Insider Selling: Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLRX) Insider Sells 12,319 Shares of Stock

Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLRX) insider Eric Lefebvre sold 12,319 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.56, for a total transaction of $142,407.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 213,052 shares in the company, valued at $2,462,881.12. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Pliant Therapeutics Trading Up 2.0 %

Pliant Therapeutics stock opened at $12.75 on Monday. Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $10.29 and a fifty-two week high of $20.23. The company has a current ratio of 16.12, a quick ratio of 16.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $12.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $14.49.

Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) last posted its earnings results on Monday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.78) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.76) by ($0.02). Analysts forecast that Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. will post -3.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $38.00 price target on shares of Pliant Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of Pliant Therapeutics from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Pliant Therapeutics from $45.00 to $44.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Pliant Therapeutics from $54.00 to $45.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $36.00 price target on shares of Pliant Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, June 7th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $45.38.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pliant Therapeutics

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. First Light Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Pliant Therapeutics by 22.4% in the fourth quarter. First Light Asset Management LLC now owns 3,591,776 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,047,000 after acquiring an additional 658,516 shares in the last quarter. Mass General Brigham Inc acquired a new position in shares of Pliant Therapeutics in the first quarter worth $4,301,000. Granahan Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Pliant Therapeutics by 22.5% in the fourth quarter. Granahan Investment Management LLC now owns 1,150,766 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,840,000 after acquiring an additional 211,557 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in shares of Pliant Therapeutics by 4.1% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,579,572 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,606,000 after acquiring an additional 62,173 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Pliant Therapeutics by 6.1% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,945,312 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,072,000 after acquiring an additional 168,454 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.30% of the company’s stock.

About Pliant Therapeutics

Pliant Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes novel therapies for the treatment of fibrosis and related diseases in the United States. The company's lead candidate is bexotegrast, an oral, small-molecule, dual selective inhibitor of avß6 and avß1 integrins, which is in phase 2b trials for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and in phase 2a trial for primary sclerosing cholangitis.