Vanda Pharmaceuticals Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:VNDA)

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VNDA) was the target of some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Stock investors purchased 12,270 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 980% compared to the average volume of 1,136 call options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VNDA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, November 28th. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Finally, B. Riley reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Wednesday. Three 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. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $12.38.

Institutional Trading of Vanda Pharmaceuticals

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bailard Inc. increased its position in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 16.2% during the second quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 26,100 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $123,000 after buying an additional 3,631 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC grew its position in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 6.1% during the second quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 79,107 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $373,000 after acquiring an additional 4,533 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 18.9% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 32,816 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $151,000 after purchasing an additional 5,210 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 30.3% during the 3rd quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 22,493 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $112,000 after acquiring an additional 5,229 shares during the period. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 456.6% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 6,495 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 5,328 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.14% of the company’s stock.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 32.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:VNDA traded up $2.27 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $9.30. 11,143,766 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 700,695. The company has a market cap of $549.75 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.54 and a beta of 0.69. Vanda Pharmaceuticals has a 52 week low of $3.81 and a 52 week high of $9.60. The company has a current ratio of 3.12, a quick ratio of 3.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $5.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $5.02.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VNDA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.38) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.31) by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $56.26 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $58.73 million. Vanda Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 39.70% and a negative return on equity of 16.82%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Vanda Pharmaceuticals will post -1.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders and rare diseases. The company’s research and development efforts center on sleep-wake regulation, mood disorders, and movement disorders. Vanda’s mission is to address unmet medical needs by advancing novel molecules through clinical trials and regulatory review.

Vanda’s flagship commercial product is Hetlioz (tasimelteon), a melatonin receptor agonist approved by the U.S.