United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) Director Sells $578,880.00 in Stock
by Jessica Moore · The Cerbat GemUnited Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR – Get Free Report) Director Christopher Patusky sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $578.88, for a total value of $578,880.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 1,490 shares in the company, valued at approximately $862,531.20. The trade was a 40.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.
United Therapeutics Trading Up 1.4%
Shares of NASDAQ UTHR traded up $7.87 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $588.38. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 662,752 shares, compared to its average volume of 499,787. The business’s 50 day moving average is $524.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $488.35. United Therapeutics Corporation has a 12-month low of $272.12 and a 12-month high of $607.89. The firm has a market cap of $25.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.75.
United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The biotechnology company reported $7.70 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.78 by $0.92. United Therapeutics had a return on equity of 19.30% and a net margin of 41.94%.The firm had revenue of $790.20 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $814.80 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $6.19 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 24.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Activest Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of United Therapeutics by 1,400.0% in the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 60 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB increased its holdings in shares of United Therapeutics by 125.6% in the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 88 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of United Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at $48,000. 94.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research analysts have commented on UTHR shares. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on United Therapeutics from $525.00 to $625.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on United Therapeutics from $471.00 to $519.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price objective on United Therapeutics from $575.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $601.50.
Key Stories Impacting United Therapeutics
Here are the key news stories impacting United Therapeutics this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options flow — Traders bought 15,930 UTHR call options on Friday (about a 665% jump versus average call volume), indicating speculative or hedged bullish positioning that can amplify near-term upside or volatility.
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst target increases and constructive coverage — Multiple firms have raised price targets recently (examples cited include Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, BofA and RBC) and the consensus remains a “Moderate Buy” with an average target near $601.50, supporting positive investor sentiment. Analyst Coverage & MarketBeat Summary
- Neutral Sentiment: Small CEO sale disclosed — CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 75 shares (March 13) for roughly $40k; the size is immaterial to overall ownership and is unlikely on its own to drive stock direction. InsiderTrades Alert
- Neutral Sentiment: Institutional/hedge fund activity — Several funds adjusted positions (some added, some trimmed); UTHR remains heavily institutionally owned (~94%), which tends to moderate retail-driven swings. MarketBeat: Insider & Institutional Activity
- Negative Sentiment: Material insider selling by CEO — Martine Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares on April 15 (~$5.5M at ~$580.36), a significant reduction in her reported holding per filings; large insider sales can be perceived negatively by investors. SEC Filing: CEO Sale
- Negative Sentiment: Large EVP sale — EVP Paul A. Mahon sold 8,300 shares on April 16 for roughly $4.79M, a meaningful insider disposition that may pressure sentiment if more insider sales follow. SEC Filing: EVP Sale
United Therapeutics Company Profile
United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ: UTHR) is a biotechnology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of unique products to address life-threatening illnesses. The company’s primary focus has been on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), where it has launched several therapies designed to improve functional capacity and quality of life for patients. Its marketed products include continuous infusion treprostinil (Remodulin), inhaled treprostinil (Tyvaso), oral treprostinil (Orenitram) and tadalafil (Adcirca), each tailored to different modes of administration and patient needs.