Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LGND) Price Target Raised to $239.00

Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LGND) had its price objective increased by HC Wainwright from $231.00 to $239.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the biotechnology company’s stock.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on LGND. Citigroup initiated coverage on Ligand Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $270.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Benchmark raised their target price on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $175.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $234.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $240.67.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 2.5%

NASDAQ:LGND opened at $196.17 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 94.77 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a current ratio of 24.69, a quick ratio of 24.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Ligand Pharmaceuticals has a 12 month low of $93.58 and a 12 month high of $212.49. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $193.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $185.01.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LGND) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The biotechnology company reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.56. Ligand Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 5.71% and a net margin of 19.34%.The firm had revenue of $59.67 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $55.59 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.27 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 39.5% on a year-over-year basis. Ligand Pharmaceuticals has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.000-9.000 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Ligand Pharmaceuticals will post 1.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Ligand Pharmaceuticals news, Director John W. Kozarich sold 467 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.91, for a total value of $91,489.97. Following the sale, the director directly owned 43,187 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,460,765.17. This trade represents a 1.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Octavio Espinoza sold 1,804 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.31, for a total value of $339,711.24. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 26,186 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,931,085.66. This trade represents a 6.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 3,205 shares of company stock worth $611,192. Corporate insiders own 7.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ligand Pharmaceuticals

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL acquired a new position in Ligand Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter worth $2,789,955,000. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 3.1% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 749,754 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $85,232,000 after purchasing an additional 22,629 shares in the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. raised its position in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 667,311 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $118,207,000 after purchasing an additional 19,370 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its stake in Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 59.5% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 541,845 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $95,982,000 after buying an additional 202,103 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 36.5% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 516,464 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $97,648,000 after buying an additional 138,169 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.28% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Ligand Pharmaceuticals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat — Non‑GAAP EPS of $2.02 and revenue of $59.7M topped Street estimates, showing 39.5% Y/Y revenue growth and stronger margins; this supports upside to current valuation. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Non‑GAAP EPS of $2.02 beats
• Positive Sentiment: Very bullish FY‑2026 earnings guide — management reiterated guidance for adjusted EPS of $8.00–$9.00 (well above the prior consensus ~$4.85), signaling material profit growth ahead and likely driving buying interest. Ligand Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — at least one sell‑side note flagged upside potential after the results and guide, reinforcing short‑term bullish momentum. Ligand Stock Expected to Rise, HC Wainwright Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue guidance is a wide range ($245M–$285M) that spans below and above consensus (~$266M); while EPS guide is strong, the revenue band leaves execution uncertainty that could temper enthusiasm. Ligand: Q4 Earnings Snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: Intraday volatility / profit‑taking noted — some outlets highlighted a pullback (reported declines intraday) as investors digest the guidance range and rich valuation (LGND carries a high P/E), which could pressure the stock in the near term. Why LGND Stock Is Down 5.99%

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company that acquires, develops and out-licenses proprietary technologies designed to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies discover and develop novel medicines. Operating primarily through its research services and royalty-generating businesses, Ligand focuses on building a diversified portfolio of technology platforms and partnering with industry leaders to advance therapeutic candidates across multiple disease areas.

The company’s product offerings center around several core platforms.