Axsome Therapeutics’ (AXSM) “Equal Weight” Rating Reaffirmed at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley reissued their equal weight rating on shares of Axsome Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AXSM) in a report released on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has a $204.00 price objective on the stock, up from their previous price objective of $196.00.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. B. Riley assumed coverage on shares of Axsome Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $179.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Axsome Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. HC Wainwright boosted their price objective on Axsome Therapeutics from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. UBS Group raised their price objective on Axsome Therapeutics from $163.00 to $248.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Axsome Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, December 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Axsome Therapeutics currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $192.35.

Axsome Therapeutics Price Performance

NASDAQ:AXSM opened at $167.55 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $150.22 and its 200 day moving average is $127.35. Axsome Therapeutics has a 12 month low of $79.19 and a 12 month high of $184.40. The company has a market capitalization of $8.45 billion, a P/E ratio of -35.88, a P/E/G ratio of 9.00 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66.

Axsome Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AXSM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported ($0.94) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.82) by ($0.12). Axsome Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 277.31% and a negative net margin of 40.90%.The firm had revenue of $170.99 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $162.96 million. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 63.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Axsome Therapeutics will post -2.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Mark E. Saad sold 37,577 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.18, for a total value of $6,206,968.86. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 10,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,652,130.36. This represents a 78.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Herriot Tabuteau sold 31,261 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.38, for a total transaction of $5,326,249.18. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 7,229 shares in the company, valued at $1,231,677.02. This trade represents a 81.22% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 420,903 shares of company stock valued at $63,552,838 over the last 90 days. 22.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Axsome Therapeutics

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Axsome Therapeutics by 52.7% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 58,363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,807,000 after acquiring an additional 20,152 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in Axsome Therapeutics by 4.8% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 21,923 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,557,000 after purchasing an additional 1,002 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in Axsome Therapeutics by 2,407.9% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 7,624 shares of the company’s stock valued at $889,000 after purchasing an additional 7,320 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in Axsome Therapeutics by 38.7% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 301,718 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,189,000 after purchasing an additional 84,151 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in Axsome Therapeutics in the first quarter worth about $307,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.49% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Axsome Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright materially raised its 2026 earnings estimates (Q2/Q3/Q4 and FY2026 to a combined $3.72 EPS) and reiterated a Buy with a $200 price objective, signaling expectations for stronger near‑term profitability and supporting higher valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated its Buy rating on AXSM, reinforcing institutional analyst support that can help underpin demand for the shares. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary points to late‑2025 FDA moves — acceptance of a supplemental filing for AXS‑05 (agitation in Alzheimer’s) and FDA support for an NDA filing for AXS‑12 (narcolepsy) — expanding potential indications and revenue runway. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” view but lifted its price target to $204 (from $196), implying upside vs. current levels but stopping short of a buy endorsement. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO Herriot Tabuteau sold a large block of shares across Jan. 5–7 (totaling roughly 139,414 shares over multiple transactions), leaving him with ~7,229 shares — a >90% reduction in his direct holding. Large, concentrated CEO sales can create near‑term supply pressure and raise investor concerns about optics or liquidity needs. Read More.

Axsome Therapeutics Company Profile

Axsome Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing novel therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The company focuses on small-molecule drugs designed to address unmet medical needs in areas such as depression, migraine, narcolepsy and fibromyalgia. Axsome employs a precision medicine approach, leveraging pharmacologic innovation to target underlying mechanisms of disease and improve patient outcomes.

Axsome’s pipeline includes several late-stage and approved product candidates.