Is GERN a buy today
11/8/2024 08:01pm
**Geron (GERN) appears to be a strong buy today**, and here's why:
1. **Positive Earnings Surprise**: Geron reported a quarterly adjusted loss of 4 cents per share for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, which is a significant improvement compared to the loss of 8 cents per share in the same quarter last year. This represents an earnings surprise of 55.56%, indicating better-than-expected performance.
2. **Revenue Growth**: The company's total revenue for the quarter was $28.27 million, which is a substantial increase from the previous year's revenue of $0.16 million. This reflects a 17,138.41% revenue growth rate, showcasing the successful launch of their new product Rytelo.
3. **Consensus Rating and Price Target**: The consensus rating for Geron is a "Strong Buy" with an average price target of $7, which is a 62.9% premium over the current closing price of $4.29. This suggests that analysts believe the stock has room to grow.
4. **Technical Indicators**: Geron's Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 65.39, which is considered to be in the overbought territory but also suggests strong buying momentum. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is at 0.07, and the KDJ indicator is at 68.69, both of which typically suggest bullish signals.
5. **Valuation Metrics**: Despite the negative P/E ratio of -12.78, which indicates that the company is not profitable on a per-share basis, the Price to Book (P/B) ratio is 8.87, and the Price to Sales (P/S) ratio is 1093.3, both of which are high but can be expected for a biotech company with promising growth prospects.
6. **Recent Funding and Product Launch**: Geron has recently secured a $375 million funding deal with Royalty Pharma and investment manager Pharmakon Advisors, which provides critical financial support and strategic flexibility. The launch of Rytelo has also been successful, generating $28.2 million in net product revenue during its first full quarter.
7. **Market Sentiment**: There is a bullish sentiment among analysts, with a "Strong Buy" consensus rating and several price target upgrades. The stock has seen increased trading volume, which could be indicative of growing investor interest.
In conclusion, Geron's strong revenue growth, positive earnings surprise, favorable funding deal, and bullish analyst sentiment make it a compelling buy. However, investors should consider the high valuation metrics and the company's lack of profitability.