Oppenheimer Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD) Stock Price

Aardvark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AARD) had its price objective decreased by Oppenheimer from $35.00 to $21.00 in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Oppenheimer’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 328.57% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on AARD. BTIG Research reduced their price target on Aardvark Therapeutics from $26.00 to $9.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday. William Blair initiated coverage on Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Friday, December 12th. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. B. Riley Financial assumed coverage on Aardvark Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $32.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Aardvark Therapeutics in a report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $25.09.

Aardvark Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of AARD stock opened at $4.90 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $106.67 million and a PE ratio of -2.31. Aardvark Therapeutics has a fifty-two week low of $4.74 and a fifty-two week high of $17.94. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $13.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $12.10.

Insider Buying and Selling at Aardvark Therapeutics

In other news, CEO Tien-Li Lee bought 7,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $14.48 per share, for a total transaction of $101,360.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,551,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,467,356.24. This trade represents a 0.45% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Nelson Sun purchased 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $14.40 per share, with a total value of $43,200.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 108,484 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,562,169.60. The trade was a 2.84% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. UBS Group AG raised its position in Aardvark Therapeutics by 5.4% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 54,728 shares of the company’s stock valued at $727,000 after purchasing an additional 2,804 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter worth $42,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of Aardvark Therapeutics by 72.9% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,989 shares of the company’s stock worth $108,000 after purchasing an additional 3,369 shares during the last quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Aardvark Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. Finally, Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new position in Aardvark Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at about $56,000.

Aardvark Therapeutics News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Aardvark Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Some sell‑side firms remain constructive: Oppenheimer kept an “outperform” rating (price target cut to $21) and BTIG retained a “buy” (PT cut to $9) — these provide a potential recovery thesis if clinical issues resolve. Oppenheimer/BTIG Notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Other firms reaffirmed non‑buy stances (Stifel hold, Morgan Stanley equal weight, HC Wainwright neutral) with materially lower price targets, signaling divided analyst views and lower short‑term conviction. Analyst Reaffirmations
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data in recent reports appears inconsistent (reported zeros/NaN and 0.0 days‑to‑cover). The entries flag potential short interest activity but the published numbers look unreliable — monitor for revised filings.
• Negative Sentiment: Clinical setback: Aardvark voluntarily paused its Phase 3 HERO trial in Prader‑Willi Syndrome after “cardiac observations” were reported — the announcement triggered broad media coverage and is the primary driver of selling pressure while the company reviews the safety data. FierceBiotech: Trial Pause BioSpace: Safety Signals BioPharmaDive: Safety Concerns Investing.com: Market Reaction BioWorld: Data Review
• Negative Sentiment: Investor legal risk: Pomerantz LLP announced an investigation into Aardvark on behalf of shareholders, which can prolong uncertainty and increase downside risk until the company discloses results of its safety review. GlobeNewswire: Pomerantz Investigation

Aardvark Therapeutics Company Profile

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specializing in the discovery and development of small-molecule modulators of the retinoic acid receptor–related orphan receptor gamma (RORγ). RORγ plays a central role in T-helper 17 (Th17) cell differentiation and inflammatory processes. By targeting this transcription factor, Aardvark aims to address a range of autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases.

The company’s lead programs consist of selective RORγ inverse agonists designed to suppress pathogenic Th17-driven responses in conditions such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic inflammatory disorders.