Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) CFO Greg Zante Sells 21,217 Shares

Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) CFO Greg Zante sold 21,217 shares of Viking Therapeutics stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.47, for a total transaction of $710,132.99. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 212,204 shares in the company, valued at $7,102,467.88. This represents a 9.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Viking Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of VKTX stock opened at $33.43 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.07 and a beta of 0.66. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a 52-week low of $22.96 and a 52-week high of $43.15. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $34.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $32.97.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.10) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.21) by $0.11. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($0.58) EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -4.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Fund Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth $1,518,000. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Viking Therapeutics by 1,624.0% during the fourth quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 281,052 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $9,887,000 after buying an additional 264,750 shares in the last quarter. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV bought a new position in Viking Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth about $1,535,000. Channel Wealth LLC bought a new position in Viking Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth about $2,655,000. Finally, Granahan Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 41.0% in the 1st quarter. Granahan Investment Management LLC now owns 332,192 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $10,810,000 after acquiring an additional 96,606 shares in the last quarter. 76.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on VKTX. Truist Financial initiated coverage on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $83.00 target price for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $95.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Zacks Research downgraded Viking Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, July 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $97.00.

Key Stories Impacting Viking Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Viking reported a quarterly loss of $1.10 per share, better than analysts’ expected loss of $1.21. The beat may offer some support, although revenue was essentially unchanged year over year. Viking Therapeutics earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: The Phase 3 VANQUISH 1 and 2 trials of injectable VK2735 for obesity are fully enrolled and advancing. Viking expects to begin an oral Phase 3 VK2735 trial in the fourth quarter of 2026 and report maintenance-dosing data in the third quarter, providing several potential catalysts. Viking Therapeutics corporate update
• Positive Sentiment: The company ended the quarter with approximately $502 million in cash and equivalents, strengthening its ability to fund ongoing clinical trials. Viking also said its Phase 1 study of the amylin agonist VK3019 is underway, adding another potential pipeline opportunity.
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent analyst-focused coverage remains broadly optimistic, with several reports presenting VKTX as a “buy-the-dip” or high-upside biotech. However, these articles largely reflect existing Wall Street sentiment rather than new analyst actions or company developments. Wall Street bull case for Viking Therapeutics
• Negative Sentiment: Although Viking exceeded EPS expectations, its loss widened from $0.58 per share in the prior-year quarter to $1.10, and the company continues to generate little or no revenue. Investors therefore remain focused on clinical results and the eventual commercial potential of VK2735 rather than near-term earnings.

About Viking Therapeutics

Viking Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company’s pipeline leverages small-molecule approaches to target hormone signaling pathways implicated in conditions such as non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and muscle wasting disorders.

The company’s lead programs include VK2809, a thyroid hormone receptor‐beta agonist designed to reduce liver fat and improve lipid profiles in patients with NASH and dyslipidemia, and VK5211, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) aimed at enhancing muscle mass and function in individuals with muscle wasting conditions.