Assertio’s (ASRT) “Hold” Rating Reaffirmed at Lake Street Capital

Lake Street Capital restated their hold rating on shares of Assertio (NASDAQ:ASRT) in a research report report published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $18.00 price target on the stock, down from their prior price target of $45.00.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Assertio in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research downgraded Assertio from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $18.00 price target (down from $35.00) on shares of Assertio in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Assertio from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $18.00.

Assertio Stock Performance

ASRT opened at $18.02 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $116.23 million, a PE ratio of -3.71 and a beta of 0.43. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $13.85 and a 200-day moving average of $12.38. Assertio has a 52-week low of $8.25 and a 52-week high of $20.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a current ratio of 1.70.

Assertio (NASDAQ:ASRT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 16th. The company reported ($1.86) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($3.05) by $1.19. The company had revenue of $13.54 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.20 million. Assertio had a negative return on equity of 30.26% and a negative net margin of 25.59%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Assertio will post -0.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Assertio

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in Assertio during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Assertio in the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Rothschild Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Assertio in the 4th quarter worth approximately $172,000. Perritt Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of Assertio by 51.6% in the 3rd quarter. Perritt Capital Management Inc now owns 350,316 shares of the company’s stock worth $309,000 after acquiring an additional 119,281 shares during the period. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP lifted its position in shares of Assertio by 536.0% in the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 381,584 shares of the company’s stock worth $336,000 after acquiring an additional 321,584 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 48.96% of the company’s stock.

Key Assertio News

Here are the key news stories impacting Assertio this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Definitive acquisition by Garda Therapeutics: Assertio agreed to be acquired for $18.00 per share in cash plus a CVR, providing a certain cash outcome for shareholders and explaining why the market is repricing the stock toward the deal consideration. Assertio Announces Agreement to be Acquired by Garda Therapeutics
• Positive Sentiment: Asset sale of branded products: Cosette Pharmaceuticals announced it acquired SYMPAZAN and additional Assertio products — a carve‑out that may simplify Assertio’s portfolio and monetize assets tied to the transaction. Cosette Pharmaceuticals Expands Branded Portfolio through Acquisition of SYMPAZAN and Additional Products from Assertio
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 revenue guidance updated to $110M–$125M (consensus ~$111M); EPS guidance was not provided in the release excerpt — revenue range is roughly in line with expectations but leaves room for interpretation on margin/earnings impact.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst landscape: aggregate analyst price‑target math (reported by Zacks) still shows large upside potential on average, but the metric is volatile and contrasts with recent individual cuts. Does Assertio (ASRT) Have the Potential to Rally 115.05% as Wall Street Analysts Expect?
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder investigation announced: Monteverde & Associates is investigating the sale process and the Garda transaction terms, which could signal potential litigation and deal delays/complications. Shareholder Alert: The M&A Class Action Firm Announces An Investigation of Assertio Holdings, Inc.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price‑target resets and rating maintenance at the deal price: Lake Street and HC Wainwright reaffirmed hold/neutral ratings while cutting targets down to $18 from much higher prior targets, removing upside for investors who hoped for a higher takeover premium. Benzinga coverage of analyst actions
• Negative Sentiment: After‑hours and intraday selling pressure: reports noted the stock dropping on the discounted buyout level and heavy volume as traders moved positions toward the known deal price, contributing to downward intraday price movement. ASRT stock drops after-hours on discounted buyout deal

Assertio Company Profile

Assertio Therapeutics, Inc, formerly known as Depomed, is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including neuropathic pain, migraine and breakthrough cancer pain. The company’s commercial portfolio includes three FDA-approved products—Qutenza (8% capsaicin) for postherpetic neuralgia, Butrans (buprenorphine) transdermal system for chronic pain and Onsolis (fentanyl buccal soluble film) for breakthrough cancer pain—which are marketed primarily in the United States under licensing agreements with global partners.

In addition to its marketed therapies, Assertio maintains a pipeline of preclinical and clinical-stage candidates targeting a range of pain and neurological conditions.