Street Calls of the Week
Investing.com - Oppenheimer raised its price target on Ligand Pharma (NASDAQ:LGND) to $190.00 from $167.00 on Wednesday, while maintaining an Outperform rating on the stock. The new target represents potential upside from the current price of $163.73, which sits just below the stock’s 52-week high of $164.67.
The price target increase follows Ligand’s mid-August capital raise, which generated approximately $385 million in net capital through a $460 million convertible debt offering at 0.75% interest. The offering included a $45 million bond hedge eliminating dilution up to $294 per share and a $15 million share repurchase.
Oppenheimer noted Ligand shares have climbed 11% compared to the XBI’s 9% gain since the capital raise, attributing this performance to investor enthusiasm for Ligand’s business model and the lower discount rate from the convertible debt. According to InvestingPro data, LGND has delivered impressive returns of 52.8% year-to-date and 62.19% over the past year, though technical indicators suggest the stock may be entering overbought territory.
The research firm updated its model to account for incrementally lower net cash of $275 million versus $350 million previously, a reduced weighted average cost of capital (WACC) of 8.8% compared to 10% before, and approximately $12 million in annual interest income.
Oppenheimer highlighted that the convertible offering is immediately accretive as Ligand invests in approximately 4%-yielding treasuries while paying only 0.75% interest, though the firm has not yet accounted for further out-year royalty inflows in its model.
In other recent news, Ligand Pharmaceuticals reported strong earnings for the second quarter of 2025, prompting Benchmark to raise its price target for the company from $160 to $175 while maintaining a Buy rating. Additionally, H.C. Wainwright increased its price target for Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $157 to $206, following the FDA’s approval of an update to the REMS labeling for FILSPARI. This update reduces liver function monitoring frequency and removes the pregnancy monitoring requirement. In financial developments, Ligand Pharmaceuticals successfully completed a $460 million convertible notes offering, with net proceeds of approximately $445.1 million. The offering included the full exercise of the initial purchasers’ option to buy an additional $60 million in notes. Prior to this, Ligand Pharmaceuticals had announced its intention to offer $400 million in convertible senior notes, granting initial purchasers a 13-day option to acquire up to an additional $60 million in notes. The notes are set to mature in 2030, with semiannual interest payments beginning in 2026. These recent developments highlight Ligand Pharmaceuticals’ strategic financial maneuvers and regulatory advancements.
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