United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) Reaches New 1-Year High After Strong Earnings

United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHRGet Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $530.00 and last traded at $514.3560, with a volume of 243263 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $473.43.

The biotechnology company reported $7.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.78 by $0.92. The company had revenue of $790.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $814.80 million. United Therapeutics had a return on equity of 18.83% and a net margin of 40.65%.The firm’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $6.19 earnings per share.

United Therapeutics News Summary

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

UTHR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on United Therapeutics from $414.00 to $423.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on United Therapeutics from $569.00 to $587.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $509.50.

Read Our Latest Report on UTHR

Insider Transactions at United Therapeutics

In other United Therapeutics news, EVP Paul A. Mahon sold 8,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $476.34, for a total transaction of $3,953,622.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 36,781 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,520,261.54. This trade represents a 18.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Christopher Causey sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $520.00, for a total transaction of $520,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,178,800. The trade was a 19.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 411,954 shares of company stock valued at $199,552,088 over the last ninety days. 10.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in UTHR. AXQ Capital LP boosted its stake in shares of United Therapeutics by 495.4% during the second quarter. AXQ Capital LP now owns 3,888 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $1,117,000 after purchasing an additional 3,235 shares during the period. AE Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in United Therapeutics by 396.3% during the 3rd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,288 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $1,798,000 after buying an additional 3,424 shares during the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC boosted its position in United Therapeutics by 194.7% during the 3rd quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 4,503 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $1,888,000 after buying an additional 2,975 shares during the period. Optimize Financial Inc bought a new stake in United Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter worth $444,000. Finally, Simplify Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in United Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter worth $8,351,000. 94.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

United Therapeutics Stock Up 13.0%

The stock has a market cap of $23.04 billion, a PE ratio of 20.28, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.85. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $484.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $444.09.

About United Therapeutics

(Get Free Report)

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.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for United Therapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for United Therapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.