Septerna (NASDAQ:SEPN) Trading 7.9% Higher – Still a Buy?

Septerna, Inc. (NASDAQ:SEPN)’s stock price rose 7.9% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $25.50 and last traded at $25.18. Approximately 78,211 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 72% from the average daily volume of 278,571 shares. The stock had previously closed at $23.34.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on SEPN. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on Septerna in a report on Friday, December 19th. They issued a “strong-buy” rating and a $38.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Septerna from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. HC Wainwright upped their target price on shares of Septerna from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Truist Financial began coverage on Septerna in a research report on Monday, December 15th. They set a “buy” rating and a $34.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Jones Trading started coverage on shares of Septerna in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $43.00 price objective for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $33.83.

Septerna Trading Down 2.4%

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -16.51 and a beta of 3.85. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $26.68 and a 200-day simple moving average of $20.52.

Septerna (NASDAQ:SEPN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 10th. The company reported ($0.09) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.19 by ($0.28). Septerna had a negative return on equity of 17.98% and a negative net margin of 266.77%.The firm had revenue of $21.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.50 million. Research analysts predict that Septerna, Inc. will post -7.11 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Daniel D. Long sold 3,501 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.06, for a total transaction of $63,228.06. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 92,911 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,677,972.66. This trade represents a 3.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 4.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SEPN. Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Septerna during the third quarter valued at about $36,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Septerna in the 4th quarter valued at $61,000. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in Septerna by 55.8% during the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 3,620 shares of the company’s stock valued at $68,000 after buying an additional 1,296 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in shares of Septerna by 88.0% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,155 shares of the company’s stock valued at $78,000 after acquiring an additional 1,945 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in Septerna by 15.0% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,101 shares of the company’s stock valued at $107,000 after purchasing an additional 1,315 shares during the period.

About Septerna

We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new era of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) oral small molecule drug discovery powered by our proprietary Native Complex Platform™. Our industrial-scale platform aims to unlock the full potential of GPCR therapies and has led to the discovery and development of our deep pipeline of product candidates focused initially on treating patients in three therapeutic areas: endocrinology, immunology and inflammation, and metabolic diseases. GPCRs are the largest and most diverse family of cell membrane receptors and regulate physiological processes in nearly every organ system of the human body.