6 Undervalued Biotechnology Stocks for Friday, October 25

By Omar Beirat
October 25, 2024
Diamond graphic indicating best value stocks in their industry
Featured Tickers:
CDTX HOOK PIRS PMCB QNRX SPRB

Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 6 stocks made the list for top value stocks in the Biotechnology industry. Those looking for value stocks to add to their portfolio may want to use this list as a starting point for further investment research.

Why Focus on Undervalued Biotechnology Stocks?

Value investors seek to buy stocks at a discount to their intrinsic value. Long-term returns show that such strategies are advantageous. Value stocks, as a group, tend to outperform growth stocks over extended periods of time. Typically, value investors perform financial analysis of numerous metrics, don’t follow the herd and are long-term investors.

AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade is derived from a stock’s Value Score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.

What Goes Into AAII’s Value Grade?

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data as well as the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movement. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors with that task.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A–F grades for more than just value. It is possible for a stock to appear cheap based on one valuation metric but appear expensive on another. It is also possible for one valuation ratio to be associated with outperforming stocks during certain periods of time but not others. Some stocks may even have null values for certain metrics like the price-earnings ratio or the price-to-book ratio but not others. An example of this would be a company with losses instead of profits or a negative book value because of heavy borrowing. Negative earnings or book value result in non-meaningful ratios that are left blank or null.

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6 Undervalued Biotechnology Stocks

Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 6 undervalued stocks in the Biotechnology industry for Friday, October 25, 2024. Let’s take a closer look at their individual scores to see how they measure up against each other and the Biotechnology industry median.

Company Ticker Price/Sales Price/Earnings EV/EBITDA Shareholder Yield Price/Book Value Price/Free Cash Flow Value Grade
Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. CDTX 0.94 na 0.3 (1.3%) na na A
HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. HOOK 0.78 na 0.7 (51.6%) 0.55 na B
Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. PIRS 0.97 na 1.1 (18.6%) 0.82 na B
PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. PMCB na 3.3 na 37.6% 0.31 na A
Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. QNRX na na 0.7 (411.5%) 0.74 na B
Spruce Biosciences, Inc. SPRB 2.49 na 0.8 (1.5%) 0.31 na B

The Value Grade is assigned based on how each stock’s composite valuation compares to all other stocks.

The process for assigning grades starts with each variable for a given stock. The percentile rankings for all valid ratios that a stock has are calculated. So, for instance, a stock could have a price-to-book ranking in the 43rd percentile, a price-earnings ranking in the 67th percentile, a price-to-sales ranking in the 23rd percentile, etc. Then, those rankings are averaged for each stock. (A minimum of two valid variables are required, though all six will be used if available.)

Once the average of the individual variables is calculated, that average is ranked against all stocks. Put another way, each stock’s composite valuation is compared to all other stocks. These ranks are then sorted into quintiles from the cheapest 20% (a grade of A) to the most expensive 20% (a grade of F).

As always, we recommend that you conduct proper due diligence and research before investing in any security. We also suggest that investors utilize numerous grades, not just value, when it comes to deciding whether a company is a good fit for their allocation needs.

Cidara Therapeutics, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score CDTX Industry Median
Price/Sales 31 0.94 7.76
Price/Earnings na na 24.6
EV/EBITDA 1 0.3 0.8
Shareholder Yield 61 (1.3%) (16.6%)
Price/Book Value na na 2.06
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 29.6

Cidara Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company, focuses on developing targeted therapies for patients facing cancers and other serious diseases. The company’s product includes rezafungin acetate, a novel molecule in the echinocandin class of antifungals for the treatment and prevention of invasive fungal infections, including candidemia and invasive candidiasis, which are fungal infections associated with high mortality rates. It also develops its Cloudbreak platform that enables development of novel drug-Fc conjugates, that includes CD388, a potent antiviral designed to deliver universal prevention and treatment of seasonal and pandemic influenza, which is in Phase 1 and Phase 2a clinical trials. The company was formerly known as K2 Therapeutics, Inc. and changed its name to Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. in July 2014. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is based in San Diego, California.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. has a Value Score of 82, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Cidara Therapeutics, Inc.’s price-to-sales ratio at 0.94 compared to the industry median at 7.76, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Cidara Therapeutics, Inc.’s stock more attractive for value investors.

Now, let’s assess Cidara Therapeutics, Inc.’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 0.3, when compared to the industry median of 0.8, the company may be considered undervalued in relation to its peers. Value investors could use the enterprise multiple to identify stocks that are considered overvalued or undervalued relative to their industry.

Shareholder yield is the sum of a stock’s dividend yield (paid over previous 12 months minus special dividends) and the percentage of net share buybacks over the previous 12 months. Cidara Therapeutics, Inc.’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of (16.55%). Value investors may look for an attractive shareholder yield because it can be a powerful tool for identifying if the company has a good management team.

HOOKIPA Pharma Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score HOOK Industry Median
Price/Sales 27 0.78 7.76
Price/Earnings na na 24.6
EV/EBITDA 2 0.7 0.8
Shareholder Yield 92 (51.6%) (16.6%)
Price/Book Value 15 0.55 2.06
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 29.6

HOOKIPA Pharma Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, develops immunotherapeutics targeting infectious diseases and cancers based on its proprietary arenavirus platform. The company’s lead infectious disease product candidate is HB-200 for the treatment of pembrolizumab which is in Phase 2 of clinical trial; HB-700, a preclinical development for treatment of KRAS mutated cancers, including lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. Its lead product candidates are HB-400 for the treatment of Hepatitis B which is in Phase I of clinical trial and HB-500 for the treatment of HIV which is in Phase I of clinical trial. The company’s preclinical stage products include HB-300 program for prostate cancer. It has a collaboration with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to collaborate on preclinical research programs to evaluate potential vaccine products using or incorporating its replicating and non-replicating technology platforms for the treatment, cure, diagnosis, or prevention of Hepatitis B Virus. HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. has a Value Score of 76, which is considered to be undervalued.

HOOKIPA Pharma Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 2.06.

You can read more about HOOKIPA Pharma Inc.’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score PIRS Industry Median
Price/Sales 32 0.97 7.76
Price/Earnings na na 24.6
EV/EBITDA 4 1.1 0.8
Shareholder Yield 84 (18.6%) (16.6%)
Price/Book Value 24 0.82 2.06
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 29.6

Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company, discovers and develops biotechnological applications. The company focuses on the development of its 4-1BB bispecifics immuno-oncology (IO) programs. Its clinical pipeline consists of IO bispecifics, including S095012 (PRS-344), a bispecific Mabcalin compound targeting PD-L1 and 4-1BB in partnership with Les Laboratoires Servier and Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier; SGN-BB228 (PRS-346), a CD228 x 4-1BB bispecific antibody-Anticalin compound targeting CD228 and 4-1BB in partnership with Pfizer Inc.; and BOS-342 (PRS-342), a GPC3 x 4-1BB bispecific Mabcalin compound targeting GPC3 and 4-1BB in partnership with Boston Pharmaceuticals, which are in phase 1 studies. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a Value Score of 72, which is considered to be undervalued.

Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 2.06.

You can read more about Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score PMCB Industry Median
Price/Sales na na 7.76
Price/Earnings 2 3.3 24.6
EV/EBITDA na na 0.8
Shareholder Yield 1 37.6% (16.6%)
Price/Book Value 8 0.31 2.06
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 29.6

PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc., a biotechnology company, develops and commercializes cellular therapies for cancer in the United States. Its cellular therapies are developed based on Cell-in-a-Box, a proprietary cellulose-based live cell encapsulation technology used as a platform to treat various types of cancer, including advanced and inoperable pancreatic cancer. The company develops CypCaps for pancreatic cancer and other solid cancerous tumors. It has a cooperation agreement with Iroquois Master Fund Ltd.; and license agreements with SG Austria Pte. Ltd. and Austrianova Singapore Pte. Ltd. to use the Cell-in-the-Box technology for cancer treatment. The company was formerly known as Nuvilex, Inc. and changed its name to PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. in January 2015. PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. has a Value Score of 100, which is considered to be undervalued.

PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 3.3 compared to the industry median at 24.6. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. more attractive for value investors.

PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 2.06.

You can read more about PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc.’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score QNRX Industry Median
Price/Sales na na 7.76
Price/Earnings na na 24.6
EV/EBITDA 2 0.7 0.8
Shareholder Yield 99 (411.5%) (16.6%)
Price/Book Value 22 0.74 2.06
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 29.6

Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., a clinical stage specialty pharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of therapeutic products for rare and orphan diseases. Its lead product is QRX003, a topical lotion to treat Netherton Syndrome (NS). The company is also developing QRX004 for the treatment of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa; QRX007 to treat NS; and QRX008 for the treatment of scleroderma. It has a research agreement with Queensland University of Technology; a license agreement with Skinvisible Inc.; consulting agreements with Axella Research LLC; and a Master Service Agreement with Therapeutics Inc. The company was founded in 2018 and is based in Ashburn, Virginia. Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. operates as a subsidiary of Skinvisible, Inc.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. has a Value Score of 62, which is considered to be undervalued.

Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 2.06.

You can read more about Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

Spruce Biosciences, Inc.’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score SPRB Industry Median
Price/Sales 59 2.49 7.76
Price/Earnings na na 24.6
EV/EBITDA 3 0.8 0.8
Shareholder Yield 63 (1.5%) (16.6%)
Price/Book Value 8 0.31 2.06
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 29.6

Spruce Biosciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing novel therapies for rare endocrine disorders. The company engages in developing tildacerfont, a non-steroidal therapy to enhance disease control and reduce steroid burden for patients suffering from congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), which is in Phase 2b clinical trial; and to evaluate glucocorticoid reduction in adult patients with classic CAH that is Phase 2b clinical trial. It is also developing tildacerfont for the treatment of pediatric classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia in children that is in Phase 2 clinical trial; and for females with polycystic ovary syndrome, which is in Phase 2 clinical trial. Spruce Biosciences, Inc. has a license agreement with Eli Lilly and Company to research, develop, and commercialize compounds for various pharmaceutical uses; and collaboration and license agreement with Kaken Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to develop, manufacture, and commercialize tildacerfont for the treatment of CAH in Japan. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Spruce Biosciences, Inc. has a Value Score of 78, which is considered to be undervalued.

Spruce Biosciences, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Spruce Biosciences, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 2.06.

You can read more about Spruce Biosciences, Inc.’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

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Other Biotechnology Stock Grades

Value is just one of the five Stock Grades included in our A+ Investor service. AAII members can see the top-graded stocks—those with grades of A or B for value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality—on the A+ Stock Grades Screener.

Also, if you want full access to all of AAII’s premium services, you can subscribe to one convenient bundled plan called AAII Platinum where you can try out A+ Investor, AAII Dividend Investing, the Stock Superstars Report, Growth Investing and VMQ Stocks. With the other premium services, you can dive deep into additional metrics, portfolios, commentary and information about Biotechnology stocks as well as other industrys.

Choosing Which of the 6 Best Biotechnology Stocks Is Right for You

Choosing which value stocks to invest in will ultimately depend on your individual goals and allocation; however, comparing similar value stocks in the same industry can help you analyze which might be better investments for you in the long run. So, let’s take a look at the Value Grade for all of our stocks.

  • Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of A.
  • HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of A.
  • Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • Spruce Biosciences, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 6 undervalued stocks in the Biotechnology industry as well as their overall grades, it’s time for you to conduct additional research to see if these could fit your portfolio needs based on your goals and risk tolerance. AAII can help you figure out both and identify which investments align with what works best for you.

We do so through a program of education that teaches you to invest for yourself and become an effective manager of your own wealth—no more relying on others for your financial independence. You can rely on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis that makes you a better investor.

A+ Investor adds to that qualitative teaching by giving you a powerful data suite that helps you whittle down investment decisions to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

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Additional Resources About Biotechnology Stocks

Want to learn more about Biotechnology stocks to see if they could be the right investment for you? Check out some additional resources and articles to help you on your financial journey.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.



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