Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $89.00.

A number of research analysts have commented on IONS shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley set a $95.00 price target on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $86.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th.

Insider Activity at Ionis Pharmaceuticals

In related news, Director Allene M. Diaz sold 54,878 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.35, for a total transaction of $4,354,569.30. Following the transaction, the director owned 3,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $302,402.85. This represents a 93.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Brett P. Monia sold 62,970 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.72, for a total value of $5,208,878.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 283,927 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,486,441.44. This trade represents a 18.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 596,652 shares of company stock valued at $48,059,821 over the last ninety days. 2.71% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Ionis Pharmaceuticals

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 198.4% during the 3rd quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 376 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. acquired a new stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 231.8% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 517 shares during the period. 93.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Ionis Pharmaceuticals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrades and higher price targets are supporting upside sentiment — multiple firms recently raised ratings/targets (examples include Leerink and H.C. Wainwright), which can attract buyers and underpin the stock. Leerink Raises PT HC Wainwright Buy
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst raised Q1 EPS estimates for Ionis, which narrows short‑term earnings uncertainty and could support a re-rating if results confirm the revision. Q1 EPS Estimate Boosted
• Neutral Sentiment: Peer data flow — Biogen is presenting new SMA data this week. Positive competitor readouts can be a headwind for Ionis’ SMA-related programs or, alternatively, validate the market; implications are mixed for Ionis’ pipeline valuation. Biogen SMA Data
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling by senior executives and a director is weighing on sentiment — EVP C. Frank Bennett sold ~85,089 shares, Director Allene Diaz sold ~54,878 shares and EVP Shannon Devers sold ~20,106 shares in early March; those large, concentrated disposals (multi‑million dollar amounts) often trigger investor concern about management conviction. Insider Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Fundamental headwinds remain — the most recent quarter missed EPS expectations (despite a revenue beat) and the company still projects negative full‑year earnings, keeping profitability and cash‑flow concerns front of mind for investors. Recent Earnings Recap

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

IONS stock opened at $74.04 on Monday. Ionis Pharmaceuticals has a 52-week low of $23.95 and a 52-week high of $86.74. The company has a quick ratio of 3.81, a current ratio of 3.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.76. The stock has a market cap of $12.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -30.34 and a beta of 0.31. The business has a fifty day moving average of $81.06 and a two-hundred day moving average of $73.55.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported ($1.41) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.23) by ($0.18). The business had revenue of $203.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $156.07 million. Ionis Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 40.36% and a negative return on equity of 68.82%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.66) EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Ionis Pharmaceuticals will post -3.5 earnings per share for the current year.

About Ionis Pharmaceuticals

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted therapies designed to modulate gene expression. The company’s proprietary antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology enables the selective binding of short synthetic strands of nucleic acids to messenger RNA (mRNA), thereby inhibiting or altering the production of disease-causing proteins. Ionis’ pipeline spans a range of therapeutic areas, including neurological disorders, cardiovascular conditions, metabolic diseases and rare genetic disorders.

Since its founding in 1989 by Dr.