Apellis Pharmaceuticals General Counsel Watson David O. sells 5000 shares at $27.8 on 2023-08-18.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) has announced that General Counsel Watson David O. has recently executed a transaction in which he sold 5000 shares at a price of $27.8 per share on August 18, 2025.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS), a global biopharmaceutical enterprise, has announced that its General Counsel, Watson David O., has sold 5000 shares of the company's common stock on August 18, 2025. The shares were sold at a price of $27.8 per share, totaling an aggregate market value of $139,000.00 [1].

The transaction was executed pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933. The notice of the proposed sale was filed with the SEC on August 18, 2025 [1]. Watson David O. acquired the shares through restricted stock vesting, with the first acquisition on January 21, 2024, and the second on January 28, 2024 [1].

Apellis Pharmaceuticals has been experiencing significant market movements in recent weeks. The company's stock price surged 27.70% this week due to FDA approvals for EMPAVELI, Q2 2025 financial results, and capped royalty purchase agreements [2]. The company reported $178.5 million in total revenues, with SYFOVRE U.S. net product revenue reaching $150.6 million [2].

Despite the recent surge in stock price, the company has seen an increase in short interest. Short interest as a percentage of free float rose to 21.1% last week, the highest in three weeks, according to Ortex data compiled by The Fly [3]. This suggests that some investors expect profit-taking after the momentum-driven surge.

The company's stock has declined 13% so far in 2025, but the recent rebound has drawn renewed attention from short sellers. Shares gained 13.5% in the five sessions through Thursday and have now rallied 45% since July 31, when Apellis reported a second-quarter loss of $0.33 per share, narrower than analysts’ expectations [3].

Following the quarterly results, several analysts have raised their price targets for APLS. Goldman Sachs raised its target to $26 from $24, citing strong quarterly execution and long-term potential across its complement-focused pipeline [3]. Citi lifted its target to $46 from $41, calling Empaveli “best-in-class,” while Scotiabank raised its target to $22 on confidence in launch execution [3].

References:
[1] https://www.streetinsider.com/SEC+Filings/Form+144+Apellis+Pharmaceuticals%2C+Filed+by%3A+Watson+David+O./25217566.html
[2] https://www.ainvest.com/news/apellis-pharmaceuticals-stock-surges-27-70-week-fda-approval-q2-2025-financial-results-capped-royalty-purchase-agreements-2508/
[3] https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/apellis-short-bets-edge-higher-as-stock-jumps-45-since-late-july-q2-report-retail-traders-stay-wary/chsaydQRdQB