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

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

Viking Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of VKTX traded down $0.43 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $33.43. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,896,403 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,084,235. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $34.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.97. The stock 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 fifty-two week low of $22.96 and a fifty-two week high of $43.15.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.10) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.21) by $0.11. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned ($0.58) earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -4.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Viking Therapeutics

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 13.0% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 347,716 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $8,396,000 after buying an additional 39,886 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new position in Viking Therapeutics during the first quarter valued at $230,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in Viking Therapeutics by 1.4% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 470,028 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $11,351,000 after buying an additional 6,696 shares during the period. Prudential Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Viking Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth about $196,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 29.5% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,109 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 481 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.03% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VKTX has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their price objective on Viking Therapeutics from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Truist Financial assumed coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $83.00 target price on the stock. Lake Street Capital initiated coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $89.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Zacks Research cut Viking Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Viking Therapeutics presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $97.00.

Viking Therapeutics News Summary

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.

Viking Therapeutics Company 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.