Arbutus Biopharma Corp logo

Arbutus Biopharma Corp(ABUS)

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EXPLORE ADVISORIES AND THEIR HISTORY
QUALITY SIGNAL
1-STAR RATING
PASS
LAST CLOSE
$4.21
10/30/2026
(24-hour delay)

Advisory History & Simulated Performance *

*as per simulation (see disclosures)
  • ALL
  • 1Y
  • 1M
  • 1W
  • BUY Advisory
  • SELL Advisory (Profit)
  • SELL Advisory (Loss)
  • Profit
  • Loss
  • PASS (Skip)
Upturn Stock price based on last close iconStock price based on last close
Simulated performance—not actual client returns. Excludes advisory subscription fees, trading commissions, and taxes, which would reduce returns. Results depend on calculation assumptions and do not guarantee future outcomes. See Disclosures for full methodology, assumptions, and limitations.

Advisory Performance History (Simulated)Advisory Performance History info

Simulated performance—not actual client returns. Excludes advisory subscription fees, trading commissions, and taxes, which would reduce returns. Results depend on calculation assumptions and do not guarantee future outcomes. See Disclosures for full methodology, assumptions, and limitations.

Upturn Advisory & Investor View for ABUS

10/30/2026: ABUS (1-star) is currently NOT-A-BUY. Pass it for now.

Arbutus Biopharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing curative therapies for chronic hepatitis B (cHBV). Its primary business model combines a specialized drug-discovery pipeline with the strategic enforcement of its proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technology. Recent patent settlement wins have significantly bolstered its cash position, enabling capital returns to shareholders and supporting ongoing clinical programs like imdusiran. While these successes reduce financial risk, the company faces inherent uncertainty from binary clinical trial outcomes and intense competition. It best suits investors comfortable with high-risk, high-reward biotechnology assets who are monitoring the advancement of its clinical pipeline and further intellectual property litigation results.

How to Read the Upturn Advisory

The Upturn Star Rating and the current BUY, SELL, or PASS advisory are generated by Upturn’s AI advisory engine based on proprietary signal analysis, price behavior, advisory history, and historical signal performance.

Company fundamentals, valuation, risks, and news provide supporting context about the business.

Investor Fit

Investor styleFitWhy
Growth investorMixed fitThe potential for high growth exists if its curative HBV pipeline succeeds, but it is accompanied by high clinical risk.
Momentum investorStrong fit while signal remains positiveThe stock can experience significant momentum around major clinical catalysts or legal settlement news.
Value investorWeak fitValuation is often tied to volatile intellectual property litigation outcomes and binary clinical trial results rather than traditional earnings.
Dividend investorWeak fitThe company does not pay a regular dividend and focuses cash on R&D and capital returns via buybacks.
Low-risk investorWeak fitAs a clinical-stage biotechnology company, it possesses high inherent volatility and risk.

Risk Profile

Risk factorLevelWhy it matters
Price volatilityHighThe stock price reacts sharply to clinical trial updates, patent litigation news, and general biotech sector trends.
Valuation riskHighDetermining a fair value for a clinical-stage company with significant IP-based non-recurring revenue is difficult.
Competition risk (Hepatitis B therapy)HighLarger companies with significant resources are simultaneously developing curative HBV therapies.
Business qualityMediumWhile the company has strong IP, it relies heavily on successfully proving clinical efficacy for its lead assets.
Dividend incomeLow / noneThe company is not an income-generating vehicle for dividend-focused investors.
Execution riskHighThe company must manage complex clinical trials and ongoing global patent litigation simultaneously.

Analysis of Past Performance

Type Stock
Historic Profit -10.75%
Avg. Invested days 38
Today’s Advisory PASS
Upturn Advisory Rating upturn star rating icon
Upturn Advisory Performance Upturn Advisory Performance icon 2.0
Stock Returns Performance Upturn Returns Performance icon 1.0
Upturn Profits based on simulation icon Profits based on simulation
Upturn last close icon Last Close 10/30/2026

Upturn Scorecard

Upturn Star Rating

★★★★★
ABUS receives a 3-star rating, supported by solid company fundamentals, and solid analyst coverage. The rating is constrained by weak unit economics, and weak price momentum.

Company Fundamentals

★★★★★
ABUS has solid overall fundamentals (4 stars), with moderate financial health, strong growth momentum, and strong ownership. In FY2025 versus FY2024, strong earnings growth (+52.1%) and strong revenue growth (+128.2%) are partially offset by weak cash generation (FCF margin -281.5%), weak profitability (net margin -237.9%).

Financial Health Rating

★★★★★
ABUS's financial health is supported by moderate liquidity, including working-capital and asset support (WC/assets 93.5%). Cash strength is soft (2 stars), which helps explain the 3-star overall score.

Growth Momentum Score

★★★★★
Revenue growth is ABUS's strongest growth driver at +128.2% FY2025 versus FY2024 (strong, 5 stars). Earnings growth (+52.1%, strong) and free-cash-flow growth (+39.1%, strong) are also constructive, though not equally high across every growth measure.

Ownership

★★★★★
Institutional ownership is 67.3% and approximately 98.2% of outstanding shares are publicly tradable, supporting liquidity and institutional participation. Insider ownership of 15.92% supports management-shareholder alignment.

Top 5 Institutional Investors

Two Seas Capital LP 12.11%
Morgan Stanley - Brokerage Accounts 11.55%
Whitefort Capital Management, LP. 10.30%
BlackRock Inc 8.98%
State Street Corp 5.13%

Unit Economics (Per $1K Revenue)

★★★★★
ABUS generates approximately $974 of gross profit, $-1,921 of operating income, and $-2,815 of free cash flow for every $1,000 of revenue. Based on FY2025 results. Operating losses and cash burn explain the 1-star rating, with weak cash conversion and weak capital efficiency.

Economic Dimensions

★★★★★
Effective Tax Rate: 0.00%

Quantitative Style Profile

★★★★★
ABUS has a high-quality, liquid, relatively low-volatility profile. Weak momentum is the primary drawback.

Style Classification

Quality Focused

Value-OrientedQuality TiltLow VolatilitySmall / Mid Cap RiskShort Squeeze RiskHighly Liquid / Institution-Friendly

Key Highlights

Company Size Small-Cap Stock
Market Capitalization 656.02M USD
Price to earnings Ratio 5.42
1Y Target Price 5.47
Price to earnings Ratio 5.42
1Y Target Price 5.47
Volume (30-day avg) 6.1M shares
Beta 0.76
52 Weeks Range 3.50 - 5.45
Updated Date 10/30/2026
52 Weeks Range 3.50 - 5.45
Updated Date 10/30/2026
Dividends yield (FY) -
Basic EPS (TTM) 0.79

How Company Makes Money

Business areaWhat it includesRetail investor read
Infectious Disease PipelineClinical development of HBV therapeutic candidates like imdusiran and AB-101.Arbutus is a speculative clinical-stage company betting its future on the success of its Hepatitis B drug pipeline.
Intellectual Property LicensingRoyalties and settlements from the use of its Lipid Nanoparticle (LNP) technology by third-party pharmaceutical partners.The company monetizes its specialized drug-delivery technology, which provides significant but often non-recurring cash flows.

Analyzing Revenue: Products, Geography and Growth

Revenue by Products

Product revenue - Year on Year

Valuation

Trailing PE 5.42
Forward PE 10.25
Enterprise Value 765.69M
Price to Sales(TTM) 3.61
Enterprise Value 765.69M
Price to Sales(TTM) 3.61
Enterprise Value to Revenue 4.21
Enterprise Value to EBITDA 5
Shares Outstanding 153.28M
Shares Floating 150.53M
Shares Outstanding 153.28M
Shares Floating 150.53M
Percent Insiders 15.92
Percent Institutions 67.31

Financial Metrics

🧭 Investment Snapshot

Total Revenue (Scale)

Information icon Total money earned from selling products or services before any costs. It is needed to understand the scale of the business and its ability to generate income.

Net Income (Profit)

Information icon Final profit after all expenses, interest, and taxes are deducted. It is needed to determine the overall profitability available to shareholders.

Free Cash Flow (Cash Strength)

Information icon Cash remaining after operating activities and capital expenditures, showing cash available for growth. It is needed to evaluate the company’s ability to invest, pay dividends, or reduce debt.

📈 Growth & Strength

Operating Income (Core Profit)

Information icon Profit from core operations after deducting all operating expenses. It is needed to measure how efficiently the company runs its primary business activities.

EBITDA (Cash Earnings)

Information icon Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, indicating operating cash potential. It is needed to compare operating performance across companies without accounting or financing differences.

Gross Profit (Unit Profitability)

Information icon Revenue minus cost of revenue, showing profit after direct production costs. It is needed to evaluate core business profitability before overhead expenses.

🛡️ Financial Safety

Cash (Liquidity Buffer)

Information icon Total cash and cash equivalents on hand. It is needed to evaluate immediate liquidity and financial flexibility.

Total Debt (Leverage Risk)

Information icon Total debt including both short-term and long-term components. It is needed to assess the company’s leverage and financial risk.

Net Working Capital (Short-Term Health)

Information icon Current assets minus current liabilities, indicating short-term liquidity strength. It is needed to assess whether the company can meet its short-term obligations.

🧱 Balance Sheet Strength

Stockholder Equity (Net Worth)

Information icon Total equity value held by shareholders. It is needed to understand the net worth of the company from the owners’ perspective.

Total Assets (Asset Base)

Information icon The full value of everything the company owns, including cash, inventory, equipment, and investments. It is needed to understand the resource base used to generate revenue.

Income Before Tax (Pre-Tax Earnings)

Information icon Income before provision for income taxes. It is needed to analyze profitability independent of tax structures.

⚙️ Cost & Drag Factors

Cost of Revenue (Production Cost)

Information icon Direct costs required to produce and deliver the products or services sold. It is needed to assess efficiency in production and service delivery.

Total Operating Expenses (Operating Cost)

Information icon Indirect costs of running the business such as salaries, marketing, and administration. It is needed to understand how much it costs to sustain ongoing business operations.

Income Tax Expense (Tax Drag)

Information icon Amount of taxes paid or payable to the government. It is needed to evaluate the impact of taxation on overall profitability.

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