Insider Selling: Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LGND) Insider Sells $1,444,950.00 in Stock

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:LGND) insider Andrew Reardon sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $288.99, for a total transaction of $1,444,950.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 41,514 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,997,130.86. The trade was a 10.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Andrew Reardon also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, July 1st, Andrew Reardon sold 5,000 shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $313.28, for a total transaction of $1,566,400.00.
• On Monday, June 1st, Andrew Reardon sold 5,000 shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.06, for a total value of $1,135,300.00.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $300.14 on Friday. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 52 week low of $137.14 and a 52 week high of $326.63. The company has a quick ratio of 20.95, a current ratio of 21.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $284.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $234.90. The company has a market cap of $6.02 billion, a PE ratio of 40.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.13.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LGND) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The biotechnology company reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.95 by $0.42. The company had revenue of $63.69 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $60.87 million. Ligand Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 16.19% and a net margin of 55.95%.Ligand Pharmaceuticals’s quarterly revenue was up 33.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.60 earnings per share. Ligand Pharmaceuticals has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.000-9.500 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LGND has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $326.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Monday. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $255.00 to $332.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Citigroup assumed coverage on Ligand Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $387.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded Ligand Pharmaceuticals from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $266.00 to $388.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ligand Pharmaceuticals currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $335.86.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ligand reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.37, exceeding the $1.95 analyst consensus, while revenue rose 33.8% year over year to $63.69 million, above estimates of $60.87 million. The company also reported a 55.95% net margin and 16.19% return on equity. Ligand Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to $9.00-$9.50, above the $8.13 consensus estimate, while reaffirming revenue guidance of $270 million-$310 million. The earnings outlook suggests continued strength in Ligand’s royalty and research-services businesses. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Q2 Adjusted Earnings, Revenue Rise; 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook Lifted, Revenue Outlook Reaffirmed
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright raised its price target from $289 to $358 and assigned a Buy rating, indicating additional potential upside based on the stronger earnings outlook. Oppenheimer also recently reaffirmed its Outperform rating. HC Wainwright Price Target Update
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings call provided investors with additional details on Ligand’s operating performance and royalty-generating portfolio. Ligand Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s decline following the beat-and-raise results suggests that expectations were already high. With shares trading near their 52-week high and at a P/E ratio above 40, investors may be taking profits or demanding stronger revenue guidance before bidding the stock higher. Biopharma Royalty Powerhouse Dips Despite Beat-and-Raise Quarter
• Negative Sentiment: Insider Andrew Reardon sold 5,000 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. While scheduled sales are not necessarily a bearish signal, the transaction can add modest short-term selling pressure. Ligand Insider Share Sale

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ligand Pharmaceuticals

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its stake in Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 1.5% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 1,009,891 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $201,623,000 after acquiring an additional 14,491 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 749,754 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $85,232,000 after purchasing an additional 22,629 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 36.5% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 516,464 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $97,648,000 after purchasing an additional 138,169 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 115.9% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 496,160 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $93,809,000 after purchasing an additional 266,304 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 493,589 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $93,336,000 after purchasing an additional 19,400 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.28% of the company’s stock.

About Ligand Pharmaceuticals

Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company that acquires, develops and out-licenses proprietary technologies designed to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies discover and develop novel medicines. Operating primarily through its research services and royalty-generating businesses, Ligand focuses on building a diversified portfolio of technology platforms and partnering with industry leaders to advance therapeutic candidates across multiple disease areas.

The company’s product offerings center around several core platforms.