HC Wainwright Issues Negative Outlook for ACAD Earnings

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ACAD) – Stock analysts at HC Wainwright decreased their Q3 2026 earnings estimates for shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, February 26th. HC Wainwright analyst A. Ghosh now forecasts that the biopharmaceutical company will earn $0.16 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.24. HC Wainwright has a “Buy” rating and a $37.00 price target on the stock. The consensus estimate for ACADIA Pharmaceuticals’ current full-year earnings is $0.70 per share. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for ACADIA Pharmaceuticals’ Q4 2026 earnings at $0.23 EPS.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACAD) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.12 by $1.48. The business had revenue of $298.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $292.54 million. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 36.49% and a return on equity of 13.96%. The business’s revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.86 EPS.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on ACAD. Mizuho raised ACADIA Pharmaceuticals from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $29.00 to $35.00 in a research note on Monday. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $34.00 price objective on shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals in a report on Monday, January 5th. Oppenheimer restated a “market perform” rating on shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Friday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals from $33.00 to $31.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 17th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $37.00 price target on shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $30.74.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $24.56 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $25.53 and its 200 day moving average price is $24.45. The company has a market cap of $4.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.72, a PEG ratio of 8.72 and a beta of 0.66. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals has a one year low of $13.40 and a one year high of $28.35.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ACAD. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals by 67.5% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 958 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 386 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in ACADIA Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in ACADIA Pharmaceuticals by 304.5% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,335 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 1,005 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in ACADIA Pharmaceuticals by 113.0% during the third quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,425 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 756 shares during the period. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its position in shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals by 277.5% during the fourth quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 1,612 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 1,185 shares in the last quarter. 96.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at ACADIA Pharmaceuticals

In related news, EVP Jennifer J. Rhodes sold 6,950 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.38, for a total transaction of $162,491.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,609 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $177,898.42. This trade represents a 47.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 26.50% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting ACADIA Pharmaceuticals

Here are the key news stories impacting ACADIA Pharmaceuticals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and upgraded 2026 revenue outlook — ACAD reported stronger-than-expected Q4 results (EPS beat) and a milestone year with >$1B in revenue, and guided 2026 revenue to $1.22B–$1.28B, driven by NUPLAZID and DAYBUE. This underpins growth expectations for the company. Acadia Reports Q4 & Full Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target upgrades — Several firms raised targets after the quarter (TD Cowen to $37 and Citizens JMP to $35), reflecting confidence in commercial momentum for DAYBUE and NUPLAZID. Benzinga coverage of analyst moves
• Neutral Sentiment: Minor analyst downtick but still constructive — Royal Bank of Canada trimmed its target to $30 but keeps an “outperform” view; this is a modest adjustment rather than a directional reversal. Benzinga: RBC target change
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data appears anomalous — February short-interest entries show 0 shares / NaN increases and 0.0 days-to-cover, indicating a data/reporting glitch rather than a real shift in short positioning.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst EPS cuts from HC Wainwright — HC Wainwright trimmed Q3 and Q4 2026 EPS estimates (Q3: $0.16 from $0.24; Q4: $0.23 from $0.27), which can pressure near-term expectations despite a buy rating and $37 target.
• Negative Sentiment: Some sell-side caution — Stifel lowered its target to $24 and moved to a “hold,” a more conservative stance that adds selling pressure versus the upgrades. Benzinga: Stifel target change
• Negative Sentiment: Pipeline/regulatory and sales nuances — Coverage noted a sales miss in places and an EU setback for trofinetide that clouds parts of the growth narrative even as core brands accelerate. Zacks: Q4 recap and trofinetide outlook

About ACADIA Pharmaceuticals

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Established in 1993 and headquartered in San Diego, California, ACADIA’s research centers concentrate on conditions with significant unmet medical needs, including Parkinson’s disease psychosis, Alzheimer’s disease psychosis, and schizophrenia. The company utilizes a range of scientific platforms, including selective receptor modulation and precision-targeted compounds, to advance its portfolio of small-molecule therapeutics.

The company’s flagship product, NUPLAZID® (pimavanserin), received U.S.