United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) Stock: Insider Martine Rothblatt Sells 9,500 Shares

United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR) CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $564.51, for a total value of $5,362,845.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 324,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $183,151,317.93. The trade was a 2.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

United Therapeutics Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of UTHR stock opened at $588.61 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.21, a PEG ratio of 3.97 and a beta of 0.49. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $536.90 and a 200 day moving average of $534.57. United Therapeutics Corporation has a 52 week low of $449.58 and a 52 week high of $614.23.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The biotechnology company reported $5.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.01 by ($0.30). United Therapeutics had a net margin of 38.61% and a return on equity of 19.18%. The company had revenue of $832.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $781.14 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $7.16 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 24.47 earnings per share for the current year.

United Therapeutics announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, October 22nd that authorizes the company to buy back $2 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the biotechnology company to repurchase up to 8.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Share buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Trading of United Therapeutics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UTHR. Toth Financial Advisory Corp increased its position in United Therapeutics by 2,400.0% during the 2nd quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 50 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Financial Advisors bought a new position in shares of United Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at $30,000. Gen Wealth Partners Inc bought a new position in shares of United Therapeutics during the third quarter valued at $34,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in United Therapeutics by 426.7% in the 1st quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 79 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.08% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on UTHR. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $728.00 price target on shares of United Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on United Therapeutics from $697.00 to $725.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on United Therapeutics from $710.00 to $695.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on United Therapeutics from $515.00 to $566.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered United Therapeutics from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Therapeutics presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $676.40.

United Therapeutics News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $660 price target, implying roughly 12% upside from the cited share price. HC Wainwright ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: The company announced participation in November investor conferences, giving investors an opportunity to hear updates but not signaling a specific business development. Investor conference announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: A report listed short interest at zero shares. That figure suggests no reported short position, but offers little clear directional signal for the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Martine Rothblatt sold shares in multiple transactions on November 6 and 9, while director Christopher Patusky also sold shares on November 9. Insider sales can raise concern about sentiment, though they do not necessarily indicate a change in the company’s outlook. SEC filing

United Therapeutics Company Profile

United Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that develops and commercializes treatments for serious diseases, with a primary focus on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Its therapies include treprostinil products delivered by injection, inhalation, or oral tablet, marketed under brands including Remodulin, Tyvaso, and Orenitram. The company also markets Unituxin, a treatment for high-risk neuroblastoma. Founded in 1996 by Martine Rothblatt, United Therapeutics is also pursuing technologies intended to address the shortage of transplantable organs.