Akebia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKBA) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Akebia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKBA) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $49.13 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.85 million. Akebia Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 8.83% and a negative return on equity of 62.72%.

Here are the key takeaways from Akebia Therapeutics’ conference call:

• Vafseo’s VOICE trial delivered a strong outcome: an interim analysis in 2,116 dialysis patients showed statistically significant superiority on the composite of mortality and hospitalization, driven by a 10% reduction in hospitalization. The trial was stopped early after exceeding its prespecified criteria.
• Vafseo net product revenue rose 34% sequentially to $21.3 million, with more than 10,500 active patients and a 17% increase in prescribers. Management cited expanding adoption among mid-sized dialysis organizations and growing engagement from DaVita following the VOICE results.
• Akebia initiated a phase II basket trial of ebribafusp in IgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, and C3 glomerulopathy, with initial data expected in 2027; a phase II ANCA-associated vasculitis study is planned for next year. Praliciguat’s phase II FSGS trial continues enrolling, while AKB-9090 phase I data are expected early next year.
• Akebia expects Vafseo revenue to decline in 2027 despite higher unit volume because planned pricing after the TDAPA period ends on December 31, 2026 will be substantially lower. AURYXIA revenue fell to $25.5 million from $47.2 million a year earlier due to generic competition, contributing to a quarterly net loss of $8.9 million.

Akebia Therapeutics Trading Down 2.3%

AKBA stock traded down $0.03 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $1.29. 4,292,907 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,831,140. Akebia Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $0.82 and a 52-week high of $3.79. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $1.16 and its 200-day moving average is $1.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33. The company has a market cap of $346.06 million, a P/E ratio of -16.12 and a beta of 0.26.

Insider Transactions at Akebia Therapeutics

In other Akebia Therapeutics news, CFO Erik Ostrowski sold 56,019 shares of Akebia Therapeutics stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.11, for a total transaction of $62,181.09. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 616,616 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $684,443.76. The trade was a 8.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 4.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AKBA. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Akebia Therapeutics by 23.0% during the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 21,393 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 4,000 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Akebia Therapeutics by 13.1% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 176,961 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $340,000 after buying an additional 20,499 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Akebia Therapeutics by 9.1% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 137,897 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $265,000 after buying an additional 11,517 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Akebia Therapeutics by 171.8% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,724,439 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $5,231,000 after acquiring an additional 1,722,245 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Akebia Therapeutics by 123.0% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,652,746 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $6,016,000 after acquiring an additional 911,585 shares during the last quarter. 33.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on AKBA shares. Zacks Research raised shares of Akebia Therapeutics from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and set a $6.00 price objective on shares of Akebia Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Akebia Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $4.00 target price on shares of Akebia Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Akebia Therapeutics in a research report on Monday. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $4.67.

Akebia Therapeutics Company Profile

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for patients with kidney disease. The company’s lead product candidate, vadadustat, is an investigational oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor designed to treat anemia associated with chronic kidney disease in both dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis patients. Akebia’s research and development efforts also extend to preclinical programs targeting nephrology and related metabolic disorders.

Since its founding in 2007, Akebia has pursued strategic collaborations to advance its clinical pipeline and expand its market reach.