Insider Selling: Vanda Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VNDA) CMO Sells 30,800 Shares of Stock

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VNDA) CMO Joakim Wijkstrom sold 30,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.27, for a total transaction of $254,716.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 333,469 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,757,788.63. This trade represents a 8.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:VNDA traded up $0.36 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $8.20. 1,262,325 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,505,636. The company has a current ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 2.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. has a 12 month low of $3.81 and a 12 month high of $9.60. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $7.56 and a 200-day moving average price of $5.97.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VNDA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($2.39) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($2.18) by ($0.21). Vanda Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 102.02% and a negative return on equity of 23.85%. The firm had revenue of $57.22 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $59.28 million. As a group, analysts expect that Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. will post -1.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Vanda Pharmaceuticals News

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA grants a formal evidentiary public hearing for Vanda’s sNDA for HETLIOZ (tasimelteon) in jet lag disorder — described as a landmark action and the first drug approval hearing in over 40 years. This raises the chance for public review and could materially affect approval timing and outcome. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright maintains a Buy view with a $24 price target and issued updated quarterly EPS forecasts for FY2027 (Q1–Q4 estimates provided). The firm’s constructive outlook and high price target support upside sentiment despite near-term losses. MarketBeat VNDA
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical/volume and valuation context — the stock is trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, market cap is roughly $485M and the company remains loss-making (negative P/E). Current intraday volume is below the 3-month average, which may mute short-term moves. MarketBeat VNDA
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling: CEO Mihael Polymeropoulos, CFO Kevin Moran, CMO Joakim Wijkstrom and two SVPs (Gunther Birznieks and Timothy Williams) each sold large blocks on March 2 (each sale ~30k–156k shares, representing single-digit percentage reductions in their holdings). Multiple high-level executive sales can be perceived negatively by investors and may pressure sentiment even if sales are for diversification or tax reasons. Relevant SEC filings: CEO (Read More.), CFO (Read More.), CMO (Read More.), SVP Gunther Birznieks (Read More.), SVP Timothy Williams (Read More.).

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Monday, January 5th. B. Riley Financial increased their price target on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals from $11.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 31st. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research cut Vanda Pharmaceuticals from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Vanda Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vanda Pharmaceuticals has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $14.13.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vanda Pharmaceuticals

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 456.6% during the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 6,495 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 5,328 shares during the period. CWM LLC increased its holdings in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 424.6% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 9,359 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 7,575 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 3,010.5% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 10,389 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $92,000 after purchasing an additional 10,055 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jain Global LLC acquired a new position in Vanda Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $94,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.14% of the company’s stock.

About Vanda Pharmaceuticals

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders and rare diseases. The company’s research and development efforts center on sleep-wake regulation, mood disorders, and movement disorders. Vanda’s mission is to address unmet medical needs by advancing novel molecules through clinical trials and regulatory review.

Vanda’s flagship commercial product is Hetlioz (tasimelteon), a melatonin receptor agonist approved by the U.S.