Protagonist Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PTGX) Given New $110.00 Price Target at Leerink Partners

Protagonist Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PTGX) had its target price lifted by Leerink Partners from $107.00 to $110.00 in a research note released on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on PTGX. Citizens Jmp lifted their price objective on Protagonist Therapeutics from $102.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Johnson Rice reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Protagonist Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Protagonist Therapeutics from $88.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Protagonist Therapeutics from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Protagonist Therapeutics from $65.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Protagonist Therapeutics presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $107.31.

Protagonist Therapeutics Price Performance

NASDAQ:PTGX opened at $101.68 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $86.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $80.59. Protagonist Therapeutics has a 1-year low of $39.60 and a 1-year high of $105.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -49.60 and a beta of 2.23.

Protagonist Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PTGX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported ($0.69) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.53) by ($0.16). Protagonist Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 282.83% and a negative return on equity of 19.89%. The business had revenue of $7.44 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.92 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Protagonist Therapeutics will post 2.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Arturo Md Molina sold 13,151 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.42, for a total value of $1,083,905.42. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 84,115 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,932,758.30. This represents a 13.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director William D. Waddill sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.68, for a total transaction of $1,673,600.00. Following the sale, the director owned 7,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $654,796. This trade represents a 71.88% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 203,167 shares of company stock worth $16,889,199 over the last ninety days. 4.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Protagonist Therapeutics

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Protagonist Therapeutics by 11.6% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the company’s stock valued at $91,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in Protagonist Therapeutics by 110.6% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 297 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its holdings in Protagonist Therapeutics by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 13,393 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,170,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System grew its holdings in Protagonist Therapeutics by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 8,603 shares of the company’s stock valued at $751,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Protagonist Therapeutics by 8.1% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,959 shares of the company’s stock valued at $258,000 after buying an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.63% of the company’s stock.

Protagonist Therapeutics News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approval and commercial terms: Johnson & Johnson’s U.S. FDA approval of ICOTYDE—an oral IL‑23R targeted peptide developed with Protagonist—triggered a $50 million milestone payment to Protagonist and makes the company eligible for 6–10% royalties plus up to $580 million in future milestones, creating a clear near‑ and long‑term revenue path tied to J&J’s commercialization. AccessWire: FDA approval and deal terms
• Positive Sentiment: Major analyst upgrades/price‑target lifts: Several firms raised targets and reiterated positive ratings today—Citigroup to $125 (Buy), Barclays to $119 (Overweight), Leerink to $110 (Outperform), and JPMorgan to $106 (Overweight)—signaling broad Wall Street support and further buying interest. (See links for coverage.) Benzinga: analyst coverage TickerReport: JPMorgan note
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary: Coverage highlights that J&J’s approval should create “significant value” for Protagonist via milestones and royalties, reinforcing the market narrative that the approval is transformational for PTGX. MSN: Wall Street reaction
• Positive Sentiment: Industry impact commentary: Media coverage frames Protagonist’s first approval as disruptive to larger immunology incumbents, supporting investor expectations of meaningful market share and pricing power if J&J’s launch gains traction. BioSpace: market impact
• Neutral Sentiment: Conference call/transcript and investor materials are available: Protagonist and partners provided conference/webcast materials and a transcript discussing the approval and clinical data; useful for investors wanting primary‑source detail on safety, efficacy, and commercial strategy. Seeking Alpha: transcript Seeking Alpha: slideshow
• Negative Sentiment: Commercial and timing risk: while the approval creates revenue pathways, Protagonist’s near‑term cash flow depends on J&J’s successful launch, market uptake timing, and royalty cadence—factors outside Protagonist’s direct control that could delay or limit realized revenue. AccessWire: deal structure & royalties

Protagonist Therapeutics Company Profile

Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc (NASDAQ: PTGX) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel, orally administered peptide-based therapies for immune-mediated and other serious diseases. The company leverages its proprietary Peptide 2.0 platform to design peptides that target G protein–coupled receptors and cytokine receptors, with the goal of combining the potency of biologics with the convenience of oral administration. Protagonist’s approach aims to address unmet medical needs in areas where injectable therapies have been the standard of care.

Among its lead programs is PTG-100, an oral α4β7 integrin antagonist intended to block leukocyte migration to the gut in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.