Oppenheimer Lowers Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD) Price Target to $21.00

Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD) had its target price cut by investment analysts at Oppenheimer from $35.00 to $21.00 in a research report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Oppenheimer’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 279.75% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $7.00 price target (down from $29.00) on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a research report on Monday. BTIG Research lowered their price objective on Aardvark Therapeutics from $26.00 to $9.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Stifel Nicolaus reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $6.00 target price (down from $24.00) on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Monday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, November 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $25.09.

Aardvark Therapeutics Trading Down 55.7%

Shares of AARD stock traded down $6.96 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $5.53. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 990,831 shares, compared to its average volume of 169,610. The company has a 50 day moving average of $13.57 and a 200 day moving average of $12.18. Aardvark Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $4.88 and a 12-month high of $17.94. The stock has a market cap of $120.39 million and a PE ratio of -2.61.

Insider Activity at Aardvark Therapeutics

In other Aardvark Therapeutics news, CFO Nelson Sun bought 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $14.40 per share, for a total transaction of $43,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 108,484 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,562,169.60. This represents a 2.84% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Tien-Li Lee purchased 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $14.48 per share, for a total transaction of $101,360.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,551,613 shares in the company, valued at $22,467,356.24. This trade represents a 0.45% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics in the 1st quarter worth about $153,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics by 129.7% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 136,927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,851,000 after acquiring an additional 77,327 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund acquired a new stake in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in the second quarter worth approximately $99,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in the second quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics by 72.9% during the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,989 shares of the company’s stock worth $108,000 after purchasing an additional 3,369 shares in the last quarter.

Key Stories Impacting Aardvark Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG kept a “buy” rating on AARD even after lowering its price target sharply (from $26 to $9), which signals at least one analyst still sees upside despite the cuts. BTIG Research buy rating / price target cut
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on AARD, leaving its stance steady for now amid the recent news flow. HC Wainwright rating
• Negative Sentiment: The company announced a voluntary pause of its Phase 3 HERO trial for Prader‑Willi Syndrome, a material clinical setback that is the primary driver of the selloff and market concern. Why Is Aardvark Therapeutics Stock Sinking Monday?
• Negative Sentiment: Stifel Nicolaus reaffirmed a “hold” rating but slashed its target from $24 to $6, signaling a much weaker near‑term outlook from that broker. Stifel Nicolaus rating and target change
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley kept an “equal weight” rating but cut its target dramatically (from $29 to $7), another sign analysts are materially lowering expectations. Morgan Stanley rating and target change
• Negative Sentiment: Aardvark is facing a shareholder fraud investigation opportunity filed by the Schall Law Firm, which adds legal risk and uncertainty for investors. Fraud investigation / Schall Law Firm

About Aardvark Therapeutics

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 (RORγ). RORγ 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 RORγ inverse agonists designed to suppress pathogenic Th17-driven responses in conditions such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic inflammatory disorders.