Akero Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKRO) Stock Price Up 4.2% – Still a Buy?

Akero Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKRO) traded up 4.2% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $27.97 and last traded at $27.88. 46,269 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 95% from the average session volume of 906,580 shares. The stock had previously closed at $26.75.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on AKRO. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Akero Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, June 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Akero Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, June 20th. Finally, HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and issued a $50.00 target price on shares of Akero Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, September 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $41.13.

Akero Therapeutics Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $1.96 billion, a PE ratio of -8.78 and a beta of -0.25. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $26.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $23.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 24.89 and a quick ratio of 24.89.

Akero Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKRO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 9th. The company reported ($0.81) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.90) by $0.09. On average, equities analysts expect that Akero Therapeutics, Inc. will post -3.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Akero Therapeutics news, CFO William Richard White sold 139,083 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.98, for a total value of $3,752,459.34. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 41,791 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,127,521.18. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, COO Jonathan Young sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.75, for a total transaction of $133,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 241,854 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,469,594.50. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO William Richard White sold 139,083 shares of Akero Therapeutics stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.98, for a total value of $3,752,459.34. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 41,791 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,127,521.18. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 293,542 shares of company stock worth $7,996,830. 7.94% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Akero Therapeutics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in Akero Therapeutics by 2,366.0% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,233 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 1,183 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP boosted its holdings in Akero Therapeutics by 40.0% in the fourth quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,750 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of Akero Therapeutics by 253.5% in the 1st quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 4,217 shares of the company’s stock valued at $107,000 after acquiring an additional 3,024 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. raised its position in shares of Akero Therapeutics by 20.0% in the first quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 6,175 shares of the company’s stock valued at $156,000 after purchasing an additional 1,030 shares during the period. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Akero Therapeutics in the 1st quarter worth $211,000.

Akero Therapeutics Company Profile

Akero Therapeutics, Inc, together with its subsidiary, engages in the development of treatments for patients with serious metabolic diseases in the United States. The company's lead product candidate is efruxifermin (EFX), which is in Phase 3 clinical trials that protects against cellular stress and regulates the metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins throughout the body for the treatment of biopsy-confirmed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) patients.