Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management Takes Position in Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $CPRX

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 52,156 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,027,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of CPRX. Huntington National Bank raised its position in Catalyst Pharmaceuticals by 105.0% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,433 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC increased its holdings in Catalyst Pharmaceuticals by 1,085.7% in the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 1,660 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 1,520 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in Catalyst Pharmaceuticals by 331.4% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 3,486 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $69,000 after buying an additional 2,678 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in Catalyst Pharmaceuticals by 14.0% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 4,061 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 498 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA acquired a new position in shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth about $81,000. 79.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:CPRX opened at $24.30 on Monday. Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $19.05 and a fifty-two week high of $26.58. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $23.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $22.08. The company has a market cap of $2.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.13, a PEG ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.74.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on CPRX. Citigroup raised their target price on Catalyst Pharmaceuticals from $31.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, November 16th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $33.00 price objective on shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, November 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $33.20.

Insider Activity at Catalyst Pharmaceuticals

In related news, insider Carmen Jeffrey Del sold 10,983 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.33, for a total transaction of $256,233.39. Following the transaction, the insider owned 3,962 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $92,433.46. This represents a 73.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Molly Harper sold 26,746 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.25, for a total transaction of $621,844.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,360 shares in the company, valued at $54,870. The trade was a 91.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 10.40% of the company’s stock.

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Profile

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for patients living with rare neuromuscular, neurological and metabolic diseases. The company’s mission centers on delivering safe and effective treatments that address unmet medical needs in small patient populations.

The company’s lead product is Firdapse® (amifampridine phosphate), a treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for adults with Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS).