Akebia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKBA) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results

Akebia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKBA) issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.04) by $0.02, Zacks reports. Akebia Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 13.54% and a negative return on equity of 83.08%. The business had revenue of $49.13 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $48.85 million.

Here are the key takeaways from Akebia Therapeutics’ conference call:

• Vafseo’s VOICE trial delivered a strong outcome: an interim analysis in 2,116 dialysis patients showed statistically significant superiority on the composite of mortality and hospitalization, driven by a 10% reduction in hospitalization. The trial was stopped early after exceeding its prespecified criteria.
• Vafseo net product revenue rose 34% sequentially to $21.3 million, with more than 10,500 active patients and a 17% increase in prescribers. Management cited expanding adoption among mid-sized dialysis organizations and growing engagement from DaVita following the VOICE results.
• Akebia initiated a phase II basket trial of ebribafusp in IgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, and C3 glomerulopathy, with initial data expected in 2027; a phase II ANCA-associated vasculitis study is planned for next year. Praliciguat’s phase II FSGS trial continues enrolling, while AKB-9090 phase I data are expected early next year.
• Akebia expects Vafseo revenue to decline in 2027 despite higher unit volume because planned pricing after the TDAPA period ends on December 31, 2026 will be substantially lower. AURYXIA revenue fell to $25.5 million from $47.2 million a year earlier due to generic competition, contributing to a quarterly net loss of $8.9 million.

Akebia Therapeutics Stock Performance

AKBA stock opened at $0.95 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $256.03 million, a P/E ratio of -8.68 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1.27. Akebia Therapeutics has a fifty-two week low of $0.82 and a fifty-two week high of $3.44.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Zacks Research raised Akebia Therapeutics from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Wall Street Zen cut Akebia Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Akebia Therapeutics in a report on Monday. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Akebia Therapeutics in a report on Thursday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Akebia Therapeutics presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $4.67.

Insider Activity at Akebia Therapeutics

In other Akebia Therapeutics news, CFO Erik Ostrowski sold 56,019 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.11, for a total transaction of $62,181.09. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 616,616 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $684,443.76. This trade represents a 8.33% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 4.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Akebia Therapeutics

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AKBA. Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Akebia Therapeutics by 23.0% during the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 21,393 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 4,000 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in Akebia Therapeutics by 26.0% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 23,279 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 4,798 shares in the last quarter. Polymer Capital Management US LLC raised its holdings in shares of Akebia Therapeutics by 49.5% during the third quarter. Polymer Capital Management US LLC now owns 18,232 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 6,034 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG boosted its stake in Akebia Therapeutics by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 164,655 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $265,000 after purchasing an additional 8,103 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its holdings in Akebia Therapeutics by 16.8% during the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 59,502 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $217,000 after purchasing an additional 8,568 shares in the last quarter. 33.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Akebia Therapeutics Company Profile

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for patients with kidney disease. The company’s lead product candidate, vadadustat, is an investigational oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor designed to treat anemia associated with chronic kidney disease in both dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis patients. Akebia’s research and development efforts also extend to preclinical programs targeting nephrology and related metabolic disorders.

Since its founding in 2007, Akebia has pursued strategic collaborations to advance its clinical pipeline and expand its market reach.