Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD) Given “Buy” Rating at BTIG Research

BTIG Research restated their buy rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD) in a research note released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $9.00 target price on the stock.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on AARD. William Blair began coverage on Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Friday, December 12th. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $6.00 target price (down from $24.00) on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $7.00 target price (down from $29.00) on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $25.09.

Aardvark Therapeutics Trading Down 7.4%

Shares of AARD opened at $3.77 on Tuesday. Aardvark Therapeutics has a twelve month low of $3.55 and a twelve month high of $17.94. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $10.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $11.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $82.08 million and a PE ratio of -1.29.

Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD) last issued its earnings results on Monday, March 23rd. The company reported ($0.81) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.81).

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aardvark Therapeutics

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics during the first quarter worth about $153,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics by 129.7% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 136,927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,851,000 after buying an additional 77,327 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund acquired a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics during the second quarter worth approximately $99,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. purchased a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in Aardvark Therapeutics by 72.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,989 shares of the company’s stock worth $108,000 after acquiring an additional 3,369 shares during the period.

Trending Headlines about Aardvark Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $9.00 price target, signaling analyst conviction in longer-term upside despite recent setbacks. BTIG Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: The company reported Q4 and full‑year 2025 results and posted ($0.81) EPS, which matched analyst estimates — the quarter itself was not a surprise and does not explain the sharp intraday move. Earnings Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest reports in the data feed are inconsistent (some entries show a March 13 decline to ~1.38M shares or ~6.4% of float with a ~1.7 days-to-cover, while other entries display erroneous zeros). The mixed/erroneous data make short-interest impact unclear for today’s move.
• Negative Sentiment: The company announced a voluntary pause of its Phase 3 HERO and OLE trials for ARD‑101 (hyperphagia in Prader‑Willi syndrome) and broader pauses related to its obesity candidate, which effectively puts core programs on hold — a material setback for a development‑stage biotech and the primary driver of investor concern. Company Update (trial pause)
• Negative Sentiment: Independent reporting highlights safety and cardiac concerns related to the obesity program and states the company has halted trials, increasing clinical and regulatory uncertainty and raising the chance of longer‑term pipeline delays. BioSpace article FierceBiotech article
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP has launched an investor investigation into Aardvark, which adds potential litigation risk and can amplify downward pressure on the stock while uncertainty persists. Pomerantz Investigation

Aardvark Therapeutics Company Profile

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specializing in the discovery and development of small-molecule modulators of the retinoic acid receptor–related orphan receptor gamma (RORγ). RORγ plays a central role in T-helper 17 (Th17) cell differentiation and inflammatory processes. By targeting this transcription factor, Aardvark aims to address a range of autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases.

The company’s lead programs consist of selective RORγ inverse agonists designed to suppress pathogenic Th17-driven responses in conditions such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic inflammatory disorders.