Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) COO Marianna Mancini Sells 57,661 Shares

Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) COO Marianna Mancini sold 57,661 shares of Viking Therapeutics stock in a transaction on Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.98, for a total value of $1,901,659.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 409,190 shares in the company, valued at $13,495,086.20. The trade was a 12.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Marianna Mancini also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, October 28th, Marianna Mancini sold 6,185 shares of Viking Therapeutics stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.00, for a total value of $216,475.00.

Viking Therapeutics Stock Down 9.3%

NASDAQ:VKTX opened at $32.14 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.43 and a 200 day simple moving average of $32.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -15.16 and a beta of 0.71. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a 1-year low of $18.92 and a 1-year high of $43.55.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The biotechnology company reported ($0.81) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.67) by ($0.14). During the same period in the previous year, the business posted ($0.22) earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -1.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Viking Therapeutics News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: CEO Brian Lian will present at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference — management exposure at JPM can provide updated guidance, data highlights or investor Q&A that could drive a re-rating if new information is received. Viking Therapeutics to Present at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage notes the stock’s recent decline (Zacks: -9.32% on the last close), providing context but not new company-specific information. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (VKTX) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Brian Lian sold 233,409 shares at an average $32.96 (~$7.69M); ownership decreased ~8.5% — a large, same-day insider sale from the CEO can be interpreted negatively by the market. SEC Filing – CEO Sale
• Negative Sentiment: CFO Greg Zante sold 57,661 shares at ~$32.90 (~$1.90M); position down ~23.3% — another senior officer sale adding selling pressure. SEC Filing – CFO Sale
• Negative Sentiment: COO Marianna Mancini sold 57,661 shares at ~$32.98 (~$1.90M); position down ~12.4% — simultaneous sales by multiple officers often weigh on sentiment. SEC Filing – COO Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Director Matthew W. Foehr sold 16,000 shares at $35.11 (~$562k); ownership down ~10.8% — adds to the cluster of insider liquidity events. SEC Filing – Director Sale

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on VKTX shares. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, September 22nd. Zacks Research raised Viking Therapeutics from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and set a $102.00 price target on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, B. Riley raised Viking Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $87.14.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Viking Therapeutics

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in Viking Therapeutics by 58.4% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 955 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 352 shares during the last quarter. Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors llc bought a new position in shares of Viking Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Quarry LP lifted its stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 1,621.4% in the 1st quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,205 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 1,135 shares during the last quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Viking Therapeutics in the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Viking Therapeutics during the third quarter worth $30,000. 76.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Viking Therapeutics

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.