Stifel cuts Aardvark Therapeutics stock rating on trial pause

try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry Oil prices surge after U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran; crude around $80/bbl likely Gold prices jump 2% amid widening US-Israel conflict with Iran Asia stocks slide as US-Iran strikes batter risk appetite Middle East tensions rise as Iran promises retaliation (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) Stifel cuts Aardvark Therapeutics stock rating on trial pause By Investing.com Analyst Ratings Published 03/02/2026, 03:41 AM Stifel cuts Aardvark Therapeutics stock rating on trial pause 0 AARD -0.08% Investing.com - Stifel downgraded Aardvark Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:AARD) to Hold from Buy and lowered its price target to $6.00 from $24.00 following the company’s voluntary pause of its phase 3 trial. The stock currently trades at $12.49 with a market cap of $272 million, positioned between the new target and previous expectations. Aardvark paused the trial after reversible cardiac observations emerged in a healthy volunteer safety study. The company no longer plans to report data in the third quarter as previously expected. The cardiac signals appeared in a routine healthy volunteer study at supra-therapeutic doses of 1,600 milligrams twice daily. Management said the reversible ECG signals have not been observed in prior preclinical or clinical studies, and regular safety monitoring of the HERO trial has shown no issues. The company is meeting with the FDA and expressed optimism about reaching a resolution. Management said it would be surprised if the issue is not resolved, though it cannot rule out any outcome. Stifel noted that TAS2Rs are expressed in cardiac tissue, raising the possibility the effect is drug-related. The firm also pointed to Prader-Willi syndrome patients’ underlying cardiovascular comorbidities and said the company’s cash runway into 2027 and unclear timelines present additional uncertainty. According to InvestingPro , the company is quickly burning through cash, though it maintains a strong balance sh...