Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) CEO Sells $4,029,500.00 in Stock

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) CEO Brett Monia sold 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.59, for a total value of $4,029,500.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 245,571 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,790,566.89. This represents a 16.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 3.6%

Shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals stock traded up $2.84 on Friday, reaching $81.18. 3,828,233 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,762,614. The company has a market capitalization of $13.42 billion, a P/E ratio of -39.22 and a beta of 0.37. Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $39.37 and a 52 week high of $86.74. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $75.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $77.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.75, a quick ratio of 4.09 and a current ratio of 4.10.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported ($0.56) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.85) by $0.29. Ionis Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 30.91% and a negative return on equity of 58.65%. The company had revenue of $246.09 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $195.56 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($0.93) EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 86.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -3.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $87.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Raymond James Financial began coverage on Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Friday, April 10th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $104.00 target price for the company. Bank of America increased their price target on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $100.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Barclays raised their price objective on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $106.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a report on Monday, May 18th. They set a “buy” rating and a $115.00 price objective for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Ionis Pharmaceuticals currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $102.90.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ionis Pharmaceuticals

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in IONS. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Quarry LP bought a new stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $47,000. 93.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Ionis Pharmaceuticals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ionis received FDA approval expanding TRYNGOLZA to treat severe hypertriglyceridemia, strengthening the drug’s commercial opportunity and making it the first approved therapy for the condition. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Ionis announced a licensing deal with Recordati for ex-U.S. rights to zilganersen in Alexander disease, which provides upfront and royalty potential while allowing Ionis to keep U.S. commercialization rights. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners raised its price target on Ionis, signaling continued analyst confidence in the company’s pipeline and commercial execution. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright kept a Buy rating but lowered some 2027 EPS estimates, which is a mild headwind but not a major shift in the firm’s overall view. Article Title

About Ionis Pharmaceuticals

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted therapies designed to modulate gene expression. The company’s proprietary antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology enables the selective binding of short synthetic strands of nucleic acids to messenger RNA (mRNA), thereby inhibiting or altering the production of disease-causing proteins. Ionis’ pipeline spans a range of therapeutic areas, including neurological disorders, cardiovascular conditions, metabolic diseases and rare genetic disorders.

Since its founding in 1989 by Dr.