Apellis Pharmaceuticals stock has lost 40% in 2024: buy the dip?

Apellis Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: APLS) is down nearly 40% versus its year-to-date high but a Mizuho analyst does not see it as an opportunity to buy per se.

Mizuho remains ‘neutral’ on Apellis Pharmaceuticals stock

Graig Suvannavejh reiterated his “neutral” stance on the biotech stock in a recent research note. 

While his $52 price target does suggest meaningful upside from here – a negative price-to-earnings multiple of about 11 indicates profitability concerns at least in the near term. 

$APLS is expected to lose 55 cents a share in its fiscal Q1. Its quarterly report is scheduled for next week. 

Plus, Apellis Pharmaceuticals stock does not currently pay a dividend – so that side of its story is not particularly exciting either. 

$APLS recently broke below its 200-day moving average

Profitability concerns associated with Apellis Pharmaceuticals are further validated by its gross margin that stood at a negative 4.11% in 2023 even though its revenue more than tripled in the same period. 

The fact that Dunlop A. Sinclair – a director of $APLS sold about $1.0 million worth of the biotech stock last month does not paint a rosy picture of what the future holds for it either. 

Note that Apellis Pharmaceuticals stock also slipped below its 200-day moving average last week. So, the technicals are indicating bearish sentiment in shares of the $5.0 billion company based out of Waltham, Massachusetts as well. 

On the flip side, however, Handelsbanken Fonder recently revealed to have increased its stake in $APLS. The firm loaded up on 5,400 shares of Apellis to end the fourth quarter with 22,600 in total, as per its filing with the SEC in April.