Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AARD) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AARD) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $32.70.

AARD has been the subject of several recent research reports. Jones Trading began coverage on Aardvark Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $33.00 price objective for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Friday, November 14th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $26.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Monday, September 29th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $24.00 price objective on the stock.

Aardvark Therapeutics Stock Up 1.0%

NASDAQ:AARD opened at $15.52 on Friday. Aardvark Therapeutics has a 52 week low of $4.88 and a 52 week high of $19.58. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $12.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $12.07. The company has a market cap of $337.87 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.32.

Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The company reported ($0.75) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.82) by $0.07.

Insider Buying and Selling at Aardvark Therapeutics

In other Aardvark Therapeutics news, CEO Tien-Li Lee acquired 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $14.48 per share, with a total value of $101,360.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,551,613 shares in the company, valued at $22,467,356.24. The trade was a 0.45% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Nelson Sun acquired 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $14.40 per share, for a total transaction of $43,200.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 108,484 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,562,169.60. The trade was a 2.84% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aardvark Therapeutics

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AARD. Citadel Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 1,359,883 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,073,000 after buying an additional 76,151 shares during the last quarter. Laurion Capital Management LP raised its stake in Aardvark Therapeutics by 6.1% during the 3rd quarter. Laurion Capital Management LP now owns 1,049,721 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,951,000 after acquiring an additional 60,653 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Aardvark Therapeutics by 20.6% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 555,721 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,386,000 after acquiring an additional 94,744 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at $4,248,000. Finally, Cresset Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at $1,951,000.

Aardvark Therapeutics Company Profile

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specializing in the discovery and development of small-molecule modulators of the retinoic acid receptor–related orphan receptor gamma (ROR?). ROR? plays a central role in T-helper 17 (Th17) cell differentiation and inflammatory processes. By targeting this transcription factor, Aardvark aims to address a range of autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases.

The company’s lead programs consist of selective ROR? inverse agonists designed to suppress pathogenic Th17-driven responses in conditions such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic inflammatory disorders.