$3.81 Earnings Per Share Expected for United Therapeutics Co. (NASDAQ:UTHR) This Quarter

Equities research analysts expect United Therapeutics Co. (NASDAQ:UTHR – Get Rating) to report earnings of $3.81 per share for the current quarter, Zacks reports. Five analysts have made estimates for United Therapeutics’ earnings, with the lowest EPS estimate coming in at $3.42 and the highest estimate coming in at $4.35. United Therapeutics posted earnings per share of $3.65 during the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year-over-year growth rate of 4.4%. The company is scheduled to announce its next earnings results on Monday, January 1st.

On average, analysts expect that United Therapeutics will report full year earnings of $16.77 per share for the current year, with EPS estimates ranging from $15.06 to $17.70. For the next year, analysts forecast that the firm will post earnings of $18.15 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $16.08 to $19.12. Zacks Investment Research’s EPS calculations are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side analysts that that provide coverage for United Therapeutics.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR – Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 4th. The biotechnology company reported $5.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.96 by $2.07. United Therapeutics had a net margin of 38.87% and a return on equity of 17.62%. The company had revenue of $461.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $420.02 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. United Therapeutics’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.8% on a year-over-year basis.

Several brokerages have issued reports on UTHR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of United Therapeutics from $230.00 to $223.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 19th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of United Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $175.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, March 1st. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Friday, February 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a report on Friday, February 25th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $275.00 to $300.00 in a report on Thursday, May 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, United Therapeutics currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $223.67.

United Therapeutics stock traded up $2.02 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $188.33. 466,013 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 426,012. United Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $158.38 and a 12-month high of $218.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 8.54 and a current ratio of 8.84. The stock has a market cap of $8.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.64. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $183.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $192.12.

In related news, EVP Paul A. Mahon sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.42, for a total value of $1,094,520.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders sold 36,000 shares of company stock valued at $6,631,920 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 12.10% of the company’s stock.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in United Therapeutics by 0.9% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,277,089 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $767,350,000 after acquiring an additional 37,914 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of United Therapeutics by 73.7% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,675,414 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $300,585,000 after buying an additional 710,668 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of United Therapeutics by 7.2% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,626,491 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $291,809,000 after buying an additional 109,226 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in shares of United Therapeutics by 17.1% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 844,958 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $155,962,000 after buying an additional 123,295 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of United Therapeutics by 9.0% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 760,948 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $164,425,000 after buying an additional 62,882 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.68% of the company’s stock.

About United Therapeutics (Get Rating)

United Therapeutics Corporation, a biotechnology company, engages in the development and commercialization of products to address the unmet medical needs of patients with chronic and life-threatening diseases in the United States and internationally. Its commercial therapies include Remodulin to treat patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to diminish symptoms associated with exercise; Tyvaso, an inhaled formulation of prostacyclin analogue treprostinil to enhance the exercise ability in PAH patients and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD); Orenitram, a tablet dosage form of treprostinil to enhance the exercise capacity in PAH patients; Unituxin, a monoclonal antibody for treating high-risk neuroblastoma; and Adcirca, an oral PDE-5 inhibitor to enhance the exercise ability in PAH patients.

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