United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) CEO Sells 9,500 Shares of Stock

United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR) CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $539.99, for a total transaction of $5,129,905.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 324,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $175,195,975.57. The trade was a 2.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

United Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ UTHR traded up $1.48 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $541.51. 521,194 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 556,576. The company’s 50 day moving average is $513.58 and its 200 day moving average is $540.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.37, a P/E/G ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.49. United Therapeutics Corporation has a one year low of $409.07 and a one year high of $609.35.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The biotechnology company reported $7.27 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.86 by $0.41. United Therapeutics had a net margin of 41.56% and a return on equity of 20.18%. The firm had revenue of $783.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $804.65 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $6.41 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 26.40 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key United Therapeutics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Six lawsuits resolved: United Therapeutics and Liquidia reached a global settlement covering all pending litigation over YUTREPIA, Liquidia’s inhaled treprostinil product. YUTREPIA will remain available to pulmonary arterial hypertension patients, but its permitted labeling is narrower than Liquidia had sought. United Therapeutics Settles Litigation And Resets Pulmonary Hypertension Competition
• Positive Sentiment: Improved competitive outlook: The settlement removes a major legal overhang and limits the scope of YUTREPIA’s label, potentially protecting United Therapeutics’ position in pulmonary arterial hypertension and other pulmonary hypertension markets. Liquidia is reportedly responsible for up to approximately $380.7 million in settlement-related payments, although the exact timing and structure are important details for investors. LQDA Settles UTHR Disputes for $380.7M, Limits Yutrepia Label
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Jefferies raised its United Therapeutics price target to $728, adding to a generally favorable analyst view. The settlement may also support valuation arguments that UTHR is undervalued relative to its earnings and pulmonary hypertension franchise. United Therapeutics Price Target Raised to $728 at Jefferies
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent operating results remain mixed: United Therapeutics beat quarterly EPS estimates, but revenue declined year over year and fell short of consensus. Investors are therefore likely to focus primarily on the settlement’s effect on future competition and cash flow.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Martine Rothblatt disclosed sales of 9,500 UTHR shares worth roughly $5.2 million. The transaction reduced her holdings by about 2.8%, though insider selling alone does not establish a change in the company’s fundamentals. United Therapeutics CEO Share Sale

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UTHR has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $515.00 to $566.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “sell” rating and issued a $368.00 price target on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $728.00 price objective on shares of United Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of United Therapeutics from $685.00 to $687.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut United Therapeutics from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $642.69.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Therapeutics

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in United Therapeutics in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,868,735,000. Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at $450,140,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of United Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at $159,522,000. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec acquired a new position in shares of United Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter valued at $154,304,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of United Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter valued at $112,209,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.08% of the company’s stock.

About United Therapeutics

United Therapeutics Corporation is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and other serious cardiopulmonary conditions. The company’s products include Tyvaso and Tyvaso DPI, inhaled formulations of treprostinil; Remodulin, an injectable form of treprostinil; Orenitram, an oral treprostinil product; and Adcirca, a tadalafil-based PAH treatment.

United Therapeutics markets its therapies primarily in the United States and internationally through commercial and regulatory activities in additional markets.