KeyBanc still confident in Avid Bioservices stock despite lower orders By Investing.com

On Wednesday, KeyBanc Capital Markets maintained its Overweight rating on Avid Bioservices (NASDAQ:) stock, with a steady price target of $14.00. The firm acknowledged that the company surpassed revenue expectations yet noted that order intake fell short, recording $30 million against the anticipated $45 million and the previous $41 million in the third quarter.

Despite the lower order numbers, recent funding data for cell therapy and biotech sectors, released on March 2024 and June 18, 2024, respectively, has shown positive trends. Avid Bioservices, however, has not matched the significant uptick in industry capital raising observed in the April quarter.

The company remains optimistic about its business outlook, reiterating its revenue capacity of over $400 million. Additionally, Avid Bioservices conveyed to KeyBanc that its growth-related capital expenditures have been completed.

In response to these developments, KeyBanc has published a revised earnings model for Avid Bioservices. The revised model reflects the latest financial results and market conditions as they relate to the company’s performance and projected growth.

Investors and stakeholders in Avid Bioservices are advised to consider these updates as they assess the company’s stock performance and future prospects in the biotechnology and contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) sectors.

In other recent news, Avid Bioservices reported record revenues for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2024, with the company’s revenues slightly exceeding expectations by about 2%. Despite a 6% decrease in full fiscal year revenues, the company’s quarterly revenue increased by 8% year-over-year, reaching $43 million.

Avid Bioservices also provided an optimistic revenue guidance for fiscal year 2025, projecting revenues between $160 million and $168 million, suggesting a significant year-over-year growth.

RBC Capital maintained its Outperform rating on Avid Bioservices, although the company’s EBITDA fell short by about 29% and its final quarter bookings of $30 million did not meet RBC’s expected $41 million. Despite these mixed results, RBC Capital emphasized the importance of bookings in evaluating the company’s future performance and outlook.

Avid Bioservices has expressed confidence in its growth, citing a surge in interest for its newly expanded capacity, especially from large pharmaceutical companies, and positive developments in the gene therapy sector. The company anticipates that margins will improve as capacity utilization increases.

These recent developments are attributed to the launch of the company’s new cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility and a trend towards onshoring drug manufacturing in the U.S.

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