Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. Purchases 10,000 Shares of Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AERI)

Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. increased its stake in shares of Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AERI) by 33.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 40,000 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the period. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. owned approximately 0.12% of Aerie Pharmaceuticals worth $2,102,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in Aerie Pharmaceuticals by 53,632.1% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 15,045 shares of the company’s stock valued at $790,000 after buying an additional 15,017 shares during the last quarter. Suffolk Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Aerie Pharmaceuticals by 753.3% in the second quarter. Suffolk Capital Management LLC now owns 145,853 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,665,000 after buying an additional 128,760 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in Aerie Pharmaceuticals by 813.5% in the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 232,610 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,223,000 after buying an additional 207,146 shares during the last quarter. Legato Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Aerie Pharmaceuticals during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,129,000. Finally, Aperio Group LLC increased its stake in Aerie Pharmaceuticals by 4.7% in the second quarter. Aperio Group LLC now owns 4,914 shares of the company’s stock valued at $258,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. 92.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Shares of Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AERI) opened at 51.45 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $54.69 and its 200 day moving average price is $47.93. Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a one year low of $17.84 and a one year high of $59.50. The firm’s market cap is $1.87 billion.

Aerie Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AERI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 1st. The company reported ($0.82) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.84) by $0.02. Analysts predict that Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post ($2.56) EPS for the current year.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Canaccord Genuity set a $65.00 price objective on Aerie Pharmaceuticals and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. HC Wainwright set a $69.00 price objective on Aerie Pharmaceuticals and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $70.00 price objective on shares of Aerie Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, July 28th. BidaskClub raised Aerie Pharmaceuticals from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, July 24th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research raised Aerie Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $66.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, July 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $66.08.

In other Aerie Pharmaceuticals news, major shareholder Foresite Capital Fund Ii, L.P. sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.95, for a total value of $1,119,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 9.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Aerie Pharmaceuticals

Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company. The Company is engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies for the treatment of patients with glaucoma and other diseases of the eye. The Company’s product candidates include Rhopressa (netarsudil ophthalmic solution) 0.02% (Rhopressa), and Roclatan (netarsudil/latanoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.02%/0.005% (Roclatan).