Protara Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:TARA) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Protara Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:TARA) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 4,895,488 shares, an increase of 48.0% from the February 12th total of 3,308,046 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,590,962 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.1 days. Approximately 10.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately 10.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,590,962 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.1 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

TARA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Protara Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $27.00 price target on the stock. Piper Sandler began coverage on Protara Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $24.00 price objective for the company. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Protara Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Protara Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $23.00 price target on shares of Protara Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $21.40.

Protara Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:TARA opened at $5.26 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $6.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $5.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $284.46 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.98 and a beta of 1.40. Protara Therapeutics has a one year low of $2.77 and a one year high of $7.82.

Protara Therapeutics (NASDAQ:TARA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The company reported ($0.37) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.34) by ($0.03). As a group, equities research analysts expect that Protara Therapeutics will post -3.32 EPS for the current year.

More Protara Therapeutics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lifesci Capital raised its 2026 outlook across the board — boosting Q1 to ($0.34) from ($0.38), Q2 to ($0.37) from ($0.41), Q3 to ($0.39) from ($0.44), Q4 to ($0.41) from ($0.46) and lifting FY2026 to ($1.49) from ($1.73). These upgrades point to modestly improved expectations for near‑term results. MarketBeat TARA
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright retained a “Buy” rating and a $23.00 price target on TARA, which supports longer‑term upside potential if Protara meets clinical/corporate milestones. That endorsement may limit downside even as estimates were trimmed. MarketBeat TARA
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright cut multiple 2026 quarterly and later‑year EPS forecasts (examples: Q1 to ($0.39) from ($0.33), Q2 to ($0.40) from ($0.34), Q3 to ($0.41) from ($0.35), Q4 to ($0.42) and FY2026 to ($1.61) from ($1.37); FY2027–FY2029 and FY2028 estimates were also reduced). Those downgrades signal increased expected cash burn or slower commercialization/progression assumptions and likely pressured the stock today. MarketBeat TARA

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Protara Therapeutics

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey purchased a new position in shares of Protara Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new stake in Protara Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. bought a new stake in Protara Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Protara Therapeutics in the second quarter worth approximately $47,000. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Protara Therapeutics in the second quarter worth approximately $49,000. Institutional investors own 38.13% of the company’s stock.

Protara Therapeutics Company Profile

Protara Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel immunotherapies for virus-driven cancers. The company’s primary areas of research include human papillomavirus (HPV)–associated malignancies, where it seeks to harness and enhance the body’s immune response to target tumor cells. Protara’s therapeutic strategy combines antigen-specific vaccination approaches with modulators of T-cell activation to improve clinical outcomes in patients with HPV-mediated disease.

Protara’s lead immunotherapy candidate is PTX-35, an investigational monoclonal antibody designed to agonize OX40, a co-stimulatory receptor on T cells.