Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Put Options on Xenon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:XENE)

Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:XENE) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock investors bought 4,063 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 2,362% compared to the typical daily volume of 165 put options.

Xenon Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:XENE opened at $55.88 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.89 and a beta of 0.65. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $55.59 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.99. Xenon Pharmaceuticals has a fifty-two week low of $28.19 and a fifty-two week high of $63.95.

Xenon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:XENE) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.17) EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of ($1.17). During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.83) EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Xenon Pharmaceuticals will post -4.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Xenon Pharmaceuticals news, insider Andrea Difabio sold 1,342 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.23, for a total transaction of $74,118.66. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $403,234.23. This represents a 15.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Christopher John Kenney sold 1,410 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.23, for a total transaction of $77,874.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,069 shares in the company, valued at $390,420.87. This trade represents a 16.63% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 296,707 shares of company stock valued at $17,845,365 in the last 90 days. 4.07% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Xenon Pharmaceuticals

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of XENE. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in Xenon Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in Xenon Pharmaceuticals by 2,560.7% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 745 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 717 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Xenon Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Xenon Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in Xenon Pharmaceuticals by 541.4% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,225 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 1,034 shares during the period. 95.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Xenon Pharmaceuticals

Here are the key news stories impacting Xenon Pharmaceuticals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its price target on Xenon Pharmaceuticals from $77 to $80 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling more upside from current levels. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright kept a buy rating and $74 price target while lifting earnings estimates across several future periods, including Q2, Q3, Q4 2026, FY2026, FY2027, FY2028, FY2029, and FY2030, suggesting improved long-term expectations for the company. MarketBeat XENE report
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s latest earnings were in line with consensus, which helps support the stock but was not the main catalyst behind the move. MarketBeat XENE report

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on XENE. Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Xenon Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Xenon Pharmaceuticals from $56.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Xenon Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Xenon Pharmaceuticals from $63.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $97.00 target price on shares of Xenon Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $77.07.

About Xenon Pharmaceuticals

Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc is a clinical?stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing novel, small?molecule drugs targeting ion channels in the central and peripheral nervous system. The company’s research focus centers on neurological and pain disorders—including epilepsy, migraine, and neuropathic pain—by modulating key ion?channel proteins to restore normal neuronal function. Xenon’s scientific platform draws upon advances in ion?channel biology and structure?based drug design to identify and optimize therapeutic candidates with the potential for improved safety and efficacy profiles compared with existing treatments.

The company’s pipeline comprises multiple preclinical and clinical programs.