Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) Receives $94.15 Average PT from Brokerages

Shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-two brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and seventeen have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $94.20.

A number of analysts have commented on IONS shares. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $130.00 to $110.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $113.00 to $90.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Wolfe Research reissued a “peer perform” rating on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th.

Key Ionis Pharmaceuticals News

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA approved ZANVASTRO (zilganersen) for pediatric and adult patients with Alexander disease, making it the first and only disease-modifying treatment for the ultra-rare, progressive neurological disorder. The approval could create a new commercial opportunity for Ionis and includes a priority review voucher, which may have additional strategic or financial value. ZANVASTRO FDA approval announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive following the approval. Needham reaffirmed its “buy” rating and set an $86 price target, while Barclays also maintained a buy recommendation. The analyst support signals confidence in ZANVASTRO’s launch potential and Ionis’ broader pipeline. Barclays maintains buy rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Ionis discussed its launch strategy for ZANVASTRO after the FDA decision. Investors are likely watching the size of the eligible patient population, pricing, reimbursement, commercial execution and the timing of revenue contributions. Ionis ZANVASTRO launch strategy transcript
• Negative Sentiment: A bearish Seeking Alpha analysis downgraded Ionis to “sell,” citing a series of unfavorable developments and concerns that may outweigh the near-term approval catalyst. Broader biotechnology sentiment was also affected by a failed Ultragenyx trial, adding volatility to the sector and weighing on Ionis despite its own regulatory success. Ionis bearish analysis

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:IONS opened at $58.09 on Monday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $61.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $70.49. Ionis Pharmaceuticals has a 12 month low of $50.01 and a 12 month high of $86.74. The firm has a market cap of $9.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -16.79 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 7.73, a current ratio of 7.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.07.

Insider Activity at Ionis Pharmaceuticals

In related news, EVP C. Bennett sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.46, for a total value of $1,281,900.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 75,018 shares in the company, valued at $6,411,038.28. This represents a 16.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Michael R. Hayden bought 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $53.38 per share, with a total value of $800,700.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 19,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,014,220. This trade represents a 375.00% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 225,163 shares of company stock valued at $17,711,191. 1.81% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Ionis Pharmaceuticals

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 8,029.6% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 14,347,446 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,137,609,000 after purchasing an additional 14,170,961 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its holdings in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 41.2% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,961,299 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,420,918,000 after purchasing an additional 5,238,571 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 19,941.6% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,321,345 shares of the company’s stock worth $104,532,000 after buying an additional 1,314,752 shares in the last quarter. Baker BROS. Advisors LP boosted its stake in Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 216.1% during the fourth quarter. Baker BROS. Advisors LP now owns 1,791,841 shares of the company’s stock valued at $141,753,000 after buying an additional 1,225,043 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP grew its holdings in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 7,219.3% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 958,829 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,727,000 after purchasing an additional 945,729 shares in the last quarter. 93.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

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.