144,557 Shares in Viking Therapeutics, Inc. $VKTX Purchased by Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A.

Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new stake in Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 144,557 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,086,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VKTX. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 38.1% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 7,853 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $276,000 after purchasing an additional 2,167 shares in the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP lifted its stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 103.5% during the 4th quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 31,922 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $1,123,000 after buying an additional 16,237 shares in the last quarter. Profund Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 35.9% in the 4th quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 55,883 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $1,966,000 after buying an additional 14,772 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC bought a new position in Viking Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $265,000. Finally, DNB Asset Management AS grew its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 20.5% in the 4th quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 27,376 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $963,000 after buying an additional 4,655 shares in the last quarter. 76.03% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Viking Therapeutics news, insider Neil William Aubuchon bought 4,475 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $33.50 per share, for a total transaction of $149,912.50. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 4,475 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $149,912.50. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 5.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Viking Therapeutics Price Performance

NASDAQ VKTX opened at $29.44 on Thursday. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a 1 year low of $22.96 and a 1 year high of $43.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.42 billion, a PE ratio of -7.11 and a beta of 0.72. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $33.13 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $33.70.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.37) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.01) by ($0.36). During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.41) EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -4.67 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Monday, April 20th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $102.00 price target on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their price objective on Viking Therapeutics from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Truist Financial raised Viking Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Viking Therapeutics from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.50.

Viking Therapeutics Profile

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.