China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. Has $429,000 Stock Holdings in Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:LGND)

China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:LGND) by 14.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,007 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 493 shares during the quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Ligand Pharmaceuticals were worth $429,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of LGND. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 23.3% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 661 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its stake in Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 49.7% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 904 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $97,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Ligand Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter valued at $172,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter valued at $180,000. Finally, MML Investors Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth $210,000. Institutional investors own 91.28% of the company’s stock.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

NASDAQ LGND opened at $116.55 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $115.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $109.14. The stock has a market cap of $2.20 billion, a PE ratio of 46.43 and a beta of 1.05. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $67.72 and a fifty-two week high of $129.90.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director John L. Lamattina sold 2,406 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.65, for a total value of $297,501.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 29,515 shares in the company, valued at $3,649,529.75. This trade represents a 7.54 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Octavio Espinoza sold 2,104 shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.37, for a total transaction of $244,842.48. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 20,647 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,402,691.39. This represents a 9.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 5.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Barclays boosted their price target on Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $141.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $135.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $135.00 target price on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $147.00.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and licensing of biopharmaceutical assets worldwide. Its commercial programs include Kyprolis and Evomela, which are used to treat multiple myeloma; Rylaze, a recombinant erwinia asparaginase for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoblastic lymphoma in adult and pediatric patients; Filspari, a dual endothelin and angiotensin II receptor antagonist in development for rare kidney diseases and non-immunosuppressive treatment indicated for immunoglobulin A nephropathy; Teriparatide injection product for osteoporosis; Vaxneuvance for the prevention of invasive disease caused by streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes; and Pneumosil, a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to help fight against pneumococcal pneumonia among children.