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Viking Therapeutics’ price target implies generous upside from current levels.
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The most important catalyst for the stock may not have to wait until next year.
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The drugmaker carries some risk, but could deliver huge rewards.
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10 stocks we like better than Viking Therapeutics ›
last year for Viking therapy (NASDAQ: VKTX)a mid-sized biotechnology company. The company has made little clinical progress, and in fact, it released one major data piece that wasn’t well received by the market, leading to a sell-off. Over the last 12 months, the Viking Therapeutics share price lagged S&P 500 Index. But can the Vikings be better this year?
Many analysts on Wall Street think so. The company’s average price target is $93.39 (per Yahoo Finance), which implies an upside of 175% from current levels. Can Viking Therapeutics soar this much by 2026?
Viking Therapeutics’ lead drug candidate is VK2735, an investigational GLP-1 drug the company is developing for weight management. A subcutaneous injection of the therapy is currently in a 78-week Phase 3 study. The Viking VK2735 Phase 3 results will be the most important event for the company in a long time, and if the results are strong, it could send its stock price soaring overnight.
However, given that the trial completed enrollment in late 2025, it’s unlikely we’ll see full results anytime soon. The biotech may reveal these in 2027. Could we see an interim analysis in 2026? Maybe, but it’s not clear. Viking Therapeutics is also conducting a Phase 1 maintenance study of VK2735, testing daily oral, weekly oral and monthly injection regimens in a small number of patients who have already achieved weight loss with VK2735.
Why is this important? Losing weight and maintaining weight are two different things. Many GLP-1 patients regain much of their lost medication, and drugmakers are increasingly developing strategies to help achieve this. If Viking can show that continued use of VK2735 in a different formulation (oral) or at different intervals (monthly vs. weekly) can help with weight loss, that would be an interesting differentiator for the drug.
It’s going to take a lot for Viking Therapeutics’ stock price to rise 175% this year. Maintenance studies are unlikely to achieve this goal, as phase 1 studies tend to prioritize safety and tolerability (even if they are robust, they do not significantly shake up the stock price) over efficacy. So even if this maintenance study goes well, it won’t help Viking’s stock price more than double this year.
Phase 3 data for VK2735 may also not appear until 2027. Where does Viking Therapeutics go from here? Without a major catalyst, biotech stocks are unlikely to reach the heights Wall Street predicts. The more important question for investors is whether the stock is worth buying and holding for at least the next five years, no matter what happens in 2026.
My point is that while Viking Therapeutics has elevated risks (as nearly all clinical-stage biotechs do), it’s an excellent choice for investors with the appropriate risk tolerance. Here’s why. The weight loss market is growing rapidly, but new treatment options are still needed. Viking’s VK2735 performed very well in mid-term studies.
There’s no guarantee of eventual commercial success, but Viking Therapeutics is expanding its pipeline by developing oral versions and subcutaneous formulations of VK2735. It will also conduct later-stage studies in people with diabetes, who have more difficulty losing weight. Its ongoing maintenance studies show it is thinking ahead and looking to differentiate its leading candidates.
Finally, Viking has other promising pipeline projects. The company’s VK2809 performed well in a mid-stage study targeting metabolic dysfunction-related steatohepatitis, an area that remains an area of unmet need. Viking Therapeutics has developed a new weight loss drug candidate and plans to begin clinical trials soon.
With all this happening, Viking Therapeutics stock could soar in the coming years, assuming it records strong clinical progress. There is also a risk that the stock may lose significant value if this is not done. Invest accordingly.
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Prosper Junior Bakiny works at Viking Therapeutics. “Motley Fool” recommends Viking Therapeutics. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
First stock could surge 175%, The Wall Street reports Originally published by The Motley Fool