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Upturn AI SWOT - About
LGND 
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (LGND)
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Upturn Advisory Summary
08/14/2025: LGND (1-star) has a low Upturn Star Rating. Not recommended to BUY.
Upturn Star Rating
Not Recommended Performance
These Stocks/ETFs, based on Upturn Advisory, consistently fall short of market performance, signaling caution before investing.
Number of Analysts
7 Analysts rated it
Limited analyst coverage, niche firm, research info may be scarce.
1 Year Target Price $162.25
1 Year Target Price $162.25
| 4 | Strong Buy |
| 3 | Buy |
| 0 | Hold |
| 0 | Sell |
| 0 | Strong Sell |
Analysis of Past Performance
Type Stock | Historic Profit 25.18% | Avg. Invested days 36 | Today’s Advisory Consider higher Upturn Star rating |
Upturn Star Rating | Upturn Advisory Performance  3.0 | Stock Returns Performance  3.0 |
| Profits based on simulation | Last Close 08/14/2025 |
Key Highlights
Company Size Mid-Cap Stock | Market Capitalization 3.01B USD | Price to earnings Ratio - | 1Y Target Price 162.25 |
Price to earnings Ratio - | 1Y Target Price 162.25 | ||
Volume (30-day avg) 7 | Beta 0.74 | 52 Weeks Range 93.58 - 157.54 | Updated Date 08/15/2025 |
52 Weeks Range 93.58 - 157.54 | Updated Date 08/15/2025 | ||
Dividends yield (FY) - | Basic EPS (TTM) -4.04 |
Analyzing Revenue: Products, Geography and Growth
Revenue by Products
Product revenue - Year on Year
Earnings Date
Report Date 2025-08-07 | When - | Estimate 1.43 | Actual 1.6 |
Profitability
Profit Margin -40.44% | Operating Margin (TTM) 20.41% |
Management Effectiveness
Return on Assets (TTM) -0.99% | Return on Equity (TTM) -9.46% |
Valuation
Trailing PE - | Forward PE 23.87 | Enterprise Value 2764200962 | Price to Sales(TTM) 16.07 |
Enterprise Value 2764200962 | Price to Sales(TTM) 16.07 | ||
Enterprise Value to Revenue 14.74 | Enterprise Value to EBITDA 19.13 | Shares Outstanding 19596600 | Shares Floating 19162888 |
Shares Outstanding 19596600 | Shares Floating 19162888 | ||
Percent Insiders 2.31 | Percent Institutions 97.33 |
Upturn AI SWOT
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Company Overview
History and Background
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated was founded in 1987. It initially focused on hormone-related therapies and has evolved into a biopharmaceutical company focused on drug discovery and development through collaborations and royalty streams.
Core Business Areas
- Captisol: Ligand's Captisol technology is a chemically modified cyclodextrin that improves the solubility and stability of drugs. This is their primary revenue stream.
- Peloton Technologies: The acquisition of Peloton Technologies significantly expanded Ligandu2019s drug discovery capabilities. This technology allows the company to screen multiple compounds for drug-like properties
- OmniAb Platform: The OmniAb antibody discovery platform is a technology used to create human therapeutic antibodies, which can then be licensed or used in partnerships with other pharmaceutical companies.
Leadership and Structure
Matt Foehr serves as President and CEO. The company has a board of directors overseeing its operations.
Top Products and Market Share
Key Offerings
- Captisol: Captisol is a chemically modified cyclodextrin that improves the solubility and stability of drugs. Captisol is licensed to multiple pharmaceutical companies. Competitors are other solubilizing excipients like cyclodextrins from companies like Wacker Chemie AG. Royalty streams are significant. Market share data for the excipient market as a whole is difficult to pinpoint due to its fragmentation.
- OmniAb: OmniAb is a technology platform used for the generation of human antibodies. This is licensed out to other companies. There are several competitors including Regeneron (REGN) and Harbour BioMed.
- Peloton: Peloton provides high-throughput screening services and technologies for drug discovery. Competitors include Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Evotec.
Market Dynamics
Industry Overview
The pharmaceutical industry is highly competitive and driven by innovation, regulation, and market demand. There is increasing demand for solubilizing excipients, antibody therapeutics, and drug discovery services.
Positioning
Ligand is a licensing company, positioning itself as a technology and royalty generator rather than focusing on commercializing drugs directly. This allows them to diversify risk and leverage the resources of larger pharmaceutical companies.
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
The market for drug solubilization technologies, antibody discovery, and drug discovery services is substantial, estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. Ligand captures revenue through licensing and royalties, making its position dependent on the success of its partners.
Upturn SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Proven business model with recurring royalty revenue
- Diversified portfolio of partnered programs
- Strong technology platforms (Captisol, OmniAb)
- Experienced management team
Weaknesses
- Reliance on partners for clinical and regulatory success
- Potential impact from patent expirations
- Dependence on a few key products for a large portion of revenues
- Susceptibility to changes in pharmaceutical spending/ priorities
Opportunities
- Expansion of OmniAb into new therapeutic areas
- Acquisition of complementary technologies or assets
- Increased demand for innovative drug discovery platforms
- Partnering with more companies to utilize drug related assets
Threats
- Competition from alternative technologies
- Regulatory changes impacting partnered programs
- Failure of partnered programs in clinical trials
- Economic downturn affecting pharmaceutical R&D spending
Competitors and Market Share
Key Competitors
- REGN
- CRL
- LLY
- MRK
Competitive Landscape
Ligand distinguishes itself by focusing on technology platforms and licensing revenue, offering a lower-risk profile compared to companies focused on drug commercialization. Its competitors are direct pharmaceutical companies that generate their own drugs.
Major Acquisitions
Peloton Therapeutics
- Year: 2020
- Acquisition Price (USD millions): 56
- Strategic Rationale: Expanded Ligandu2019s drug discovery capabilities.
Growth Trajectory and Initiatives
Historical Growth: Ligand has experienced growth driven by the success of Captisol and OmniAb partnerships. Growth has been impacted by acquisitions and divestitures.
Future Projections: Future growth is reliant on the success of existing and new partnered programs. Analyst estimates should be consulted for updated projections.
Recent Initiatives: Focus on expanding the OmniAb platform and developing new partnerships.
Summary
Ligand Pharmaceuticals operates as a technology and royalty business. Their success is directly linked to the performance of their license holders and partnerships. While this strategy lowers some risks for Ligand, it is exposed to the successes and failures of other pharmaceutical companies, as well as changing strategies in that industry. One of the main threats is the expiration of patents on the products Ligand technologies are used to create.
Peer Comparison
Sources and Disclaimers
Data Sources:
- Company filings (SEC)
- Analyst reports
- Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated website
- Industry reports
- Various Financial Data APIs
Disclaimers:
This analysis is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Market share data is estimated and may vary. Investment decisions should be based on individual due diligence.
AI Summarization is directionally correct and might not be accurate.
Summarized information shown could be a few years old and not current.
Fundamental Rating based on AI could be based on old data.
AI-generated summaries may have inaccuracies (hallucinations). Please verify the information before taking action.
About Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Exchange NASDAQ | Headquaters Jupiter, FL, United States | ||
IPO Launch date 1992-11-18 | CEO & Director Mr. Todd C. Davis Ph.D. | ||
Sector Healthcare | Industry Biotechnology | Full time employees 68 | Website https://www.ligand.com |
Full time employees 68 | Website https://www.ligand.com | ||
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, a biopharmaceutical company, develops and licenses biopharmaceutical assets worldwide. It offers Pradefovir, Posaconazole, Voriconazole, CAPVAXIVE, NOXAFIL, MenFive, and ZELSUVMI for infectious disease; EVOMELA and KYPROLIS for multiple myeloma; FILSPARI, a dual endothelin and angiotensin II receptor antagonist for immunoglobulin A nephropathy; Ohtuvayre for respiratory disease; PNEUMOSIL, a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to help fight against pneumococcal pneumonia in children; and QARZIBA to treat neuroblastoma. The company also provides Teriparatide injection product for osteoporosis; RYLAZE, a recombinant erwinia asparaginase for acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoblastic lymphoma in adult and pediatric patients; TZIELD, a CD3-directed antibody indicated to delay the onset of Stage 3 type 1 diabetes in adults and children aged 8 years and older with Stage 2 T1D; and VAXNEUVANCE for the prevention of invasive disease caused by streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes. In addition, it offers Duavee for menopause; Frovatriptan to treat Neurology; FYCOMPA and SESQUIENT for CNS; LYTENAVA to treat Opthamology; MEKINIST for cardiology; MINNEBRO for metabolic disease; Nexterone, a captisol-enabled formulation of amiodarone; VEKLURY, an antiviral treatment for COVID-19; and Viviant for osteoporosis. Further, the company develops ACLX-002, Ciforadenant, UGN-301, Viright, JZP341, MB07133, BOT/BAL, and Lasofoxifene for oncology; Ensifentrine for respiratory disease; QTORIN for rare disease; Sparsentan for kidney disease; VK2809 for hepatology; ANEB-001 for acute cannabinoid intoxication; CE-furosemide for cardiology; CE-Meloxicam for neurology; V117, CX2101A, and Sitavig for infectious disease; REV-0100, OPT-302, and Reproxalap for opthamology; Vilazodone and Topiramate Injection for CNS; VK0214 for Rare Disease; and VK5211 for musculoskeletal disorder. The company was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Jupiter, Florida.
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