Lipocine (NASDAQ:LPCN) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Lipocine (NASDAQ:LPCN) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on LPCN. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Lipocine in a research report on Friday, March 27th. HC Wainwright reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Lipocine in a research report on Monday, April 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.00.

Lipocine Trading Up 3.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:LPCN opened at $2.42 on Friday. Lipocine has a 52 week low of $1.81 and a 52 week high of $12.37. The company’s 50 day moving average is $6.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $5.68. The company has a market cap of $19.43 million, a PE ratio of -1.44 and a beta of 1.09.

Lipocine (NASDAQ:LPCN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The specialty pharmaceutical company reported ($0.34) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.60) by $0.26. Lipocine had a negative net margin of 487.00% and a negative return on equity of 59.30%. The company had revenue of $1.15 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $0.12 million. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Lipocine will post -1.91 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Mahesh V. Patel bought 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 6th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $2.03 per share, with a total value of $50,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 160,679 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $326,178.37. This represents a 18.43% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John W. Higuchi bought 123,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 6th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $2.05 per share, for a total transaction of $252,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 163,797 shares in the company, valued at approximately $335,783.85. The trade was a 301.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders purchased a total of 213,000 shares of company stock worth $434,600 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 6.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LPCN. Citadel Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lipocine in the 3rd quarter valued at $41,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Lipocine by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 62,450 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $502,000 after buying an additional 1,374 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its stake in Lipocine by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 37,397 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $300,000 after purchasing an additional 1,300 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in Lipocine during the 4th quarter worth $85,000. Finally, Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in Lipocine during the 4th quarter worth $567,000. 9.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Lipocine

Lipocine Inc is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of oral drug delivery technologies. The company’s core expertise lies in lipid-based formulations designed to improve the bioavailability of therapeutics that traditionally require injectable administration. By leveraging proprietary technologies, Lipocine aims to offer patient-friendly alternatives with the potential for more consistent pharmacokinetic profiles and improved compliance.

The company’s lead product, TLANDO (LPCN 1021), is an oral testosterone replacement therapy approved by the U.S.