Vanda Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VNDA) Reaches New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VNDA)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $9.00 and last traded at $9.3980, with a volume of 3669100 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $7.03.

Key Stores Impacting Vanda Pharmaceuticals

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approval of NEREUS (tradipitant), the first new pharmacologic treatment for motion sickness in over 40 years — a clear regulatory de‑risking event that creates a new commercial product opportunity and expands Vanda’s addressable market. PR Newswire release
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction: shares surged in after‑hours and premarket trading on the approval, triggering heightened media coverage and a temporary trading halt — signals strong investor interest and potential for short‑term upside. Reuters: FDA approves Vanda’s motion sickness drug
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity: traders bought ~12,270 call contracts (≈980% above typical call volume), indicating speculative or institutional bullish positioning that can amplify intraday moves. (source: trading data)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/media coverage is widespread (Zacks, Benzinga), bringing visibility that can attract momentum traders and institutional interest; coverage includes both the commercial opportunity and questions about rollout. Zacks: VNDA Obtains FDA Nod
• Neutral Sentiment: Deeper reads highlight this as a high‑stakes milestone — important long term, but dependent on successful commercialization and adoption. MSN analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and commercial risk remain: Vanda must build distribution, secure reimbursement, and convert approval into sustainable revenue; the company has recent negative EPS and prior guidance misses, so valuation hinges on future sales growth.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VNDA has been the topic of several research reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Vanda Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, November 28th. B. Riley restated a “buy” rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals from $5.00 to $7.50 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Three research 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. According to MarketBeat, Vanda Pharmaceuticals presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $12.38.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $555.66 million, a P/E ratio of -6.58 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a current ratio of 3.12, a quick ratio of 3.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $5.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $5.02.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VNDA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.38) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.31) by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $56.26 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $58.73 million. Vanda Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 16.82% and a negative net margin of 39.70%. Sell-side analysts expect that Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. will post -1.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vanda Pharmaceuticals

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VNDA. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 0.4% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,587,139 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $17,900,000 after purchasing an additional 14,336 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 220.0% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,139,591 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $9,821,000 after buying an additional 1,470,898 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,691,638 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $7,986,000 after buying an additional 77,997 shares during the last quarter. Krensavage Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 15.2% in the 3rd quarter. Krensavage Asset Management LLC now owns 1,180,388 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $5,890,000 after acquiring an additional 155,505 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP increased its position in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 25.7% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 662,305 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $3,305,000 after acquiring an additional 135,439 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.14% of the company’s stock.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders and rare diseases. The company’s research and development efforts center on sleep-wake regulation, mood disorders, and movement disorders. Vanda’s mission is to address unmet medical needs by advancing novel molecules through clinical trials and regulatory review.

Vanda’s flagship commercial product is Hetlioz (tasimelteon), a melatonin receptor agonist approved by the U.S.