Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX) Receives Average Rating of “Buy” from Analysts

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX) has received a consensus rating of “Buy” from the nine ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have assigned a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $33.20.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $33.00 target price on shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Catalyst Pharmaceuticals from $31.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Catalyst Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 16th.

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 0.9%

NASDAQ:CPRX opened at $22.96 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.82 billion, a PE ratio of 13.35, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.72. Catalyst Pharmaceuticals has a 52-week low of $19.05 and a 52-week high of $26.58. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $23.19 and its 200 day moving average price is $21.56.

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:CPRX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $148.39 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $136.79 million. Catalyst Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 39.24% and a net margin of 37.63%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Catalyst Pharmaceuticals will post 1.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals declared that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Wednesday, October 1st that authorizes the company to repurchase $200.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the biopharmaceutical company to reacquire up to 8.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Catalyst Pharmaceuticals

In other news, Director Molly Harper sold 26,746 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.25, for a total value of $621,844.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 2,360 shares in the company, valued at approximately $54,870. This trade represents a 91.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Carmen Jeffrey Del sold 10,983 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.33, for a total transaction of $256,233.39. Following the transaction, the insider owned 3,962 shares in the company, valued at approximately $92,433.46. This trade represents a 73.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 10.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Catalyst Pharmaceuticals

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Huntington National Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals by 105.0% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,433 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 734 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its position in Catalyst Pharmaceuticals by 1,085.7% in the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 1,660 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,520 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in Catalyst Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter valued at $39,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Catalyst Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.22% of the company’s stock.

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for patients living with rare neuromuscular, neurological and metabolic diseases. The company’s mission centers on delivering safe and effective treatments that address unmet medical needs in small patient populations.

The company’s lead product is Firdapse® (amifampridine phosphate), a treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for adults with Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS).