BUZZ-Viridian Therapeutics eases after unveiling stock, convertible offerings

Hercules Capital, Inc.
Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
Viridian Therapeutics, Inc.

Hercules Capital, Inc.

HTGC

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Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

JEF

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Viridian Therapeutics, Inc.

VRDN

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** Shares of Viridian Therapeutics VRDN.O down 7.5% to $17.34 on Weds as co seeks capital raise on heels of strong thyroid eye disease (TED) drug data

** VRDN shares closed up 33% at $18.75 on Tues after co said the drug, elegrobart, met the main goal in late-stage trial in chronic patients

** After the bell Tues, co started $100 mln stock offering and $150 mln offering of 6-yr convertible bonds

** It intends to use net offering proceeds to repay all outstanding indebtedness under agreement with Hercules Capital HTGC.N, to fund its TED franchise, advance R&D of its earlier pipeline, among other purposes

** Jefferies, Leerink Partners, and Goldman Sachs joint bookrunners

** Waltham, Massachusetts-based VRDN has ~103 mln shares outstanding for $1.9 bln market cap as of Tues

** With the move on the session, stock down ~44% YTD

** 16 of 17 analysts rate the stock "strong buy" or "buy", 1 "hold"; median PT $32.50, according to LSEG data