This week we saw the Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:IOVA) share price climb by 19%. But that is little comfort to those holding over the last half decade, sitting on a big loss. Indeed, the share price is down 67% in the period. So we're hesitant to put much weight behind the short term increase. We'd err towards caution given the long term under-performance.

The recent uptick of 19% could be a positive sign of things to come, so let's take a look at historical fundamentals.

With just US$1,904,000 worth of revenue in twelve months, we don't think the market considers Iovance Biotherapeutics to have proven its business plan. This state of affairs suggests that venture capitalists won't provide funds on attractive terms. So it seems that the investors focused more on what could be, than paying attention to the current revenues (or lack thereof). It seems likely some shareholders believe that Iovance Biotherapeutics has the funding to invent a new product before too long.

As a general rule, if a company doesn't have much revenue, and it loses money, then it is a high risk investment. You should be aware that there is always a chance that this sort of company will need to issue more shares to raise money to continue pursuing its business plan. While some such companies go on to make revenue, profits, and generate value, others get hyped up by hopeful naifs before eventually going bankrupt. Some Iovance Biotherapeutics investors have already had a taste of the bitterness stocks like this can leave in the mouth.

Iovance Biotherapeutics had cash in excess of all liabilities of just US$166m when it last reported (March 2024). So if it has not already moved to replenish reserves, we think the near-term chances of a capital raising event are pretty high. With that in mind, you can understand why the share price dropped 11% per year, over 5 years. The image below shows how Iovance Biotherapeutics' balance sheet has changed over time; if you want to see the precise values, simply click on the image.

In reality it's hard to have much certainty when valuing a business that has neither revenue or profit. Given that situation, would you be concerned if it turned out insiders were relentlessly selling stock? I'd like that just about as much as I like to drink milk and fruit juice mixed together. It only takes a moment for you to check whether we have identified any insider sales recently.

A Different Perspective

Iovance Biotherapeutics shareholders are up 8.2% for the year. Unfortunately this falls short of the market return. But at least that's still a gain! Over five years the TSR has been a reduction of 11% per year, over five years. It could well be that the business is stabilizing. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Iovance Biotherapeutics that you should be aware of.

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of undervalued small cap companies that insiders are buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com