Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) CEO Brett Monia Sells 21,072 Shares

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) CEO Brett Monia sold 21,072 shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.49, for a total value of $1,653,941.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 245,571 shares in the company, valued at $19,274,867.79. This represents a 7.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

IONS opened at $81.18 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 4.10, a quick ratio of 4.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.75. The company has a market cap of $13.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -39.22 and a beta of 0.37. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $75.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $77.36. Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $39.37 and a 12-month high of $86.74.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported ($0.56) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.85) by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $246.09 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $195.56 million. Ionis Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 30.91% and a negative return on equity of 58.65%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 86.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.93) EPS. Research analysts predict that Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -3.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on IONS. Canaccord Genuity Group started coverage on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a report on Monday, April 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $110.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $100.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Leerink Partners boosted their price target on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $122.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $111.00 price target on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $103.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ionis Pharmaceuticals presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $102.90.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of IONS. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. bought a new position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. 93.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Ionis Pharmaceuticals

Here are the key news stories impacting Ionis Pharmaceuticals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ionis received FDA approval expanding TRYNGOLZA to treat severe hypertriglyceridemia, strengthening the drug’s commercial opportunity and making it the first approved therapy for the condition. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Ionis announced a licensing deal with Recordati for ex-U.S. rights to zilganersen in Alexander disease, which provides upfront and royalty potential while allowing Ionis to keep U.S. commercialization rights. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners raised its price target on Ionis, signaling continued analyst confidence in the company’s pipeline and commercial execution. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright kept a Buy rating but lowered some 2027 EPS estimates, which is a mild headwind but not a major shift in the firm’s overall view. Article Title

About Ionis Pharmaceuticals

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted therapies designed to modulate gene expression. The company’s proprietary antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology enables the selective binding of short synthetic strands of nucleic acids to messenger RNA (mRNA), thereby inhibiting or altering the production of disease-causing proteins. Ionis’ pipeline spans a range of therapeutic areas, including neurological disorders, cardiovascular conditions, metabolic diseases and rare genetic disorders.

Since its founding in 1989 by Dr.