Viking Therapeutics reports Q2 milder-than-expected net loss as obesity trials advance

Viking Therapeutics

29/07/2026 21:28

Overview
U.S. biopharma firm's Q2 net loss and loss per share beat analyst expectations
Net loss widened yr/yr due to higher R&D and administrative expenses
Company ended Q2 with $502 mln in cash and short-term investments

Outlook
Viking expects to initiate Phase 3 oral VK2735 trial in 4Q26
Company expects VK2735 maintenance dosing study data in 3Q26
Phase 1 study of amylin agonist VK3019 is underway

Result Drivers
R&D SPENDING - Higher research and development expenses driven by increased clinical study activity, salaries, benefits, stock-based compensation and third-party consultants
ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS - General and administrative expenses rose due to higher spending on consultants, legal and patent services, and salaries and benefits

Company press release: ID:nPn3jSS5da

Key Details
Metric
Beat/Miss
Actual
Consensus Estimate
Q2 Loss Per Share
Beat
$1.10
$1.25 (17 Analysts)
Q2 Net Loss
Beat
$128.02 mln
$144.71 mln (16 Analysts)
Q2 Income from Operations
Beat
-$132.60 mln
-$150.31 mln (16 Analysts)
Q2 Operating Expenses
 
$132.60 mln
 

Analyst Coverage
The current average analyst rating on the shares is "buy" and the breakdown of recommendations is 18 "strong buy" or "buy", 2 "hold" and no "sell" or "strong sell"
The average consensus recommendation for the biotechnology & medical research peer group is "buy"
Wall Street's median 12-month price target for Viking Therapeutics Inc is $97.50, about 188% above its July 28 closing price of $33.86

Reuters Recommended Reads
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July 29 - Biogen beats quarterly estimates as newer drugs drive growth
July 28 - Novo Nordisk must face US shareholder lawsuit over CagriSema weight loss trial

For questions concerning the data in this report, contact Estimates.Support@lseg.com. For any other questions or feedback, contact reuters.support@thomsonreuters.com.

(This story was created using Reuters automation and AI based on LSEG and company data. It was checked and edited by a Reuters journalist prior to publication.)