Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AUPH) Upgraded by StockNews.com to Buy

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AUPH) (TSE:AUP) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Friday morning.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. HC Wainwright reissued a buy rating and issued a $13.00 price target on shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Friday, March 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their target price on shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals from $12.00 to $10.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Aurinia Pharmaceuticals from $13.00 to $8.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on Aurinia Pharmaceuticals from $9.50 to $9.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $10.00.

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

AUPH stock opened at $5.10 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 5.50 and a quick ratio of 4.99. The company’s 50-day moving average is $5.20 and its 200-day moving average is $7.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $729.40 million, a PE ratio of -11.86 and a beta of 1.36. Aurinia Pharmaceuticals has a 1 year low of $4.71 and a 1 year high of $12.43.

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AUPH) (TSE:AUP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 15th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.19) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.16) by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $45.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.00 million. Aurinia Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 14.79% and a negative net margin of 32.69%. The firm’s revenue was up 58.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted ($0.18) EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Aurinia Pharmaceuticals will post -0.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AUPH. GSA Capital Partners LLP increased its stake in Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 196.1% in the 1st quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 349,204 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $1,750,000 after buying an additional 231,260 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 51.7% in the first quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 308,500 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $1,552,000 after acquiring an additional 105,100 shares in the last quarter. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals in the first quarter valued at approximately $158,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 12.0% during the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 78,466 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $393,000 after acquiring an additional 8,398 shares during the last quarter. Finally, China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 67.4% during the first quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 27,802 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $139,000 after acquiring an additional 11,189 shares during the period. 36.83% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing therapies to treat various diseases with unmet medical need in the United States. It offers LUPKYNIS for the treatment of adult patients with active lupus nephritis. It has a collaboration and license agreement with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd.