Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AUPH) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $1.32 EPS

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AUPH) (TSE:AUP) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The biotechnology company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21 by $1.32, FiscalAI reports. Aurinia Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 29.28% and a return on equity of 25.19%. The firm had revenue of $77.11 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $74.70 million.

Here are the key takeaways from Aurinia Pharmaceuticals’ conference call:

• LUPKYNIS momentum and 2026 guidance: 2025 net product sales grew ~25% to $271.3M and management expects 2026 net product sales of $305M–$315M (up 12%–16%), with total revenue guidance of $315M–$325M.
• AURINIAcept program advancing: The dual BAFF/APRIL biologic showed tolerability and durable immunoglobulin reductions in Phase 1, with one clinical study initiated and another planned to start in H1 2026; the company will disclose indications in Q2 2026.
• VOCAL pediatric trial terminated: The Phase 3 VOCAL and its extension were stopped due to recruitment/technical issues and Aurinia will negotiate with the FDA on how to satisfy pediatric commitments, creating near-term regulatory uncertainty.
• One-time tax benefit boosted reported earnings: Aurinia recorded a ~$173M income tax benefit from releasing a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets, which drove a large net income and EPS increase but represents a non‑operational, one-time item.
• Capital allocation and balance sheet: Cash and investments totaled $398M at year-end and the company repurchased 12.2M shares for $98.2M in 2025, reducing fully diluted shares and supporting shareholder value.

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

NASDAQ:AUPH traded down $0.25 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $13.73. The stock had a trading volume of 326,160 shares, compared to its average volume of 950,810. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.81 billion, a PE ratio of 24.48 and a beta of 1.50. Aurinia Pharmaceuticals has a 52 week low of $6.82 and a 52 week high of $16.54. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $15.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $13.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 5.17 and a current ratio of 5.76.

More Aurinia Pharmaceuticals News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Reported Q4 results materially beat expectations: company reported EPS well above consensus and revenue slightly above estimates, with improved margins and strong ROE — a clear near‑term earnings beat that supports valuation. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: LUPKYNIS sales momentum: full‑year 2025 LUPKYNIS sales grew ~25% and management highlights product momentum as a revenue driver; company is also advancing aritinercept as a pipeline growth option, which adds longer‑term upside. Financial Results & Business Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple news sites and the earnings call transcripts are available for deeper read; some outlets show smaller, adjusted EPS figures (differences likely reflect GAAP vs. adjusted metrics), so reconcile reported GAAP vs. non‑GAAP when modeling. Earnings Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: 2026 LUPKYNIS sales guidance of ~$305M–$315M came in below some street expectations (~$320M), which likely tempered the reaction to the earnings beat — investors may see the guidance range as conservative versus growth hoped for after the beat. Guidance & Aritinercept Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest reports in recent feeds show anomalous zero/NaN values and flagged “large increases” that appear to be data errors — not meaningful evidence of real short activity; monitor updated filings for true short‑interest signals.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aurinia Pharmaceuticals

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 65.3% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 367,661 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $2,956,000 after purchasing an additional 145,179 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 8.7% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 503,543 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $4,048,000 after buying an additional 40,380 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 79,811 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $642,000 after buying an additional 3,497 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning raised its position in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 21.0% during the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 20,699 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $175,000 after buying an additional 3,594 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 16.5% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 141,492 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $1,201,000 after acquiring an additional 20,027 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 36.83% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on AUPH. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Aurinia Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $10.00 to $21.00 in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $15.00 price objective (up from $9.00) on shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Bloom Burton cut Aurinia Pharmaceuticals from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Leerink Partners downgraded Aurinia Pharmaceuticals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $15.00 to $16.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $17.25.

About Aurinia Pharmaceuticals

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc is a clinical‐stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for autoimmune diseases. The company’s proprietary molecule, voclosporin, is designed to selectively inhibit calcineurin and reduce inflammation associated with autoimmune responses. Aurinia operates research and development facilities in Canada and the United States, leveraging collaborations with academic institutions and contract research organizations to advance its clinical pipeline.

The company’s lead product, voclosporin (marketed as LUPKYNIS), received approval from the U.S.