This Biotech Stock Has Soared 175%. Here’s Why One Fund Still Sold $3 Million Worth
Key Points
JW Asset Management sold 83,600 shares of Liquidia in the first quarter.
The quarter-end stake value dropped by $2.83 million, reflecting both share sales and stock price movement.
The change equals 1.27% of fund's reportable AUM.
- 10 stocks we like better than Liquidia ›
On May 8, 2026, JW Asset Management reported selling 83,600 shares of Liquidia Corporation (NASDAQ:LQDA), an estimated $3.10 million trade based on quarterly average pricing.
What happened
According to an SEC filing dated May 8, 2026, JW Asset Management reduced its holdings in Liquidia by 83,600 shares. The estimated transaction value, calculated using the average closing price for the first quarter of 2026, was $3.10 million. After the trade, the fund reported holding 16,176 shares worth $610,482 at quarter-end. The net position value decreased by $2.83 million over the period.
What else to know
- This was a sale, reducing the stake to 0.25% of JW Asset Management's $243.51 million in reportable U.S. equity assets.
- Top holdings after the filing:
- NASDAQ: ESTA: $173.84 million (71.4% of AUM)
- NASDAQ: COCO: $10.47 million (4.3% of AUM)
- NASDAQ: CPRX: $9.62 million (3.9% of AUM)
- NASDAQ: GOOGL: $7.90 million (3.2% of AUM)
- NASDAQ: IREN: $5.64 million (2.3% of AUM)
- As of May 7, 2026, Liquidia shares were priced at $42.28, up 175% over the past year and vastly outperforming the S&P 500 by roughly 145 percentage points.
- The position was previously 1.1% of the fund's AUM as of the prior quarter.
Company Overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Market Capitalization | $3.73 billion |
| Revenue (TTM) | $158.32 million |
| Net Income (TTM) | $-68.92 million |
Company Snapshot
- Liquidia develops and commercializes biopharmaceutical products, including YUTREPIA (inhaled dry powder treprostinil) and distributes generic treprostinil injection in the United States.
- The company generates revenue through the sale of proprietary and generic therapies targeting pulmonary arterial hypertension and related conditions.
- It serves healthcare providers and patients with unmet medical needs in the U.S. rare disease and pulmonary hypertension markets.
Liquidia Corporation is a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension and other rare diseases. The company leverages proprietary drug delivery technology to address significant unmet needs in the U.S. healthcare market.
What this transaction means for investors
This sale ultimately looks more like profit-taking after an explosive run than a complete loss of confidence in Liquidia’s commercial story, particularly since JW Asset Management kept a smaller stake even as shares skyrocketed roughly 175% over the past year and dramatically outpaced the broader market.
The bigger story for long-term investors is that Liquidia is no longer just a development-stage biotech promising future potential. YUTREPIA, the firm’s inhaled medicine used to treat high blood pressure in the lungs, generated $148.3 million in net product sales during 2025, including $90.1 million in the fourth quarter alone, while the company posted its second consecutive profitable quarter. Liquidia also ended the year with $190.7 million in cash, up more than $33 million from the prior quarter.
The company said it has received more than 3,600 prescriptions and treated over 2,900 patients since launch. The next important catalyst is coming on Monday, when the firm is set to report first-quarter earnings.
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Jonathan Ponciano has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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