Heron Therapeutics (NASDAQ:HRTX) Rating Lowered to “Strong Sell” at Zacks Research

Heron Therapeutics (NASDAQ:HRTX) was downgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on HRTX. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Heron Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and issued a $6.00 target price on shares of Heron Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Heron Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $4.50.

Heron Therapeutics Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:HRTX traded down $0.01 on Thursday, reaching $1.19. The company had a trading volume of 2,155,554 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,590,874. The firm has a market capitalization of $218.20 million, a PE ratio of -9.15 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 2.56, a quick ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 19.89. Heron Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $1.00 and a 52-week high of $2.68. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $1.30 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1.27.

Heron Therapeutics (NASDAQ:HRTX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.01. The company had revenue of $40.59 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.53 million. As a group, analysts expect that Heron Therapeutics will post -0.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Heron Therapeutics

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. PKS Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Heron Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC increased its holdings in shares of Heron Therapeutics by 2,383.4% in the fourth quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 18,874 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 18,114 shares during the period. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Heron Therapeutics in the second quarter worth about $26,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in shares of Heron Therapeutics by 5,541.2% during the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 24,088 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 23,661 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in Heron Therapeutics by 39.1% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 24,377 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 6,858 shares during the last quarter. 80.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Heron Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and company guidance: Heron reported Q4 revenue of $40.59M and EPS of ($0.02), both modest beats vs. Street estimates, and reported full‑year 2025 net revenue of $154.9M (65% YoY growth driven by ZYNRELEF and APONVIE). Management issued FY2026 net revenue guidance of $173–$183M and adjusted EBITDA guidance of $10–$20M — a clear near‑term commercial growth signal. Heron Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright reiterates Buy and $6 target: Analyst B. Folkes continues to rate HRTX a Buy and models a multi‑year recovery to profitability (FY2027+), including an eventual FY2030 EPS of $0.55 — signaling meaningful upside from current levels if execution and product growth continue. (HC Wainwright research note)
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright near‑term modeling: The firm provided detailed Q1–Q4 2026 EPS estimates (Q1 -$0.03, Q2 -$0.02, Q3 -$0.01, Q4 $0.00) and a FY2026 consensus around -$0.13 — useful visibility but not an immediate catalyst. (HC Wainwright research note)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and takeaways from the quarter are circulating: earnings call highlights and analyst write‑ups summarize the beat, commercial momentum, and guidance. These pieces help investors parse the quarter but largely echo the company release. Earnings Call Highlights Zacks Analysis WTOP Snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: Modest medium‑term EPS downgrades from HC Wainwright: The analyst trimmed FY2027, FY2028 and FY2029 EPS forecasts slightly (FY2027 to $0.14 from $0.15; FY2028 to $0.39 from $0.43; FY2029 to $0.44 from $0.48). Those cuts reduce some of the upside implied by prior estimates and may have tempered enthusiasm after recent share gains. (HC Wainwright research note)

Heron Therapeutics Company Profile

Heron Therapeutics, Inc is a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing therapies in pain management and supportive care for patients undergoing medical and surgical procedures. The company’s research is dedicated to addressing unmet needs in oncology supportive care and post-operative pain management through innovative drug formulations designed to improve patient outcomes and reduce reliance on opioids.

Heron’s first approved therapy, SUSTOL (granisetron) extended-release injection, received U.S.