has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $87.00.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

NASDAQ TARS opened at $75.26 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 4.25 and a current ratio of 3.85. The stock has a market cap of $3.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -46.46, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.57. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $72.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $68.43. Tarsus Pharmaceuticals has a 52-week low of $38.51 and a 52-week high of $85.25.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TARS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported ($0.20) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.19) by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $151.67 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $144.56 million. Tarsus Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 14.72% and a negative return on equity of 19.63%. Analysts anticipate that Tarsus Pharmaceuticals will post -3.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Bobak R. Azamian sold 6,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.51, for a total transaction of $495,060.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 857,991 shares in the company, valued at approximately $70,792,837.41. This represents a 0.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Dianne C. Whitfield sold 7,397 shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.10, for a total value of $592,499.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 38,958 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,120,535.80. This trade represents a 15.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 8.97% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Comerica Bank increased its position in shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 470.0% in the fourth quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 855 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 705 shares during the last quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 106.1% during the fourth quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC now owns 909 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 468 shares during the period. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $164,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals by 26.4% during the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,063 shares of the company’s stock valued at $169,000 after acquiring an additional 431 shares during the period. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp purchased a new stake in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter worth about $202,000. 90.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its price target and reiterated an outperform view, signaling stronger institutional optimism about Tarsus’ longer‑term upside. Oppenheimer Issues Positive Forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim bumped its price target to $90 and kept a buy rating, providing additional upward pressure on sentiment and implied valuation. Guggenheim $90 Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Tarsus announced management will participate in upcoming investor conferences, increasing visibility and giving investors more opportunities for management updates. Investor Conference Participation
• Neutral Sentiment: Media/analysis pieces are debating whether the market has rerated Tarsus after XDEMVY adoption headlines — useful context but not a direct catalyst. Has The Market Rerated Tarsus?
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright published a long‑range FY2030 estimate note (forward view) — informative for modeling but less impactful than near‑term revisions. FY2030 Estimate Issued
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright sharply cut near‑term EPS estimates across multiple quarters and lowered FY2026–FY2029/FY2030 projections, trimming expected near‑term profitability and reducing some of the previous upside assumptions — a material negative for short‑term earnings expectations. HC Wainwright Cuts Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded Tarsus from “strong‑buy” to “hold,” which can dampen momentum from the price‑target increases and signals more cautious near‑term analyst conviction. Zacks Downgrade

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a clinical‐stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies for diseases of the eye and ocular surface. The company’s research platform centers on neuro‐effector modulation to address underlying disease mechanisms rather than solely treating symptoms. Tarsus’s lead candidate, OC-01 (varenicline solution), is an intranasal formulation in Phase 3 development for the treatment of dry eye disease, a condition affecting millions worldwide and associated with significant patient discomfort and reduced quality of life.

In addition to its dry eye program, Tarsus is advancing preclinical and early‐stage programs targeting other ophthalmic indications, including allergic conjunctivitis and retinal disorders.