A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (VKTX). Shares have lost about 23.4% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Viking Therapeutics due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.
Wider-Than-Expected Q2 Loss, Nil Sales
Viking reported a second-quarter 2025 loss of 58 cents per share, wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 44 cents. The company had incurred a loss of 20 cents per share in the year-ago quarter.
Currently, Viking Therapeutics does not have any approved products in its portfolio. Hence, it has yet to generate revenues.
Quarter in Detail
Research and development (R&D) expenses amounted to $60.2 million, compared with $23.8 million incurred in the year-ago period. This significant increase was primarily driven by higher costs associated with clinical studies and manufacturing for the company’s drug candidates, as well as increased employee-related expenses.
General and administrative expenses amounted to $14.4 million, up 40% year over year, primarily due to higher employee-related expenses.
As of June 30, 2025, Viking had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments worth $808 million, compared with $852 million as of March 31, 2025.
2025 Guidance
While Viking did not provide hard numbers, it indicated on the conference call that R&D expenses are expected to rise sequentially by approximately 25% to 33% in the third and fourth quarters of 2025 compared with the second quarter.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
It turns out, fresh estimates have trended downward during the past month.
The consensus estimate has shifted -47.22% due to these changes.
VGM Scores
At this time, Viking Therapeutics has a poor Growth Score of F, however its Momentum Score is doing a lot better with an A. However, the stock was allocated a grade of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of D. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. It's no surprise Viking Therapeutics has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). We expect a below average return from the stock in the next few months.
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Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (VKTX): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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