Insider Trading March 7, 2026

Ligand Chief Legal Officer Sells About $1.03 Million in Shares, Exercises Options

Andrew Reardon disposes of 4,858 shares and exercises 5,000 options the same day; company reports stronger-than-expected Q4 and full-year results

By Leila Farooq LGND
Ligand Chief Legal Officer Sells About $1.03 Million in Shares, Exercises Options
LGND

Andrew Reardon, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Ligand Pharmaceuticals (LGND), sold 4,858 shares on March 4, 2026, for roughly $1.03 million and exercised options to buy 5,000 shares at $52.27. The trades were carried out under a pre-arranged trading plan. Separately, Ligand posted fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results that beat analysts' forecasts and prompted firm-level analyst target adjustments.

Key Points

  • Andrew Reardon sold 4,858 shares on March 4, 2026, generating $1,031,770; sale prices ranged from $197.6954 to $208.8724.
  • On the same day Reardon exercised options to acquire 5,000 shares at $52.27, costing $261,350; he now directly owns 36,869 shares.
  • Ligand's Q4 2025 adjusted EPS of $2.02 and revenue of $59.7 million beat analyst forecasts, contributing to higher analyst price targets and reiterated buy/outperform ratings.

Andrew Reardon, who serves as Chief Legal Officer and Secretary at Ligand Pharmaceuticals INC (NASDAQ:LGND), reported a sale of 4,858 shares of the company's common stock on March 4, 2026. The total proceeds from that sale amounted to $1,031,770, with individual trade prices ranging from $197.6954 to $208.8724.

On the same date, Reardon also exercised stock options to acquire 5,000 additional shares of Ligand stock at an exercise price of $52.27 per share, representing a total purchase cost of $261,350 for those optioned shares. Following both the disposition and the exercise transactions, Reardon directly holds 36,869 shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals common stock.

The disposition of the 4,858 shares was executed in accordance with a pre-arranged trading plan that Reardon adopted on November 24, 2025.


Separately from the insider transactions, Ligand released its fourth-quarter results for 2025 and provided full-year figures. For the quarter, the company reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.02, exceeding the analyst forecast of $1.49. Quarterly revenue came in at $59.7 million versus an expected $55.59 million. On a full-year basis, Ligand posted revenue of $268 million, with core revenue measured at $240 million, and delivered full-year adjusted EPS of $8.13.

Analyst reactions noted in company updates included Oppenheimer raising its price target to $277 while maintaining an Outperform rating, citing a favorable view of the company's royalty asset base. Stifel reiterated a Buy rating on the shares with a price target of $230. Ligand's royalty revenue for the fourth quarter was reported at $50.5 million, a figure described as aligned with Oppenheimer's estimates.

For readers seeking additional valuation tools, the company reference indicates access to InvestingPro resources for deeper valuation insight and a Fair Value calculator that employs multiple industry models.

Risks

  • Insider sales under a pre-arranged trading plan may raise near-term attention to stock activity within the equity markets and among investors in the healthcare/biotech sector.
  • Market reaction to insider transactions and analyst updates could add volatility to Ligand's share price in the short term, affecting investors focused on pharmaceuticals and royalty-driven business models.
  • Reliance on royalty revenue, which was $50.5 million in Q4, ties a portion of Ligand's performance to the underlying performance of partnered assets, presenting potential revenue variability for the healthcare and biotech markets.

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