Natixis Reduces Position in Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:AUPH)

Natixis decreased its stake in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:AUPH) (TSE:AUP) by 35.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 50,717 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after selling 27,897 shares during the period. Natixis’ holdings in Aurinia Pharmaceuticals were worth $254,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. HighMark Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 3.0% during the first quarter. HighMark Wealth Management LLC now owns 75,196 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $377,000 after buying an additional 2,197 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its position in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 9.1% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 28,634 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $257,000 after purchasing an additional 2,390 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 9.1% in the first quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 34,464 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $173,000 after purchasing an additional 2,873 shares during the period. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Tidemark LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 36.83% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com raised Aurinia Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $10.00.

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

AUPH stock opened at $5.68 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $5.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $5.86. Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. has a 12-month low of $4.71 and a 12-month high of $12.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 5.60 and a quick ratio of 5.05.

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AUPH) (TSE:AUP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The biotechnology company reported ($0.03) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.17) by $0.14. Aurinia Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 15.06% and a negative net margin of 32.69%. The business had revenue of $50.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $46.30 million. Sell-side analysts expect that Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. will post 0.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing therapies to treat various diseases with unmet medical need in the United States. It offers LUPKYNIS for the treatment of adult patients with active lupus nephritis. It has a collaboration and license agreement with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd.