IONIS PHARMACEUTICALS INC IONS
COM · Common Stock · CUSIP 462222100 · ISIN US4622221004
American pharmaceutical company
- SectorHealth care
- IndustryPharmaceutical Preparations
- HeadquartersCarlsbad, CA
- Founded1989
- Websiteionispharma.com
- FilingsSEC EDGAR
* Summed across managers. Shares that two managers' reports both contain – a subsidiary's holdings that its parent's report includes too, or a sub-adviser's in its client's – are counted once ($14.9m this quarter). Holder counts are more reliable. Shares outstanding: 143.5m as of 2023-10-27, from the company's own SEC filing; the percentage can still exceed 100%: lent-out shares are counted by the lender and the buyer, and some reports overlap without saying so. Implied quarter-end price ≈ $50.60. Options: 18 managers hold calls ($36.1m notional), 16 hold puts ($34.5m).
Trends to Q4 2023
Institutional holders
Managers reporting a position, each quarter
Numbers
| Quarter | Holders |
|---|---|
| Q3 2022 | 350 |
| Q4 2022 | 339 |
| Q1 2023 | 316 |
| Q2 2023 | 307 |
| Q3 2023 | 313 |
| Q4 2023 | 366 |
Buyers vs sellers
Managers adding to or starting a position, vs cutting or selling out
Numbers
| Quarter | Bought or added | Cut or sold out |
|---|---|---|
| Q4 2022 | 155 | 161 |
| Q1 2023 | 120 | 180 |
| Q2 2023 | 128 | 154 |
| Q3 2023 | 138 | 129 |
| Q4 2023 | 175 | 143 |
Calls vs puts
Options held, notional value, last 4 quarters. P/C = puts ÷ calls
Numbers
| Quarter | Calls | Puts | P/C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2023 | $17.2m | $10.2m | 0.59 |
| Q2 2023 | $21.6m | $23.6m | 1.10 |
| Q3 2023 | $29.2m | $20.7m | 0.71 |
| Q4 2023 | $36.1m | $34.5m | 0.95 |
Biggest buyers
| WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT GROUP LLP | Added | +2.9m |
| MORGAN STANLEY | Added | +1.1m |
| JPMORGAN CHASE & CO | Added | +981.0k |
| FARALLON CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.L.C. | Added | +828.0k |
| Point72 Asset Management, L.P. | Added | +827.3k |
| PRICE T ROWE ASSOCIATES INC /MD/ | Added | +497.1k |
| MILLENNIUM MANAGEMENT LLC | Added | +453.2k |
| AXA S.A. | Added | +447.9k |
| BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. | New | +339.7k |
| TWO SIGMA INVESTMENTS, LP | Added | +325.4k |
Biggest sellers
| Deep Track Capital, LP | Reduced | -1.6m |
| BVF INC/IL | Reduced | -1.6m |
| Camber Capital Management LP | Reduced | -1.4m |
| Bellevue Group AG | Reduced | -519.7k |
| ARK Investment Management LLC | Reduced | -461.3k |
| California Public Employees Retirement System | Reduced | -445.9k |
| Woodline Partners LP | Sold out | -315.1k |
| VANGUARD GROUP INC | Reduced | -298.5k |
| CITADEL ADVISORS LLC | Reduced | -283.4k |
| D. E. Shaw & Co., Inc. | Reduced | -242.9k |
Biggest calls
| SUSQUEHANNA INTERNATIONAL GROUP, LLP | Added | $21.7m428.7k shares |
| JPMORGAN CHASE & CO | Added | $3.0m60.0k shares |
| BARCLAYS PLC | Reduced | $2.8m55.0k shares |
| CITADEL ADVISORS LLC | Added | $2.3m46.4k shares |
| GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC | Added | $1.5m30.0k shares |
| JANE STREET GROUP, LLC | Reduced | $1.1m22.5k shares |
| Twin Tree Management, LP | Reduced | $1.1m21.0k shares |
| SIMPLEX TRADING, LLC | Reduced | $824.0k16.3k shares |
| GTS SECURITIES LLC | Reduced | $667.8k13.2k shares |
| WOLVERINE TRADING, LLC | Reduced | $364.2k7.2k shares |
Biggest puts
| Twin Tree Management, LP | Added | $9.0m177.8k shares |
| SUSQUEHANNA INTERNATIONAL GROUP, LLP | Added | $7.9m156.7k shares |
| JANE STREET GROUP, LLC | Added | $3.7m73.5k shares |
| JPMORGAN CHASE & CO | Added | $3.0m60.0k shares |
| BARCLAYS PLC | New | $2.8m55.0k shares |
| SIMPLEX TRADING, LLC | Added | $2.6m52.1k shares |
| GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC | New | $1.5m30.0k shares |
| CITADEL ADVISORS LLC | Added | $1.0m19.8k shares |
| TORNO CAPITAL, LLC | First filing | $758.9k15.0k shares |
| WOLVERINE TRADING, LLC | Added | $698.1k13.8k shares |
Options at notional value: the value of the shares the contracts control, as filers report them, not what the options cost. Not included in the holders, shares or buying above.
Major shareholders (over 5%)
Anyone who owns more than 5% of a class of the company's shares has to say so: on Schedule 13D if they may try to influence or control the company, on 13G if they're a passive investor, and update it as the stake changes. Each holder's latest filing, from 19 Dec 2024 on; percentages are of the share class, as the holder worked them out.
| Holder | Stake |
|---|---|
| Capital World Investors 13G · institution +1.7 pts · filed 2026-05-14 | 12.8% |
| BlackRock, Inc. 13G · institution filed 2025-04-17 | 5.7% |
| VANGUARD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 13G · institution new · filed 2026-04-30 | 5.0% |
Fell to 5% or below in the last year: T. Rowe Price Investment Management, Inc. (3.7%, 2026-05-15), VANGUARD GROUP INC (0.0%, 2026-03-27; now reported by VANGUARD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC)
Insider purchases and sales in Q4 2023
Shares bought or sold by the company's own officers, directors and 10% owners, in the open market or privately, as they reported to the SEC on Form 4 (due within two business days of the trade). Grants, option exercises, shares withheld for tax and gifts aren't included.
Officers and directors buying vs selling
Number of people, by quarter (10% owners not included)
Numbers
| Quarter | Buying | Bought | Selling | Sold | Sold under a plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2022 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Q2 2022 | 0 | — | 3 | $302.1k | — |
| Q3 2022 | 0 | — | 2 | $71.5k | — |
| Q4 2022 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Q1 2023 | 0 | — | 10 | $4.7m | — |
| Q2 2023 | 0 | — | 5 | $522.0k | $261.6k |
| Q3 2023 | 0 | — | 5 | $1.7m | $1.6m |
| Q4 2023 | 0 | — | 8 | $15.0m | $14.9m |
| Date | Insider | Trade | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-12-28 | PARSHALL B LYNNE Director | Sold plan | $2.1m42.5k shares |
| 2023-12-28 | Swayze Eric EVP Research | Sold plan | $1.4m27.1k shares |
| 2023-12-27 | PARSHALL B LYNNE Director | Sold plan | $2.5m50.0k shares |
| 2023-12-26 | PARSHALL B LYNNE Director | Sold plan | $1.3m25.1k shares |
| 2023-12-26 | Schneider Eugene EVP, Chf Clinical Develop Ofcr | Sold plan | $1.3m25.0k shares |
| 2023-12-26 | O'NEIL PATRICK R. EVP CLO & General Counsel | Sold plan | $1.1m20.8k shares |
| 2023-12-21 | Monia Brett P Chief Executive Officer, director | Sold plan | $862.6k17.5k shares |
| 2023-12-21 | BENNETT C FRANK EVP, Chief Scientific Officer | Sold plan | $794.2k16.1k shares |
| 2023-12-21 | Geary Richard S EVP, Chief Development Officer | Sold plan | $202.7k4.1k shares |
| 2023-12-20 | Monia Brett P Chief Executive Officer, director | Sold plan | $322.7k6.5k shares |
| 2023-12-20 | Geary Richard S EVP, Chief Development Officer | Sold plan | $322.7k6.5k shares |
| 2023-12-20 | BENNETT C FRANK EVP, Chief Scientific Officer | Sold plan | $322.7k6.5k shares |
| 2023-12-14 | Monia Brett P Chief Executive Officer, director | Sold plan | $1.2m24.0k shares |
| 2023-12-14 | BENNETT C FRANK EVP, Chief Scientific Officer | Sold plan | $1.1m22.6k shares |
| 2023-12-14 | Geary Richard S EVP, Chief Development Officer | Sold plan | $526.2k10.6k shares |
| 2023-11-15 | KLEIN JOSEPH III Director | Sold plan | $100.0k2.0k shares |
| 2023-10-17 | Swayze Eric EVP Research · by Son | Sold | $2.5k52 shares |
| 2023-10-12 | Monia Brett P Chief Executive Officer, director | Sold plan | $173.4k3.8k shares |
Their holding: how much the trade added to or took from the insider's holding (direct, or the trust or fund named). The same trade is sometimes reported by more than one insider, such as a fund and the director who represents it; totals count it once. A value is left blank where the reported price is far from the market price (usually a typo).
Holders, Q4 2023
| Manager | Shares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| FMR LLC 0.08% of their portfolio | 21.5m $1.1bn | Added +21.9k |
| VANGUARD GROUP INC 0.02% of their portfolio | 14.2m $718.6m | Reduced -298.5k |
| T. Rowe Price Investment Management, Inc. 0.43% of their portfolio | 13.2m $667.9m | Added +78.4k |
| BlackRock Inc. 0.01% of their portfolio | 9.1m $458.2m | Reduced -57.1k |
| Bellevue Group AG 6.74% of their portfolio | 8.7m $440.8m | Reduced -519.7k |
| Clearbridge Investments, LLC 0.20% of their portfolio | 4.7m $238.2m | Reduced -133.2k |
| WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT GROUP LLP 0.04% of their portfolio | 4.6m $233.6m | Added +2.9m |
| PRICE T ROWE ASSOCIATES INC /MD/ 0.03% of their portfolio | 4.3m $215.3m | Added +497.1k |
| STATE STREET CORP 0.01% of their portfolio | 4.0m $202.8m | Added +53.8k |
| Pictet Asset Management Holding SA 0.20% of their portfolio | 3.5m $178.0m | Added +277.4k |
| Tweedy, Browne Co LLC 8.58% of their portfolio | 3.5m $174.8m | Reduced -55.5k |
| MACQUARIE GROUP LTD 0.18% of their portfolio | 3.1m $156.2m | Added +152.3k |
| BVF INC/IL 3.07% of their portfolio | 2.4m $122.9m | Reduced -1.6m |
| GEODE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC 0.01% of their portfolio | 2.3m $115.2m | Added +81.2k |
| MORGAN STANLEY 0.00% of their portfolio | 2.2m $110.3m | Added +1.1m |
| ORBIMED ADVISORS LLC 2.09% of their portfolio | 2.1m $104.5m | Reduced -104.7k |
| ARK Investment Management LLC 0.57% of their portfolio | 1.9m $96.4m | Reduced -461.3k |
| JPMORGAN CHASE & CO 0.00% of their portfolio | 1.9m $95.2m | Added +981.0k |
| FARALLON CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.L.C. 0.49% of their portfolio | 1.6m $78.7m | Added +828.0k |
| ADAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS GP, L.L.C. 0.15% of their portfolio | 1.4m $70.1m | Added +318.3k |
| CHARLES SCHWAB INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC 0.02% of their portfolio | 1.3m $64.5m | Added +33.0k |
| Deep Track Capital, LP 2.21% of their portfolio | 1.2m $63.2m | Reduced -1.6m |
| NORGES BANK 0.01% of their portfolio | 1.2m $59.3m | Added +18.0k |
| FIRST TRUST ADVISORS LP 0.06% of their portfolio | 1.1m $55.5m | Reduced -37.2k |
| Point72 Asset Management, L.P. 0.15% of their portfolio | 968.8k $49.0m | Added +827.3k |
| TD Asset Management Inc 0.05% of their portfolio | 956.9k $48.4m | Added +58.0k |
| AXA S.A. 0.08% of their portfolio | 929.5k $47.0m | Added +447.9k |
| MILLENNIUM MANAGEMENT LLC 0.04% of their portfolio | 890.3k $45.0m | Added +453.2k |
| Camber Capital Management LP 1.53% of their portfolio | 865.0k $43.8m | Reduced -1.4m |
| Capital World Investors 0.01% of their portfolio | 839.5k $42.5m | Unchanged |
| TWO SIGMA INVESTMENTS, LP 0.10% of their portfolio | 801.4k $40.5m | Added +325.4k |
| TWO SIGMA ADVISERS, LP 0.09% of their portfolio | 777.0k $39.3m | Added +172.7k |
| ROYAL BANK OF CANADA 0.01% of their portfolio | 774.2k $39.2m | Added +110.8k |
| NORTHERN TRUST CORP 0.01% of their portfolio | 688.0k $34.8m | Reduced -2.7k |
| BARCLAYS PLC 0.02% of their portfolio | 644.5k $32.6m | Added +5.0k |
| Bank of New York Mellon Corp 0.01% of their portfolio | 641.1k $32.4m | Added +13.9k |
| Candriam S.C.A. 0.22% of their portfolio | 629.1k $31.8m | Added +80.0k |
| WELLS FARGO & COMPANY/MN 0.01% of their portfolio | 594.2k $30.1m | Reduced -23.7k |
| JACOBS LEVY EQUITY MANAGEMENT, INC 0.13% of their portfolio | 509.5k $25.8m | Added +136.4k |
| NOMURA HOLDINGS INC 0.22% of their portfolio | 489.2k $24.7m | Added +29.9k |
| PINNACLE ASSOCIATES LTD 0.39% of their portfolio | 459.0k $23.2m | Reduced -4.1k |
| BANK OF AMERICA CORP /DE/ 0.00% of their portfolio | 455.1k $23.0m | Reduced -81.0k |
| GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC 0.00% of their portfolio | 381.4k $19.3m | Added +43.6k |
| GROUPAMA ASSET MANAGMENT 0.47% of their portfolio | 357.0k $18.1m | First filing |
| First Turn Management, LLC 2.59% of their portfolio | 356.7k $18.0m | First filing |
| BNP PARIBAS FINANCIAL MARKETS 0.03% of their portfolio | 355.0k $18.0m | Reduced -55.7k |
| BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. 0.05% of their portfolio | 339.7k $17.2m | New |
| Eversept Partners, LP 1.61% of their portfolio | 324.7k $16.4m | Added +72.2k |
| Nuveen Asset Management, LLC 0.01% of their portfolio | 324.0k $16.4m | Added +14.9k |
| Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC 0.13% of their portfolio | 313.3k $15.8m | Added +251.7k |
| C WorldWide Group Holding A/S 0.20% of their portfolio | 300.0k $15.2m | New |
| BAILLIE GIFFORD & CO 0.01% of their portfolio | 298.5k $15.1m | Reduced -18.1k |
| Liontrust Investment Partners LLP 0.21% of their portfolio | 284.0k $14.4m | Reduced -26.0k |
| Amundi 0.01% of their portfolio | 272.6k $14.4m | Added +147.0k |
| Corient Private Wealth LP 0.02% of their portfolio | 267.3k $13.5m | Reduced -39.7k |
| VOLORIDGE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC 0.05% of their portfolio | 264.1k $13.4m | New |
| MANUFACTURERS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, THE 0.01% of their portfolio | 260.7k $13.2m | Added +31.0k |
| ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN L.P. 0.01% of their portfolio | 257.3k $13.0m | Reduced -47.2k |
| Swiss National Bank 0.01% of their portfolio | 254.3k $12.9m | Reduced -28.8k |
| CITADEL ADVISORS LLC 0.01% of their portfolio | 252.5k $12.8m | Reduced -283.4k |
| Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group, Inc. 0.01% of their portfolio | 252.5k $12.8m | Reduced -40.0k |
| Amova Asset Management Americas, Inc. 0.12% of their portfolio | 252.5k $12.8m | Reduced -40.0k |
| STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP 0.02% of their portfolio | 246.0k $12.4m | Reduced -174 |
| KENNEDY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 0.25% of their portfolio | 228.4k $11.6m | Reduced -10.2k |
| BANK OF MONTREAL /CAN/ 0.00% of their portfolio | 223.4k $11.3m | Reduced -3.4k |
| Privium Fund Management B.V. 3.20% of their portfolio | 217.5k $11.5m | Reduced -11.0k |
| Parkman Healthcare Partners LLC 1.51% of their portfolio | 211.4k $10.7m | Added +51.9k |
| California Public Employees Retirement System 0.01% of their portfolio | 209.4k $10.6m | Reduced -445.9k |
| ALTRINSIC GLOBAL ADVISORS LLC 0.45% of their portfolio | 209.2k $10.6m | Reduced -83.0k |
| Invesco Ltd. 0.00% of their portfolio | 205.9k $10.4m | Added +74.7k |
| Jefferies Financial Group Inc. 0.16% of their portfolio | 202.3k $10.2m | Added +42.1k |
| TANG CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 0.93% of their portfolio | 200.0k $10.1m | Unchanged |
| Cubist Systematic Strategies, LLC 0.12% of their portfolio | 199.5k $10.1m | New |
| RHUMBLINE ADVISERS 0.01% of their portfolio | 199.4k $10.1m | Added +2.0k |
| Sicart Associates LLC 3.76% of their portfolio | 194.3k $9.8m | Reduced -8.8k |
| CREDIT SUISSE AG/ 0.01% of their portfolio | 189.7k $9.6m | Reduced -40.6k |
| SUPERSTRING CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP 6.85% of their portfolio | 189.6k $9.6m | First filing |
| UBS AM, a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC 0.00% of their portfolio | 186.3k $9.4m | Added +9.2k |
| Assenagon Asset Management S.A. 0.03% of their portfolio | 184.4k $9.3m | New |
| Rafferty Asset Management, LLC 0.04% of their portfolio | 184.4k $9.3m | Reduced -31.6k |
| RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES 0.01% of their portfolio | 183.7k $9.3m | Reduced -11.0k |
| Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies, LLC 0.15% of their portfolio | 169.7k $8.6m | First filing |
| TOCQUEVILLE ASSET MANAGEMENT L.P. 0.15% of their portfolio | 159.8k $8.1m | Reduced -1.9k |
| UBS Group AG 0.00% of their portfolio | 159.7k $8.1m | Added +50.7k |
| Russell Investments Group, Ltd. 0.01% of their portfolio | 157.8k $8.0m | Added +71.8k |
| Legal & General Group Plc 0.00% of their portfolio | 155.3k $7.9m | Reduced -9.7k |
| JANE STREET GROUP, LLC 0.01% of their portfolio | 154.2k $7.8m | Reduced -99.3k |
| STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION OF FLORIDA RETIREMENT SYSTEM 0.02% of their portfolio | 151.1k $7.6m | Added +67 |
| Sonora Investment Management Group, LLC 0.61% of their portfolio | 149.3k $7.6m | Added +888 |
| BLB&B Advisors, LLC 0.47% of their portfolio | 147.1k $7.4m | Reduced -550 |
| SECTOR GAMMA AS 1.78% of their portfolio | 145.0k $7.3m | Reduced -20.6k |
| Hudson Bay Capital Management LP 0.06% of their portfolio | 145.0k $7.3m | Reduced -235.0k |
| Verition Fund Management LLC 0.07% of their portfolio | 142.9k $7.2m | Added +6.8k |
| Swedbank AB 0.01% of their portfolio | 141.0k $7.1m | Added +4.1k |
| CALIFORNIA STATE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM 0.01% of their portfolio | 138.5k $7.0m | Reduced -7.0k |
| Aberdeen Group plc 0.01% of their portfolio | 136.4k $6.9m | New |
| Senator Investment Group LP 0.29% of their portfolio | 135.0k $6.8m | Not comparable |
| MARSHALL WACE, LLP 0.01% of their portfolio | 133.5k $6.8m | Added +65.4k |
| ENVESTNET ASSET MANAGEMENT INC 0.00% of their portfolio | 133.5k $6.8m | Added +6.7k |
| Connor, Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. 0.03% of their portfolio | 128.0k $6.5m | Reduced -1.9k |