Septerna (NASDAQ:SEPN) Stock Price Down 6.1% Following Insider Selling

Septerna, Inc. (NASDAQ:SEPN) shares were down 6.1% on Thursday following insider selling activity. The company traded as low as $45.28 and last traded at $45.2740. Approximately 391,444 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 9% from the average session volume of 357,967 shares. The stock had previously closed at $48.19.

Specifically, COO Elizabeth Bhatt sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.00, for a total value of $1,100,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 174,209 shares in the company, valued at $7,665,196. This trade represents a 12.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SEPN has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Septerna from $35.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Septerna from $45.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Septerna from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. HC Wainwright boosted their price target on Septerna from $40.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $49.00 price target on shares of Septerna in a report on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Septerna currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $51.33.

Key Headlines Impacting Septerna

Here are the key news stories impacting Septerna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright significantly improved its Septerna earnings outlook, reducing its projected FY2026 loss to $1.15 per share from $2.17 and its FY2027 loss to $1.41 from $3.21. The firm retained a “Buy” rating and a $60 price target, suggesting analysts expect improved financial performance. HC Wainwright forecasts strong price appreciation for Septerna
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright also raised its quarterly 2026 and 2027 EPS forecasts, with projected losses narrowing across every period. The revisions indicate better-than-expected operating trends or a more favorable development outlook for the clinical-stage biotechnology company. HC Wainwright earnings estimate revisions
• Positive Sentiment: JonesTrading raised its price target from $43 to $62 and assigned a “Buy” rating, while Wells Fargo increased its target from $48 to $50 and maintained an “Overweight” rating. These actions reinforce a favorable Wall Street view following Septerna’s recent earnings beat. JonesTrading raises Septerna price target
• Positive Sentiment: Septerna’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations: the company reported a $0.29-per-share loss versus the anticipated $0.43 loss, while revenue of $26.75 million topped the $19.22 million consensus estimate. Septerna shares rise on better-than-expected earnings
• Negative Sentiment: COO Elizabeth Bhatt sold 25,000 shares for approximately $1.1 million at an average price of $44, reducing her ownership by 12.55%. She still holds 174,209 shares, but the insider sale could weigh on sentiment—particularly after the stock’s strong recent advance. Septerna COO insider share sale

Septerna Trading Down 1.4%

The stock has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -82.41 and a beta of 2.29. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $35.83 and its 200 day moving average is $29.64.

Septerna (NASDAQ:SEPN) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported ($0.29) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.43) by $0.14. Septerna had a negative net margin of 24.51% and a negative return on equity of 9.57%. The firm had revenue of $26.75 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.22 million. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Septerna, Inc. will post -1.32 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Septerna

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Man Group plc purchased a new position in Septerna during the second quarter worth $384,000. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Septerna in the second quarter valued at $43,723,000. Elmind Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Septerna in the second quarter valued at $1,655,880,000. ADAR1 Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Septerna during the second quarter valued at $31,506,000. Finally, Primecap Management Co. CA acquired a new stake in shares of Septerna during the second quarter valued at $39,096,000.

About Septerna

We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new era of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) oral small molecule drug discovery powered by our proprietary Native Complex Platform™. Our industrial-scale platform aims to unlock the full potential of GPCR therapies and has led to the discovery and development of our deep pipeline of product candidates focused initially on treating patients in three therapeutic areas: endocrinology, immunology and inflammation, and metabolic diseases. GPCRs are the largest and most diverse family of cell membrane receptors and regulate physiological processes in nearly every organ system of the human body.