Financial Efficiency of ImmunityBio and Its Peers in the Biotech Sector

Font: Financial Modeling Prep  • Sep 02, 2025

• ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX) faces significant financial challenges with a ROIC of -79.59% and a WACC of 10.62%, resulting in a ROIC to WACC ratio of -7.50.
• Nkarta, Inc. (NKTX) demonstrates relatively better financial efficiency with a ROIC to WACC ratio of -5.01, indicating more effective capital management.
• Other biotech firms like BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (BBIO) and Allogene Therapeutics, Inc. (ALLO) also struggle with negative ROIC to WACC ratios, highlighting the industry-wide challenge of achieving profitability.

ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative therapies to treat cancer and infectious diseases. The company is part of a competitive landscape that includes other biotech firms like BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (BBIO), Sana Biotechnology, Inc. (SANA), Nkarta, Inc. (NKTX), Allogene Therapeutics, Inc. (ALLO), and Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RXRX). These companies are all striving to bring groundbreaking treatments to market, often facing similar financial challenges.

In evaluating ImmunityBio's financial efficiency, we look at its Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) of -79.59% against a Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) of 10.62%. This results in a ROIC to WACC ratio of -7.50, indicating that the company is not currently generating returns that exceed its cost of capital. This is a common scenario for clinical-stage biotech firms, which typically incur high research and development costs.

Comparatively, Nkarta, Inc. (NKTX) shows a more favorable ROIC to WACC ratio of -5.01, with a ROIC of -29.44% and a WACC of 5.88%. This suggests that Nkarta is relatively more efficient in managing its capital costs, despite also having a negative ROIC. This efficiency is crucial for biotech companies as they navigate the costly and lengthy process of drug development.

BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (BBIO) and Allogene Therapeutics, Inc. (ALLO) have ROIC to WACC ratios of -8.13 and -11.68, respectively. These figures highlight the financial strain these companies face, as their returns fall significantly short of their capital costs. This is a typical challenge in the biotech sector, where the path to profitability is often long and uncertain.

Overall, the analysis underscores the financial hurdles that clinical-stage biotech companies like ImmunityBio and its peers encounter. While all the companies in this comparison have negative ROICs, Nkarta's relatively better efficiency in capital management sets it apart in this challenging industry landscape.