United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) Director Christopher Patusky Sells 1,210 Shares of Company Stock

United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR) Director Christopher Patusky sold 1,210 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $580.00, for a total transaction of $701,800.00. Following the sale, the director owned 2,140 shares in the company, valued at $1,241,200. The trade was a 36.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

United Therapeutics Stock Performance

UTHR opened at $588.61 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $25.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.97 and a beta of 0.49. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $536.90 and its 200 day moving average is $534.57. United Therapeutics Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $449.58 and a fifty-two week high of $614.23.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The biotechnology company reported $5.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.01 by ($0.30). The business had revenue of $832.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $781.14 million. United Therapeutics had a return on equity of 19.18% and a net margin of 38.61%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $7.16 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 24.47 earnings per share for the current year.

United Therapeutics declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, October 22nd that allows the company to buy back $2 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the biotechnology company to purchase up to 8.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Therapeutics

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UTHR. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of United Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,868,735,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its position in shares of United Therapeutics by 8.9% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 866,930 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $514,016,000 after purchasing an additional 70,829 shares in the last quarter. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at about $450,140,000. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in shares of United Therapeutics by 23.5% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 270,578 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $160,447,000 after purchasing an additional 51,555 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of United Therapeutics in the second quarter worth about $159,522,000. 94.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Therapeutics News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $660 price target, implying roughly 12% upside from the cited share price. HC Wainwright ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: The company announced participation in November investor conferences, giving investors an opportunity to hear updates but not signaling a specific business development. Investor conference announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: A report listed short interest at zero shares. That figure suggests no reported short position, but offers little clear directional signal for the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Martine Rothblatt sold shares in multiple transactions on November 6 and 9, while director Christopher Patusky also sold shares on November 9. Insider sales can raise concern about sentiment, though they do not necessarily indicate a change in the company’s outlook. SEC filing

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on UTHR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on United Therapeutics from $710.00 to $695.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $850.00 target price on shares of United Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, October 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “sell” rating and issued a $368.00 price target on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, October 15th. UBS Group set a $725.00 price target on United Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $728.00 price target on shares of United Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $676.40.

United Therapeutics Company Profile

United Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that develops and commercializes treatments for serious diseases, with a primary focus on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Its therapies include treprostinil products delivered by injection, inhalation, or oral tablet, marketed under brands including Remodulin, Tyvaso, and Orenitram. The company also markets Unituxin, a treatment for high-risk neuroblastoma. Founded in 1996 by Martine Rothblatt, United Therapeutics is also pursuing technologies intended to address the shortage of transplantable organs.