United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) CEO Martine Rothblatt Sells 7,580 Shares of Company Stock

United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR) CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 7,580 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $517.97, for a total transaction of $3,926,212.60. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 326,363 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $169,046,243.11. The trade was a 2.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

United Therapeutics Trading Up 5.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:UTHR traded up $29.49 during trading on Thursday, reaching $571.38. The stock had a trading volume of 1,691,487 shares, compared to its average volume of 538,503. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $509.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $539.39. United Therapeutics Corporation has a one year low of $409.07 and a one year high of $609.35. The company has a market capitalization of $24.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.44, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.56.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The biotechnology company reported $7.27 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.86 by $0.41. United Therapeutics had a net margin of 41.56% and a return on equity of 20.18%. The firm had revenue of $783.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $804.65 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $6.41 EPS. United Therapeutics’s revenue was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 26.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on UTHR. Morgan Stanley set a $515.00 price objective on United Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, August 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, September 24th. They issued a “sell” rating and a $321.00 price target for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of United Therapeutics from $685.00 to $687.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on United Therapeutics from $704.00 to $677.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $621.00.

Key United Therapeutics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: A federal court in Delaware ruled that Liquidia’s Yutrepia infringes two United Therapeutics patent claims covering inhaled treprostinil for PH-ILD. The court also rejected Liquidia’s arguments that the claims were invalid. United Therapeutics Corporation Prevails in Patent Litigation Against Liquidia
• Positive Sentiment: The ruling could limit Yutrepia’s ability to compete in the PH-ILD market. United Therapeutics said it believes the decision may support an order requiring the FDA to withdraw Yutrepia’s approval until labeling excluding the PH-ILD indication is authorized, potentially reducing competitive pressure on Tyvaso and future cash flows. UTHR Prevails in LQDA’s Yutrepia Patent Dispute
• Positive Sentiment: Investors interpreted the legal victory as improving the durability of United Therapeutics’ pulmonary-hypertension franchise. The move was also supported by previously announced shareholder returns, including an accelerated share repurchase under the company’s remaining $2.0 billion authorization. Why United Therapeutics Stock Is Up Today
• Neutral Sentiment: The court ruling is a major development, but Liquidia may continue pursuing legal and regulatory options, so the ultimate timing and scope of any restrictions on Yutrepia remain uncertain. United Therapeutics Won Its Patent War and Liquidia Collapsed
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider-trading data shows substantial selling by executives, including CEO Martine Rothblatt. While the transactions may have been conducted under prearranged plans, the absence of insider purchases could temper investor confidence. United Therapeutics Insider Trading

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in United Therapeutics in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,868,735,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its position in United Therapeutics by 8.9% during the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 866,930 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $514,016,000 after buying an additional 70,829 shares during the last quarter. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new position in United Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $450,140,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in United Therapeutics during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $293,418,000. Finally, Swedbank AB lifted its stake in United Therapeutics by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 327,122 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $193,977,000 after acquiring an additional 2,350 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.08% of the company’s stock.

United Therapeutics Company Profile

United Therapeutics Corporation is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and other serious cardiopulmonary conditions. The company’s products include Tyvaso and Tyvaso DPI, inhaled formulations of treprostinil; Remodulin, an injectable form of treprostinil; Orenitram, an oral treprostinil product; and Adcirca, a tadalafil-based PAH treatment.

United Therapeutics markets its therapies primarily in the United States and internationally through commercial and regulatory activities in additional markets.