New York, Jan 31, 2026, 05:55 EST — The market has closed.
- Altimmune shares ended Friday roughly 10% higher, closing at $5.60
- The company secured $75 million through a registered direct stock offering to finance its Phase 3 MASH trial
- In a fresh Schedule 13G filing, The Vanguard Group revealed it holds a 9.09% stake
Altimmune (ALT.O) shares ended Friday’s session at $5.60, roughly 10% higher, with the stock fluctuating between $5.00 and $5.65 during the day. Trading volume hit around 6.3 million shares.
U.S. markets are closed for the weekend, but come Monday investors will have two key updates: a fresh cash influx from a recent stock sale, plus a big-holder filing revealing the latest on who’s on the register.
The tension here isn’t new. This financing covers an expensive late-stage study but also dilutes existing shares, which can weigh on the stock if more shares hit the market.
Altimmune announced it has closed a registered direct offering, pulling in roughly $75 million in gross proceeds before fees by selling 17,045,454 shares of common stock—or pre-funded warrants instead—to a new institutional investor. The pre-funded warrants come with a $0.001 exercise price, can be exercised immediately, and have no expiration until fully used. “This investment is an important step in strengthening Altimmune’s balance sheet and increasing our operational and strategic flexibility,” said Jerry Durso. (GlobeNewswire)
A registered direct offering involves selling shares directly to an institutional buyer using an existing registration, bypassing a public marketing process. Pre-funded warrants, on the other hand, are equity-like instruments sold mostly upfront and often employed to navigate ownership restrictions.
Altimmune said it will use the funds to gear up for its Phase 3 trial targeting metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, as well as to cover working capital needs. MASH is a severe type of fatty liver disease linked to obesity and diabetes.
Vanguard revealed in a separate filing Friday that it owns 9,491,159 shares of Altimmune, representing 9.09% of the company, with shared voting power over 744,210 shares. (SEC)
The filing doesn’t signal a buy or sell by itself, but it comes at a moment when investors usually look closely to see “who’s in” following a dilutive raise.
Altimmune’s pemvidutide hits both glucagon and GLP-1 receptors — the latter being the gut-hormone route powering top-selling weight-loss drugs from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Smaller players are aiming to establish a foothold in related conditions such as MASH.
The downside, however, is stark. Late-stage trials come with high costs and binary outcomes—what looks solid in Phase 2 can still fail in Phase 3 due to efficacy or safety issues. Plus, the newly issued shares and warrants increase supply, which could drag the stock down if demand fades.
As trading picks up, focus turns to Altimmune’s next move: the firm’s expected update on the Phase 3 program start date, and if it hints at requiring additional funding beyond the current raise.
A separate filing linked to the offering revealed that Altimmune, along with its directors and executive officers, agreed to a 30-day lock-up period on selling company securities following the closing—lasting roughly until Feb. 28. This lock-up window, along with any news on the Phase 3 trial start, stand as the next key catalysts. (SEC)
