Akebia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKBA) Price Target Lowered to $4.00 at Piper Sandler

Akebia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKBA) had its price target decreased by Piper Sandler from $6.00 to $4.00 in a research report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. Piper Sandler currently has an overweight rating on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on AKBA. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Akebia Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $5.00 price objective on shares of Akebia Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Akebia Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $6.00 price target on shares of Akebia Therapeutics in a research report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $5.60.

Akebia Therapeutics Price Performance

Akebia Therapeutics stock opened at $1.39 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $1.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $2.35. Akebia Therapeutics has a 12 month low of $1.30 and a 12 month high of $4.08. The company has a market capitalization of $368.86 million, a PE ratio of -19.85 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a current ratio of 1.94, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15.

Insider Buying and Selling at Akebia Therapeutics

In related news, CAO Richard C. Malabre sold 49,524 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.39, for a total transaction of $68,838.36. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 299,390 shares in the company, valued at $416,152.10. The trade was a 14.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 3.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Akebia Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Akebia Therapeutics by 23.0% in the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 21,393 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 4,000 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Akebia Therapeutics by 13.1% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 176,961 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $340,000 after purchasing an additional 20,499 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Akebia Therapeutics by 9.1% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 137,897 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $265,000 after purchasing an additional 11,517 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in Akebia Therapeutics by 171.8% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,724,439 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $5,231,000 after purchasing an additional 1,722,245 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Akebia Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at $59,000. Institutional investors own 33.92% of the company’s stock.

Akebia Therapeutics News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright reaffirmed a Buy rating and maintains a $6.00 price target, signaling continued analyst conviction in Akebia’s longer?term outlook despite near?term estimate cuts. HC Wainwright Buy Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Large institutional positions have recently increased (UBS, Invesco, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs among buyers), which can support the stock on weakness and suggests professional investors are accumulating shares. Institutional Holdings
• Neutral Sentiment: Market consensus remains mixed: the average analyst view still reflects a “Moderate Buy” profile with a wide range of price targets, so headlines can move the stock sharply. Consensus & Analyst Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright cut its EPS estimates across multiple 2026 quarters and lowered FY2026 and FY2029 forecasts (e.g., Q2 to $0.02, Q3 to $0.03, Q4 to $0.05; FY2026 to $0.12, FY2029 to $0.30), which pressures near?term expectations and can weigh on the stock. HC Wainwright Estimate Cuts
• Negative Sentiment: Piper Sandler lowered its price target from $6.00 to $4.00 (while keeping an Overweight rating), reducing analyst upside and likely contributing to downward pressure on shares. Piper Sandler Target Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Akebia’s CAO Richard Malabre sold 49,524 shares (filed with the SEC), a notable insider sale that investors may view as a near?term negative signal. SEC Filing: Insider Sale

About Akebia Therapeutics

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for patients with kidney disease. The company’s lead product candidate, vadadustat, is an investigational oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor designed to treat anemia associated with chronic kidney disease in both dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis patients. Akebia’s research and development efforts also extend to preclinical programs targeting nephrology and related metabolic disorders.

Since its founding in 2007, Akebia has pursued strategic collaborations to advance its clinical pipeline and expand its market reach.