Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:AUPH) Short Interest Down 6.3% in November

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:AUPH) (TSE:AUP) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,880,000 shares, a drop of 6.3% from the October 31st total of 7,340,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,240,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.5 days.

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 3.6 %

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals stock traded up $0.32 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $9.18. The stock had a trading volume of 1,541,688 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,598,049. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.31 billion, a PE ratio of -59.06 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 5.11 and a current ratio of 5.60. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $7.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $6.49. Aurinia Pharmaceuticals has a twelve month low of $4.71 and a twelve month high of $9.74.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AUPH. StockNews.com raised Aurinia Pharmaceuticals from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and issued a $13.00 price target on shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, September 6th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $10.00 price objective on shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals in a report on Monday, September 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $10.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jeffrey Allen Bailey sold 4,557 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.43, for a total transaction of $38,415.51. Following the sale, the director now owns 13,356 shares in the company, valued at approximately $112,591.08. This trade represents a 25.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 4.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aurinia Pharmaceuticals

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise raised its holdings in Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 126.6% in the second quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 9,684 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 5,410 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals in the first quarter worth $78,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals in the 2nd quarter valued at $84,000. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 247.7% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 11,483 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $84,000 after acquiring an additional 8,180 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC boosted its position in Aurinia Pharmaceuticals by 44.8% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 12,673 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $93,000 after purchasing an additional 3,919 shares during the period. 36.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.