Marianna Mancini Sells 18,217 Shares of Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) Stock

Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) COO Marianna Mancini sold 18,217 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.47, for a total transaction of $609,722.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 422,760 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,149,777.20. This represents a 4.13% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Viking Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ VKTX opened at $33.11 on Friday. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a 1 year low of $22.96 and a 1 year high of $43.15. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $34.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $32.98. The firm has a market cap of $3.84 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.11 and a beta of 0.66.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.10) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.21) by $0.11. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.58) earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -4.7 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Viking Therapeutics

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 13.0% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 347,716 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $8,396,000 after purchasing an additional 39,886 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of Viking Therapeutics in the first quarter valued at $230,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 470,028 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $11,351,000 after purchasing an additional 6,696 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Viking Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at $196,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 29.5% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,109 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 481 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.03% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on VKTX. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on Viking Therapeutics from $107.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley set a $95.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a report on Friday, May 1st. Lake Street Capital initiated coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $89.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, July 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $97.88.

Viking Therapeutics News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Viking beat second-quarter loss expectations, reporting an adjusted loss of $1.10 per share versus the $1.21 consensus estimate. The result provides some support, although the loss was wider than the $0.58 per-share loss recorded a year earlier. VKTX Q2 earnings beat estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The Phase 3 VANQUISH 1 and 2 studies of injectable VK2735 for obesity are fully enrolled and advancing. Viking expects to begin a Phase 3 study of oral VK2735 in the fourth quarter of 2026 and release maintenance-dosing data in the third quarter, creating potential catalysts for the stock. Viking Q2 corporate update
• Positive Sentiment: Canaccord Genuity raised its VKTX price target to $114 from $107 and maintained a “buy” rating. The bullish view reflects expectations for substantial value if VK2735 succeeds in the competitive obesity market.
• Positive Sentiment: Viking ended the quarter with approximately $502 million in cash, while its Phase 1 study of amylin agonist VK3019 is underway. The cash balance gives the company additional funding for clinical development. Viking second-quarter results
• Neutral Sentiment: The CEO, CFO and COO sold shares to cover tax withholding obligations related to vested equity awards. The transactions reduced their holdings, but the stated purpose makes them less indicative of a negative view of VKTX’s prospects. Viking insider transactions
• Negative Sentiment: Net loss widened to $128.1 million as research and development spending surged to support the expanding pipeline. Viking has essentially no revenue, so investors remain dependent on future clinical success rather than current operating performance. Viking Q2 net loss
• Negative Sentiment: The company launched a $500 million shelf-registration program to fund VK2735’s development and potential commercialization. While it improves financial flexibility, any future share issuance could dilute existing shareholders. VKTX shelf registration

Viking Therapeutics Company Profile

Viking Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company’s pipeline leverages small-molecule approaches to target hormone signaling pathways implicated in conditions such as non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and muscle wasting disorders.

The company’s lead programs include VK2809, a thyroid hormone receptor‐beta agonist designed to reduce liver fat and improve lipid profiles in patients with NASH and dyslipidemia, and VK5211, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) aimed at enhancing muscle mass and function in individuals with muscle wasting conditions.