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Andrew Cheng, President and CEO of Akero Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKRO), sold 6,620 shares of common stock on June 18, 2025, according to a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The shares were sold at a weighted-average price of $54.84, for a total transaction value of $363,040. Prices for the sales ranged from $54.73 to $54.84. The transaction occurs as AKRO trades near its 52-week high of $58.40, having delivered an impressive 133% return over the past year. InvestingPro data shows analysts maintain a strong buy consensus on the stock, with 12 additional insights available to subscribers.
Following the transaction, Cheng directly owns 549,867 shares of Akero Therapeutics.
The sale was to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of restricted stock units, according to a footnote in the SEC filing. The filing also notes that Akero Therapeutics has a "sell-to-cover" policy in place for such obligations, and the sales were automatic.
In other recent news, Akero Therapeutics has been the focus of several analyst updates following its presentation of promising data at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL). Jefferies reaffirmed its Buy rating on Akero, maintaining a $75 price target, highlighting the company’s robust placebo-controlled data for its FGF21 therapy in F4 cirrhosis. Citi also maintained a Buy rating but adjusted its price target to $78, citing the positive effects of efruxifermin treatment from the Phase 2b SYMMETRY trial. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) lowered its price target from $90 to $84, maintaining an Overweight rating, while noting adjustments in their financial model based on Akero’s recent quarterly results.
Akero’s Phase 2b SYMMETRY trial results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrated significant improvements in liver fibrosis for patients with compensated cirrhosis due to MASH. The trial’s findings showed dose-dependent improvements, which have reinforced the potential of Akero’s efruxifermin therapy. Clear Street also initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $49 price target, emphasizing the "best-in-class potential" of efruxifermin for treating NASH, particularly in cirrhosis stages.
Akero’s financial position remains strong, with $1.1 billion in cash reserves, expected to fund operations through 2028. The company’s ongoing Phase 3 SYNCHRONY program and the promising data from its trials continue to attract attention from investors and analysts. Despite some adjustments in price targets, the overall outlook on Akero’s innovative therapies remains positive among financial research firms.
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