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47

LGND

🏥 Healthcare

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

Conservative #654Aggressive #1092Low RiskMixed 57ML↑ 21pt
$191.39+1.26%
Day High$193.34
Day Low$188.63
Volume0.1M
Mkt Cap$3.8B
52W Low $9452W High $212
Market Cap
$3.6B
P/E Ratio
73.3
Sector avg: 252.3
Rev Growth
27.3%
Sector avg: 161.5%
Earnings Growth
-107.7%
Profit Margin
19.3%
Sector avg: -3292.7%
Debt/Equity
0.47

Why This Score

LGND scores 46.9 on the Conservative profile, blending a fundamental score (80% weight, emphasizing quality and stability (84% of fundamental weight)) with a machine-learning signal (20% weight) trained on 82 features across 30 years of data.

Risk Factors
  • Liquidity concern: Limited trading volume or float results in a 2-point penalty for execution risk.
  • Signal divergence: Fundamental and ML signals disagree by a significant margin, reducing confidence.
  • Elevated valuation at 73.3x earnings — requires sustained growth to justify the premium.
  • Above-average volatility (10.2%) may not suit conservative risk tolerance.

Moderate penalties (-6.5 points) reflect identified risk factors. The overall score balances these against the stock's fundamental strengths.

Score Breakdown

Overall Score46.9
Fundamental Score58.8
ML Score14.0

Score by Horizon

3 Month
66.7
6 Month
74.5
Primary
1 Year
78.4

Quality Assessment

C
Earnings Grade
Mixed fundamentals, potential quality issues
Quality Flags
Pipeline concentration: $3.6B biotech/pharma — limited product diversification

Position Sizing

Suggested Allocation
5%
Confidence
high

Score Composition Waterfall

How each component affects the final score
Backtested Scoring Levers (IC-calibrated from 30y ElasticNet)
Weinstein (12.1%)
100
Advancing
Sentiment (2.5%)
77
Positive
Analyst (6.4%)
66
Favorable
Tradability (post-hoc)
68
Grade Blow float
Base
47.9
SHAP
+2.4
Factors
+1.1
Divergence
-4.5
Final
46.9
Positive adjustment
Negative adjustment
Base blend
Final score

Signal SegmentsComputed from ML features

Fundamental (Valuation, Quality, Growth)37.0
Technical (Momentum, Weinstein, Volatility)85.0
External (Sentiment, Analyst, Macro)86.0
Scores below 50 indicate weakness in that segment relative to the universe.

Data Quality

Score
Features
Confidence
Feature Coverage89%

Growth Estimates

Short-term
+3.5% to +8.4%
Medium-term
+6.1% to +13.6%
Long-term
+8.8% to +18.9%

ML Model Core Features100 trained inputs → ML Score: 14

These features are direct inputs to the machine learning model. The model was trained on these signals alongside 100 features (including 12 momentum/technical indicators) to produce the ML percentile score.

Analyst Intelligence
Consensus Score65.6/100
Target Upside+35.0%
Coverage16 analysts
Market Sentiment
Sentiment Score76.9/100
News Volume1 articles
Technical Stage
Weinstein Stage2 — Advancing
12M Momentum+0.5%
6M Momentum+0.1%
Volatility+0.1%
Momentum & Technical
Momentum Acceleration+36.7%
Momentum ConsistencyWeak (0.27)
Relative Strength vs Sector+26.0%
Trend Strength (ADX Proxy)Strong (5.0)
Momentum Quality+0.456
Momentum BreadthBroad ✓
Macro Regime
Bull RegimeYes
High Vol RegimeNo
S&P 500 Return+25.0%
Yield Curve-0.1bp

Sector-Relative AnalysisIn-model features

Value Trap Signal
1%
Low risk
Sector RevGr Rank
P75
Revenue growth vs Healthcare peers
Sector PE Rank
P8
Valuation vs Healthcare peers
Sector FCF Rank
P63
Free cash flow vs Healthcare peers
Growth Deviation
+0.0σ
Z-score vs sector median
Stagnation Flag
NO
Not flagged

Analysis Signals

Scoring Factors
Fundamental score of 57 relative to sector peers57/100
Machine learning model ranks this stock at the 78th percentileP78
ML model weight reduced to 9% due to macro conditions: market in extended rally phase; yield curve inverted (recession indicator); late-cycle economic indicators detected9% ML weight
SHAP feature alignment: +2.4pt (features align with model priorities)—
Blend: 91% fund (56.7) + 9% ML (78.2) + SHAP(+2.4) = 61.1—
Factor quality: +1.1pt (multi-factor composite)—
Risk assessment: low. Annualized volatility 10.2%. Max drawdown 10% (-0.6 pts)Low
Market cap adjustment: +0.5 points ($3.6B market cap)+0.5 pts
Divergence penalty: -1.7pt (ML 21pt higher)—
Risk Factors
Earnings quality grade C: mixed earnings quality, some red flags. Score adjusted by -14 pointsGrade C
Quality concern: Elevated non-operating income: 12pp gap between net and operating margin; High accrual ratio (34.3%) — earnings quality concern; Pipeline concentration: $3.6B biotech/pharma — limited product diversificationFlag

Sector Peer Comparison(Healthcare — Rank #98 of 344 stocks)

StockScoreP/ERev GrowthMarginMkt Cap
LGND46.973.327.3%19.3%$3.6B
INCY89.615.821.2%25.0%$20.1B
GMAB85.513.122.8%36.4%$18.5B
CPRX82.213.723.5%37.6%$3.0B
VRTX78.032.18.9%32.9%$126.0B
ASND75.716.698.0%-31.7%$13.3B
NBIX74.726.521.4%16.7%$12.5B
ALKS74.616.5-6.4%23.9%$5.5B
AMGN73.826.010.0%21.0%$199.0B
ARGX73.635.178.6%38.0%$50.9B
HOLX73.331.11.7%13.8%$16.8B
REGN72.719.41.0%31.4%$84.9B
ISRG72.361.720.5%28.4%$172.5B
EXEL71.915.17.0%33.7%$11.7B
KRYS71.041.4473.0%30.7%$8.0B
HALO70.216.822.4%43.7%$9.3B
Sector Average37.1252.3161.5%-3292.7%—

Market Sentimentvia FMP

Analyst Consensus
Buy16 analysts
Buy: 11Hold: 4Sell: 1
Price Target
$248consensus
Low $230Median $239High $275
+29.6% to consensus target

Company Overviewvia FMP

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing or acquiring technologies that help pharmaceutical companies to discover and develop medicines worldwide. Its commercial programs include Kyprolis and Evomela, which are used to treat multiple myeloma; Veklury for the treatment of moderate or severe COVID-19; Teriparatide injection product for osteoporosis; Vaxneuvance for the prevention of invasive disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae; and Pneumosil, a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to help fight against pneumococcal pneumonia among children. The company also offers Rylaze, a recombinant erwinia asparaginase for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoblastic lymphoma in adult and pediatric patients; and Nexterone, a captisol-enabled formulation of amiodarone; and Zulresso, a captisol-enabled formulation of brexanolone for the treatment of postpartum depression. In addition, it provides Noxafil-IV, a captisol-enabled formulation of posaconazole for IV use; Duavee for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis; Aziyo portfolio of commercial pericardial repair and CanGaroo envelope extracellular matrix products; Exemptia for autoimmune diseases; Vivitra for breast cancer; Bryxta and Zybev for various indications; and Minnebro for the treatment of hypertension. The company's partners and licenses programs, which are in clinical development used for the treatment of cancer, seizure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, muscle wasting, liver and kidney disease, and other diseases. Further, it sells Captisol materials. The company was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Emeryville, California.

CEO
Todd C. Davis
Employees
68
Beta
1.04
Industry
Biotechnology
FMP-Identified Peers

Technical Picturecomputed from daily prices

RSI (14)
41.1
Neutral
Trend
Bearish
10-day vs 50-day MA
From 52W High
-9.9%
High: $212.49
From 52W Low
+104.5%
Low: $93.58
Moving Averages
10-Day
$186.30
Above
20-Day
$189.60
Above
50-Day
$193.70
Below
200-Day
$163.70
Above
60-Day Support
$175.89
60-Day Resistance
$210.27
Weinstein Stage Analysisbased on 200-day SMA framework
Stage 2 — AdvancingScore: 81/100

Stock is in an uptrend above the 200-day moving average. This is the stage where institutional accumulation typically occurs. The 50-day SMA provides support.

Favorable technical position; 50-day SMA acts as support
Price vs 200 SMA
+16.9%
200 SMA Slope (60d)
+18.09%
Rising
Volume Ratio
0.78x
10d avg vs 50d avg
Days in Stage
100
Confidence: 90%

Financial Statementslast 4 quarters via FMP

MetricQ3 2025Q2 2025Q1 2025Q4 2024
Revenue$115M$48M$45M$43M
Gross Profit$91M$45M$40M$40M
Operating Income$55M$8M$-36M$-10M
Net Income$117M$5M$-42M$-31M
EPS (Diluted)$5.68$0.24$-2.21$-1.64
Gross Margin78.5%93.9%89.3%93.4%
Operating Margin47.6%17.7%-79.9%-22.5%
Net Margin101.6%10.2%-93.6%-72.6%

Why This Stock

HealthcareRevenue growth 27.3%Profit margin 19.3%

Tradability FilterGrade B — 68/100Score impact: -4.7pt

Volume
52
221K avg/day
Dollar Vol
94
$41M/day
Float
48
19M shares
Mkt Cap
64
$3.6B
Range
100
127% spread
Composite Liquidity Score68/100
FDCBA
low float

Multi-Year Range Analysis

Sideways: 0/100
YearLowHighRangeStatus
2021$102.01$172.1951.2%Wide
2022$57.77$156.2792%Wide
2023$49.24$85.7054%Wide
2024$67.53$129.9063.2%Wide
2025$93.58$212.4977.7%Wide
3-Year Range
124.7%
Narrow Years
0 / 5
Sideways Penalty
None
Free Float
97.8%
Outstanding Shares
20M
Bid-Ask Spread
127.0%
Institutional Tradable
Yes

Scores are generated by a multi-stage ML pipeline combining fundamental analysis, ensemble predictions, and structural risk signals. All data is for research purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.