Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VNDA) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VNDA) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $14.90.

Several research analysts have weighed in on VNDA shares. Zacks Research downgraded Vanda Pharmaceuticals from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Truist Financial began coverage on Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $18.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Wall Street Zen lowered Vanda Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, December 17th.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ VNDA opened at $8.81 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $7.71 and a 200-day simple moving average of $6.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 2.39 and a quick ratio of 2.38. The company has a market cap of $520.76 million, a PE ratio of -2.36 and a beta of 0.55. Vanda Pharmaceuticals has a 12 month low of $3.81 and a 12 month high of $9.94.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VNDA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($2.39) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($2.18) by ($0.21). Vanda Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 102.02% and a negative return on equity of 23.85%. The firm had revenue of $57.22 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $59.28 million. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Vanda Pharmaceuticals will post -1.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CMO Joakim Wijkstrom sold 30,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.27, for a total transaction of $254,716.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 333,469 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,757,788.63. This represents a 8.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kevin Patrick Moran sold 42,442 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.27, for a total transaction of $350,995.34. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 411,380 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,402,112.60. This represents a 9.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 314,342 shares of company stock valued at $2,583,985. 8.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vanda Pharmaceuticals

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 456.6% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 6,495 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 5,328 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 3,010.5% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 10,389 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $92,000 after acquiring an additional 10,055 shares during the last quarter. Jain Global LLC purchased a new stake in Vanda Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter valued at about $94,000. Finally, Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Vanda Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter valued at about $53,000. 88.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders and rare diseases. The company’s research and development efforts center on sleep-wake regulation, mood disorders, and movement disorders. Vanda’s mission is to address unmet medical needs by advancing novel molecules through clinical trials and regulatory review.

Vanda’s flagship commercial product is Hetlioz (tasimelteon), a melatonin receptor agonist approved by the U.S.