LIGAND PHARMACEUTICALS INC LGND
COM NEW · Common Stock · CUSIP 53220K504
Biopharmaceutical company based out of La Jolla, California
- SectorHealth care
- IndustryPharmaceutical Preparations
- HeadquartersSan Diego, CA
- Founded1987
- Websiteligand.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 ($29.7m this quarter). Holder counts are more reliable. Shares outstanding: 19.7m as of 2025-11-04, 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 ≈ $188.99. Options: 4 managers hold calls ($6.7m notional), 3 hold puts ($1.8m).
Trends to Q4 2025
Institutional holders
Managers reporting a position, each quarter
Numbers
| Quarter | Holders |
|---|---|
| Q3 2022 | 204 |
| Q4 2022 | 197 |
| Q1 2023 | 213 |
| Q2 2023 | 204 |
| Q3 2023 | 197 |
| Q4 2023 | 211 |
| Q1 2024 | 222 |
| Q2 2024 | 235 |
| Q3 2024 | 243 |
| Q4 2024 | 259 |
| Q1 2025 | 263 |
| Q2 2025 | 272 |
| Q3 2025 | 314 |
| Q4 2025 | 351 |
Buyers vs sellers
Managers adding to or starting a position, vs cutting or selling out
Numbers
| Quarter | Bought or added | Cut or sold out |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2024 | 95 | 90 |
| Q2 2024 | 122 | 100 |
| Q3 2024 | 131 | 81 |
| Q4 2024 | 139 | 84 |
| Q1 2025 | 132 | 112 |
| Q2 2025 | 140 | 111 |
| Q3 2025 | 161 | 118 |
| Q4 2025 | 168 | 146 |
Calls vs puts
Options held, notional value, last 4 quarters. P/C = puts ÷ calls
Numbers
| Quarter | Calls | Puts | P/C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2025 | $998.8k | $860.3k | 0.86 |
| Q2 2025 | $1.1m | $11.4k | 0.01 |
| Q3 2025 | $3.5m | $2.0m | 0.58 |
| Q4 2025 | $6.7m | $1.8m | 0.26 |
Biggest buyers
| FRANKLIN RESOURCES INC | Added | +266.3k |
| Invesco Ltd. | Added | +138.2k |
| Fiera Capital Corp | New | +131.2k |
| FMR LLC | Added | +121.9k |
| GW&K Investment Management, LLC | Added | +85.3k |
| GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC | Added | +61.2k |
| BlackRock, Inc. | Added | +55.7k |
| WCM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC | New | +45.6k |
| UBS Group AG | Added | +31.1k |
| BNP PARIBAS FINANCIAL MARKETS | Added | +30.9k |
Biggest sellers
| MACQUARIE GROUP LTD | Sold out | -751.8k |
| CONGRESS ASSET MANAGEMENT CO | Reduced | -187.2k |
| DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS LP | Reduced | -90.9k |
| VILLERE ST DENIS J & CO LLC | Reduced | -77.5k |
| Aberdeen Group plc | Reduced | -70.4k |
| Stephens Investment Management Group LLC | Reduced | -53.5k |
| JANUS HENDERSON GROUP PLC | Reduced | -47.0k |
| OSAIC HOLDINGS, INC. | Reduced | -41.3k |
| Driehaus Capital Management LLC | Reduced | -40.5k |
| Allspring Global Investments Holdings, LLC | Reduced | -36.6k |
Biggest calls
| SUSQUEHANNA INTERNATIONAL GROUP, LLP | Added | $2.3m12.3k shares |
| JANE STREET GROUP, LLC | Added | $1.6m8.2k shares |
| D. E. Shaw & Co., Inc. | Added | $1.4m7.6k shares |
| CITADEL ADVISORS LLC | Added | $1.4m7.4k shares |
Biggest puts
| CITADEL ADVISORS LLC | New | $661.7k3.5k shares |
| SIMPLEX TRADING, LLC | New | $567.2k3.0k shares |
| SUSQUEHANNA INTERNATIONAL GROUP, LLP | Added | $529.4k2.8k 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 |
|---|---|
| BlackRock, Inc. 13G · institution -1.1 pts · filed 2025-10-17 | 14.5% |
| Invesco Ltd. 13G · institution new · filed 2026-08-13 | 6.1% |
| VANGUARD PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT LLC 13G · institution new · filed 2026-05-01 | 5.6% |
| JANUS HENDERSON GROUP PLC 13G · institution -0.2 pts · filed 2025-11-14 | 5.3% |
| VANGUARD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 13G · institution new · filed 2026-05-01 | 5.0% |
Fell to 5% or below in the last year: VANGUARD GROUP INC (0.0%, 2026-03-27; now reported by VANGUARD PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT LLC)
Insider purchases and sales in Q4 2025
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 2024 | 0 | — | 2 | $153.0k | — |
| Q2 2024 | 0 | — | 4 | $3.6m | — |
| Q3 2024 | 1 | $243.5k | 3 | $5.9m | — |
| Q4 2024 | 0 | — | 2 | $542.3k | — |
| Q1 2025 | 0 | — | 1 | $575.1k | — |
| Q2 2025 | 2 | $1.2m | 1 | $218.3k | — |
| Q3 2025 | 0 | — | 2 | $2.0m | $254.1k |
| Q4 2025 | 0 | — | 4 | $2.8m | $264.5k |
| Date | Insider | Trade | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-12 | Espinoza Octavio Chief Financial Officer | Sold | $339.7k1.8k shares |
| 2025-12-01 | KOZARICH JOHN W Director | Sold plan | $91.5k467 shares |
| 2025-11-07 | Gray Nancy Ryan Director | Sold | $1.4m6.6k shares |
| 2025-11-07 | LAMATTINA JOHN L Director | Sold | $858.6k4.2k shares |
| 2025-11-03 | KOZARICH JOHN W Director | Sold plan | $89.2k467 shares |
| 2025-10-01 | KOZARICH JOHN W Director | Sold plan | $83.8k467 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 2025
| Manager | Shares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| BlackRock, Inc. 0.01% of their portfolio | 2.9m $555.9m | Added +55.7k |
| VANGUARD GROUP INC 0.01% of their portfolio | 2.1m $392.1m | Reduced -2.4k |
| JANUS HENDERSON GROUP PLC 0.08% of their portfolio | 995.4k $188.2m | Reduced -47.0k |
| STATE STREET CORP 0.00% of their portfolio | 751.2k $142.0m | Added +1.8k |
| NOMURA ASSET MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL INC. 0.18% of their portfolio | 644.1k $121.8m | First filing |
| FMR LLC 0.01% of their portfolio | 579.2k $109.5m | Added +121.9k |
| Chicago Capital, LLC 2.62% of their portfolio | 561.4k $106.1m | Reduced -7.2k |
| Invesco Ltd. 0.01% of their portfolio | 516.5k $97.6m | Added +138.2k |
| MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES CO /MA/ 0.03% of their portfolio | 507.0k $95.9m | Reduced -34.8k |
| Stephens Investment Management Group LLC 1.23% of their portfolio | 501.0k $94.7m | Reduced -53.5k |
| FRANKLIN RESOURCES INC 0.02% of their portfolio | 496.2k $93.8m | Added +266.3k |
| GEODE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC 0.01% of their portfolio | 493.6k $93.3m | Added +19.4k |
| CONGRESS ASSET MANAGEMENT CO 0.64% of their portfolio | 480.1k $90.8m | Reduced -187.2k |
| DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS LP 0.02% of their portfolio | 433.0k $81.9m | Reduced -90.9k |
| GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC 0.01% of their portfolio | 429.0k $81.1m | Added +61.2k |
| LOOMIS SAYLES & CO L P 0.09% of their portfolio | 382.7k $72.4m | Reduced -17.9k |
| UBS AM, a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC 0.01% of their portfolio | 363.6k $68.7m | Reduced -13.0k |
| DEUTSCHE BANK AG\ 0.02% of their portfolio | 307.9k $58.2m | Added +339 |
| RICE HALL JAMES & ASSOCIATES, LLC 2.91% of their portfolio | 279.6k $52.9m | Reduced -14.9k |
| Ranger Investment Management, L.P. 3.50% of their portfolio | 270.0k $51.0m | Reduced -5.4k |
| VICTORY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT INC 0.03% of their portfolio | 256.4k $48.5m | Added +1.6k |
| NORTHERN TRUST CORP 0.01% of their portfolio | 250.6k $47.4m | Reduced -15.3k |
| ASHFORD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT INC 4.50% of their portfolio | 213.8k $40.4m | Reduced -30.7k |
| Private Capital Management, LLC 3.75% of their portfolio | 208.9k $39.5m | Reduced -18.3k |
| VILLERE ST DENIS J & CO LLC 3.84% of their portfolio | 202.5k $38.3m | Reduced -77.5k |
| MORGAN STANLEY 0.00% of their portfolio | 193.4k $36.6m | Added +4.7k |
| CHARLES SCHWAB INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC 0.01% of their portfolio | 184.3k $34.8m | Added +2.0k |
| Impax Asset Management Group plc 0.20% of their portfolio | 165.2k $31.2m | Reduced -35.0k |
| UBS Group AG 0.01% of their portfolio | 143.1k $27.0m | Added +31.1k |
| Russell Investments Group, Ltd. 0.03% of their portfolio | 138.5k $26.2m | Added +2.3k |
| WELLS FARGO & COMPANY/MN 0.00% of their portfolio | 132.6k $25.1m | Added +17.5k |
| Fiera Capital Corp 0.08% of their portfolio | 131.2k $24.8m | New |
| Fisher Asset Management, LLC 0.01% of their portfolio | 130.9k $24.7m | Added +21.9k |
| JACOBS LEVY EQUITY MANAGEMENT, INC 0.09% of their portfolio | 126.8k $24.0m | Reduced -935 |
| BANK OF MONTREAL /CAN/ 0.01% of their portfolio | 126.1k $23.8m | Added +294 |
| Driehaus Capital Management LLC 0.16% of their portfolio | 122.3k $23.1m | Reduced -40.5k |
| Bank of New York Mellon Corp 0.00% of their portfolio | 122.3k $23.1m | Reduced -5.2k |
| BANK OF AMERICA CORP /DE/ 0.00% of their portfolio | 120.2k $22.7m | Reduced -2.2k |
| Aberdeen Group plc 0.03% of their portfolio | 119.3k $22.6m | Reduced -70.4k |
| GW&K Investment Management, LLC 0.19% of their portfolio | 117.4k $22.2m | Added +85.3k |
| NOMURA HOLDINGS INC 0.06% of their portfolio | 116.4k $22.0m | Reduced -4.9k |
| ROYAL BANK OF CANADA 0.00% of their portfolio | 108.8k $20.6m | Added +5.3k |
| Legal & General Group Plc 0.00% of their portfolio | 108.4k $20.5m | Added +13 |
| NEW YORK STATE COMMON RETIREMENT FUND 0.03% of their portfolio | 107.5k $20.3m | Added +21.0k |
| Penn Capital Management Company, LLC 1.49% of their portfolio | 98.8k $18.7m | Reduced -8.4k |
| AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL INC 0.00% of their portfolio | 98.3k $18.6m | Reduced -3.0k |
| PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP INC 0.01% of their portfolio | 93.8k $17.7m | Reduced -772 |
| Clark Capital Management Group, Inc. 0.09% of their portfolio | 79.8k $15.1m | Reduced -3.2k |
| Allspring Global Investments Holdings, LLC 0.02% of their portfolio | 71.8k $13.7m | Reduced -36.6k |
| Dana Investment Advisors, Inc. 0.38% of their portfolio | 69.4k $13.1m | Reduced -3.3k |
| FIRST TRUST ADVISORS LP 0.01% of their portfolio | 69.2k $13.1m | Added +17.5k |
| Public Sector Pension Investment Board 0.04% of their portfolio | 68.1k $12.9m | Reduced -8.3k |
| CASTLEARK MANAGEMENT LLC 0.37% of their portfolio | 66.7k $12.6m | Added +2.1k |
| Pictet Asset Management Holding SA 0.01% of their portfolio | 64.4k $12.5m | Reduced -2.6k |
| KORNITZER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT INC /KS 0.24% of their portfolio | 60.3k $11.4m | Reduced -30.8k |
| ESSEX INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT CO LLC 1.73% of their portfolio | 60.0k $11.3m | Reduced -1.1k |
| OSAIC HOLDINGS, INC. 0.02% of their portfolio | 59.4k $11.2m | Reduced -41.3k |
| Granite Investment Partners, LLC 0.65% of their portfolio | 57.9k $11.0m | Reduced -3.7k |
| RHUMBLINE ADVISERS 0.01% of their portfolio | 56.7k $10.7m | Reduced -2.7k |
| JPMORGAN CHASE & CO 0.00% of their portfolio | 56.6k $10.7m | Reduced -22.8k |
| NORDEA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AB 0.01% of their portfolio | 53.7k $10.2m | Reduced -7.3k |
| SEI INVESTMENTS CO 0.01% of their portfolio | 46.4k $8.8m | Added +18.9k |
| F/m Investments LLC 0.33% of their portfolio | 46.1k $8.7m | Reduced -5.3k |
| PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 0.01% of their portfolio | 45.6k $8.6m | Added +16.6k |
| WCM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC 0.02% of their portfolio | 45.6k $8.7m | New |
| Lisanti Capital Growth, LLC 1.96% of their portfolio | 43.7k $8.3m | Added +14.1k |
| Uniplan Investment Counsel, Inc. 0.80% of their portfolio | 42.4k $8.0m | Added +188 |
| AMERICAN CENTURY COMPANIES INC 0.00% of their portfolio | 40.9k $7.7m | Reduced -4.7k |
| Swiss National Bank 0.00% of their portfolio | 38.6k $7.3m | Added +1.2k |
| Nuveen, LLC 0.00% of their portfolio | 37.6k $7.1m | Reduced -499 |
| D. E. Shaw & Co., Inc. 0.01% of their portfolio | 36.6k $6.9m | Added +19.0k |
| BNP PARIBAS FINANCIAL MARKETS 0.00% of their portfolio | 35.0k $6.6m | Added +30.9k |
| BARCLAYS PLC 0.00% of their portfolio | 33.0k $6.2m | Added +2.7k |
| ENVESTNET ASSET MANAGEMENT INC 0.00% of their portfolio | 27.7k $5.2m | Reduced -4.2k |
| NEW YORK STATE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM 0.01% of their portfolio | 26.9k $5.1m | Unchanged |
| Legato Capital Management LLC 0.43% of their portfolio | 26.2k $5.0m | Added +9.9k |
| Granahan Investment Management, LLC 0.21% of their portfolio | 26.1k $4.9m | Added +1.1k |
| CIBC WORLD MARKET INC. 0.01% of their portfolio | 25.6k $4.8m | Reduced -33.5k |
| ISTHMUS PARTNERS, LLC 0.52% of their portfolio | 24.7k $4.7m | Reduced -4.8k |
| ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN L.P. 0.00% of their portfolio | 24.2k $4.6m | Added +1.9k |
| BESSEMER GROUP INC 0.01% of their portfolio | 23.5k $4.4m | Added +22.8k |
| Edgestream Partners, L.P. 0.12% of their portfolio | 22.9k $4.3m | Added +12.0k |
| Informed Momentum Co LLC 0.44% of their portfolio | 21.1k $4.0m | Reduced -9.1k |
| Calamos Advisors LLC 0.02% of their portfolio | 21.0k $4.0m | Added +312 |
| Universal- Beteiligungs- und Servicegesellschaft mbH 0.01% of their portfolio | 20.9k $4.0m | Reduced -934 |
| ARROWSTREET CAPITAL, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP 0.00% of their portfolio | 20.0k $3.8m | New |
| WOODSTOCK CORP 0.32% of their portfolio | 20.0k $3.8m | Reduced -20 |
| PRICE T ROWE ASSOCIATES INC /MD/ 0.00% of their portfolio | 20.0k $3.8m | Added +1.1k |
| Moody Aldrich Partners LLC 0.69% of their portfolio | 19.6k $3.7m | Reduced -6.3k |
| CALIFORNIA STATE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM 0.00% of their portfolio | 18.8k $3.6m | Added +486 |
| RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL INC 0.00% of their portfolio | 18.8k $3.5m | Reduced -104 |
| STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP 0.00% of their portfolio | 18.7k $3.5m | Reduced -1.8k |
| CITIGROUP INC 0.00% of their portfolio | 18.3k $3.5m | Reduced -3.1k |
| CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co 0.01% of their portfolio | 16.8k $3.2m | Reduced -6.5k |
| Linden Thomas Advisory Services, LLC 0.32% of their portfolio | 16.6k $3.1m | Reduced -231 |
| JANE STREET GROUP, LLC 0.00% of their portfolio | 16.0k $3.0m | Reduced -35.9k |
| Corient Private Wealth LP 0.00% of their portfolio | 15.9k $2.0m | Added +13.1k |
| Qube Research & Technologies Ltd 0.00% of their portfolio | 15.4k $2.9m | Added +11.8k |
| MARTINGALE ASSET MANAGEMENT L P 0.07% of their portfolio | 15.3k $2.9m | Reduced -3.1k |
| CAPTRUST FINANCIAL ADVISORS 0.01% of their portfolio | 14.6k $2.8m | Reduced -430 |