Insider Selling: United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) CEO Sells $5,592,080.00 in Stock

United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR) CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $588.64, for a total transaction of $5,592,080.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 324,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $190,980,127.52. This trade represents a 2.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

United Therapeutics Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of UTHR stock traded down $1.64 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $591.20. 436,196 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 557,418. The stock has a market cap of $25.36 billion, a PE ratio of 21.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.49. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $521.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $528.49. United Therapeutics Corporation has a 12 month low of $409.07 and a 12 month high of $609.35.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The biotechnology company reported $7.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.86 by $0.41. The company had revenue of $783.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $804.65 million. United Therapeutics had a net margin of 41.56% and a return on equity of 20.18%. United Therapeutics’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $6.41 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 26.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Therapeutics declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, October 22nd that authorizes the company to repurchase $2 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the biotechnology company to reacquire up to 8.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Share buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on UTHR shares. UBS Group set a $725.00 price target on United Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and set a $850.00 price objective on shares of United Therapeutics in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on United Therapeutics from $685.00 to $687.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Weiss Ratings lowered United Therapeutics from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “sell” rating and issued a $368.00 target price on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $666.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Therapeutics

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

United Therapeutics Company Profile

United Therapeutics Corporation is a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for patients with life-threatening conditions, particularly pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The company’s portfolio includes Tyvaso and Tyvaso DPI, inhaled formulations of treprostinil; Remodulin, an injectable treprostinil product; and Orenitram, an oral treprostinil therapy. These treatments are designed to improve exercise ability and delay disease progression in people with PAH.

The company also markets Unituxin, an antibody therapy used as part of treatment for high-risk neuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancer.