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Verdict
Quantitative factor alignment verified for current market regime.
Quant Score
Rank
#4172
Positioning
Market Dominance
Manufacturing
Medical Equipment
$124M
Jacqueline E. Shea
Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company, focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of DNA medicines. Its DNA medicines platform uses precisely designed SynCon that identifies and optimize the DNA sequence of the target antigen, as well as CELLECTRA smart devices technology that facilitates delivery of the DNA plasmids. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania.
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| Stock | Rating | Score▼ | Quality | Value | Momentum | P/E | EV/EBITDA | ROE | ROA | Gross Mgn | Op Mgn | Net Mgn | Rev Growth | Div Yield | D/E | Mkt Cap | AUDIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$UL UNILEVER PLC | 78 | 96 | 98 | 59 | - | - | 28.5% | 8.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 10.4% | -4.6% | 3.3% | 0.0x | $141.8B | VS | |
$ASML ASML HOLDING NV | 77 | 89 | 86 | 83 | - | - | 46.1% | 16.6% | 51.3% | 31.9% | 26.8% | -4.0% | 1.0% | 25.0x | $272.1B | VS | |
$ESLT ELBIT SYSTEMS LTD | 76 | 81 | 87 | 85 | - | - | 10.3% | 3.1% | 24.1% | 7.2% | 4.7% | 14.3% | 0.8% | 25.0x | $11.4B | VS | |
$MT ArcelorMittal | 75 | 71 | 98 | 85 | - | - | 2.2% | 1.5% | 9.3% | 5.3% | 2.2% | -8.5% | 2.2% | 16.0x | $18.9B | VS | |
$AMAT APPLIED MATERIALS INC /DE | 75 | 85 | 87 | 84 | 20.9x | 13.6x | 35.5% | 19.8% | 48.7% | 29.2% | 24.7% | 4.4% | 0.8% | 32.0x | $181.9B | VS | |
$SIMO Silicon Motion Technology CORP | 75 | 84 | 86 | 85 | - | - | 11.8% | 8.8% | 45.9% | 11.3% | 11.1% | 25.7% | 3.7% | 0.0x | $1.8B | VS | |
$CODA Coda Octopus Group, Inc. | 74 | 83 | 90 | 79 | 16.3x | 11.9x | 7.6% | 7.0% | 66.5% | 17.1% | 15.6% | 39.0% | 0.0% | 0.0x | $115M | VS | |
$GSK GSK plc | 74 | 84 | 90 | 70 | - | - | 22.6% | 4.9% | 71.2% | 12.8% | 9.4% | 1.7% | 5.9% | 124.0x | $72.1B | VS | |
$EFXT Enerflex Ltd. | 74 | 80 | 91 | 83 | - | - | 3.0% | 1.1% | 20.9% | 7.3% | 1.3% | 3.0% | 0.9% | 67.0x | $1.2B | VS | |
$BUD Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV | 74 | 84 | 97 | 63 | - | - | 8.2% | 3.5% | 55.3% | 25.9% | 12.4% | 0.7% | 1.7% | 0.0x | $87.0B | VS | |
$INO INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | 34 | 31 | 32 | 27 | - | - | -328.4% | -164.1% | - | -38337.0% | -30140.5% | -100.0% | 0.0% | - | $124M | ||
| SECTOR BENCH | - | - | - | - | - | 22.3x | 11.5x | -2.5% | -0.1% | 42.5% | 1.3% | -0.2% | 5.9% | 0.0% | 0.2x | - | REF |
INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (INO) receives a "Avoid" rating with a composite score of 34.4/100. It ranks #4172 out of 7,333 stocks in our coverage universe and carries a 1-star rating. Ratings are driven by a 6-factor quantitative model measuring quality, value, momentum, investment, stability, and short interest.
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YOY expansion rate
Operating efficiency
Bottom-line conversion
Equity capital efficiency
Asset base utilization
Direct cash return
Jacqueline E. Shea
Chief Executive Officer
Labor Force
320
31
25
50
Audit Verdict: Lower quality and stability scores may indicate governance concerns.
No recent insider transactions available for INO
Lagging peers — losers tend to keep underperforming
Expensive relative to fundamentals — limited margin of safety
Weak fundamentals — higher risk of value trap
Average volatility — neutral timing signal
Aggressive spending — empire-building risk, dilutive growth
Below-average composite — caution warranted
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Relative valuation derived from Manufacturing sector benchmarks. Model weights: EV/EBITDA (40%), P/B (35%), P/S (25%). Re-calculated daily.
No analyst ratings for INO.
View All RatingsHigh margin volatility — erratic forensic earnings quality
ROE proxy -328.4% (sector -2.5%)
GM N/A vs sector 43%, OM -38337% vs sector 1%
Capital turnover N/A
Rev growth -100%, 10yr history
Interest coverage N/A
Composite assessment of profitability, capital efficiency, and financial strength. Top-tier entities demonstrate sustainable cash flow generation and elite competitive moats.
Profit generated per dollar of shareholder equity
Efficiency of asset utilization
Pricing power and cost efficiency
Core business profitability
Bottom-line profitability
The Quality factor evaluates the persistence and magnitude of realized cash flows. Companies with scores >70 exhibit superior pricing power and structural financial resilience through diverse economic regimes.
Our uncertainty rating tracks the predictability of future cash flows and potential for permanent capital loss. Moderate visibility with standard industry cyclicality.
Our quantitative model flags INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. with an Avoid rating, assigning a composite score of 34.4/100 and 1 out of 5 stars. Ranked #4172 of 7,333 stocks, INO falls in the bottom tier across key factors. Historically, stocks with this profile have faced elevated risk of underperformance and capital loss.
INO's quality score of 31/100 is below average, suggesting challenges with profitability or capital efficiency. The company reports a return on equity of -328.4% (sector avg: -2.5%), net margins of -30140.5% (sector avg: -0.2%). Investors should examine whether management is actively addressing these weaknesses or if they reflect structural industry headwinds.
With a value score of 32/100, INO appears somewhat expensive relative to its fundamentals. Investors paying a premium here are likely betting on above-average growth or margin expansion to justify current prices.
INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.'s investment score of 25/100 suggests limited reinvestment activity. Key growth metrics include revenue growth of -100.0% vs. a sector average of 5.9% and a return on assets of -164.1% (sector: -0.1%). While this can be positive for mature, cash-generative businesses returning capital to shareholders, it may also signal a lack of growth opportunities or management conservatism.
INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. is experiencing notably weak momentum with a score of just 27/100. The stock has underperformed its peers and is trending below major moving averages. Revenue growth stands at -100.0% year-over-year, while a beta of 0.97 reflects its sensitivity to broader market moves. While deep momentum weakness can occasionally present value opportunities, it often reflects deteriorating fundamentals or structural headwinds that may persist.
With a stability score of 50/100, INO exhibits average financial resilience. Key stability metrics include a beta of 0.97. While the balance sheet is not a major concern, the stock is subject to typical market volatility and may experience sharper drawdowns during risk-off episodes.
INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.'s short interest score of 16/100 reveals significant bearish positioning, suggesting institutional investors are actively betting against the stock. Specific risk factors include micro-cap liquidity risk. At $124M (micro-cap), INO carries meaningful risk and is best suited for investors with high risk tolerance who have thoroughly evaluated the bear thesis.
INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. is a micro-cap company in the Manufacturing sector, ranked #0 of 50 in its sector (100th percentile) and #4172 of 7,333 overall (43rd percentile). Key comparisons include ROE of -328.4% trailing the -2.5% sector median and operating margins of -38337.0% below the 1.3% sector average. This top-quartile standing reflects exceptional competitive strength relative to Manufacturing peers.
While INO currently exhibits a AVOID profile, superior opportunities exist within the MANUFACTURING sector. Our model identifies several "Strong Buy" candidates with higher quality scores and more attractive valuations among direct industry competitors.
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Improvement in Short Int. (16) would have the largest impact on the composite score.
ROE 13144% ABOVE SECTOR MEDIAN (FAVORABLE)
Op. Margin 2971958% BELOW SECTOR MEDIAN
Div. Yield NaN% BELOW SECTOR MEDIAN
AUDIT DATA AS OF SEP 30, 2025 (Q2 FY2025)
We rate INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (INO) as Avoid with a composite score of 34.4/100 at a current price of $1.90. The stock falls in the bottom quintile of our universe across key quantitative factors, and the multi-factor weakness suggests a high probability of continued underperformance.
The rating is primarily driven by strength in stability (50th percentile) and value (32th percentile), which together account for the majority of the composite score. Offsetting weakness in investment (25th percentile) and momentum (27th percentile) tempers our overall conviction. We assign a No Moat rating (11/100), Medium uncertainty, and Poor capital allocation.
Key items to watch: momentum to confirm whether the current price trend has legs; the path to profitability. Any material change in these dynamics could warrant a reassessment of our rating. The moat trend is narrowing, which raises the risk of a future downgrade if the trend persists.
INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. holds a top-quartile position (#0 of 50) within the Manufacturing sector, based on our composite quantitative scoring across quality, value, momentum, and stability factors. The composite score of 34.4/100 places it at rank #4172 in our full 7,333-stock universe. At $124M in market capitalization, INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. is a small-cap player in the Manufacturing space, which limits certain scale advantages but may allow for more agile strategic execution.
Revenue contraction of -100% combined with momentum at the 27th percentile paints a cautious picture of the near-term business outlook. The market appears to be pricing in continued challenges, and a catalyst for reversal is not clearly visible from current data.
Available margin data shows operating margins of -38337%. Incomplete margin data limits our ability to fully assess the cost structure and margin trajectory, though the available metrics provide a partial view of operating efficiency.
At a current price of $1.90, INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. is trading at a premium to fundamental value. Our value factor score of 32/100 reflects a composite assessment across multiple valuation metrics including price-to-earnings, price-to-book, EV/EBITDA, and price-to-sales ratios relative to both sector peers and the broader market. The premium valuation implies the market is pricing in significant future growth or quality improvements that are not yet fully reflected in current fundamentals.
The stock currently trades at P/S of 1819.0x. We evaluate these multiples in the context of both absolute levels and sector-relative positioning to form our valuation view.
The stock may offer contrarian value if near-term headwinds prove transitory — the current weakness in factor scores may reverse if business fundamentals stabilize.
The Avoid rating (composite 34.4/100) reflects multi-factor weakness, and historically, stocks in this scoring range have underperformed the market by a meaningful margin.
Revenue decline of -100% signals business deterioration — declining revenues make it difficult to grow into the current valuation and often precede further negative revisions.
Thin net margins of -30140.5% provide limited cushion against cost pressures, competitive pricing, or macroeconomic headwinds — even small changes in costs could swing the company to a loss.
Weak momentum (27th percentile) suggests institutional selling pressure and unfavorable technical dynamics that may persist.
We assign a Medium uncertainty rating to INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.. The stock presents a balanced risk profile: current negative profitability (net margin -30140.5%) and weak quality scores (31th percentile). While not risk-free, the core business fundamentals are adequate to withstand moderate economic stress, and the range of potential outcomes around our fair value estimate is manageable.
Specific risk factors that inform our assessment include: current negative profitability (net margin -30140.5%); weak quality scores (31th percentile). Each of these factors independently widens the distribution of potential outcomes, and in combination they create a risk profile that demands careful position sizing. The stability factor at the 50th percentile and quality factor at the 31th percentile provide a quantitative summary of the overall risk landscape.
We identify limited risk mitigants at this time, which contributes to our medium uncertainty assessment. Investors should monitor for improvement in balance sheet metrics, margin stability, and business predictability that could warrant a downgrade in our risk assessment over time.
We rate INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.'s capital allocation as Poor. Key concerns include low returns on equity (-328.4%), negative profitability, weak asset returns (ROA -164.1%). Exemplary capital allocators generate ROE above 20% and maintain conservative leverage — INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. significantly underperforms these benchmarks, raising questions about management's ability to create shareholder value.
Investors should scrutinize management's reinvestment decisions and balance sheet trajectory before committing capital. Poor capital allocation often compounds over time: overlevered balance sheets limit strategic flexibility, while low returns on capital destroy shareholder value. We would need to see sustained improvement in profitability metrics and balance sheet discipline before considering an upgrade.
In summary, INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. receives a Avoid rating with a composite score of 34.4/100 (rank #4172 of 7,333). Our quantitative framework assigns a No Moat (11/100, trend: narrowing), Medium uncertainty, and Poor capital allocation. The average factor score across quality, value, momentum, stability, and investment is 33/100.
Our analysis does not support a constructive view on INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. at this time. The combination of limited competitive advantages, medium uncertainty, and poor capital allocation suggests unfavorable risk-reward at current levels. We recommend investors avoid new positions and existing holders consider reducing exposure.
Analysis derived from Blank Capital Research quantitative terminal. For informational purposes only. No trade solicitation. Past performance not indicative of future results. Consult a qualified advisor.
We do not assign INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. a meaningful economic moat, scoring 11/100 on our composite assessment. Current fundamentals do not demonstrate the kind of durable competitive advantages — such as superior returns on invested capital, margin superiority, or reinvestment efficiency — that would protect the company from competitive erosion over the long term. The highest-scoring pillar, margin superiority, reached only 9/20.
The strongest moat sources are margin superiority (9/20) and growth durability (2.1/20). GM N/A vs sector 43%, OM -38337% vs sector 1%. Rev growth -100%, 10yr history. These pillars form the core of INOVIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.'s competitive identity and are the primary drivers of excess returns in our framework.
Areas of relative weakness include economic value creation (0/20) and reinvestment efficiency (0/20). ROE proxy -328.4% (sector -2.5%). Improvement in these areas could meaningfully widen the moat over time, while deterioration would be an early warning of competitive erosion.
Our moat trend assessment is Narrowing. ROIC has declined at ~12.6pp per year, and operating margins show fundamental deterioration. Investors should monitor these indicators closely — a sustained narrowing trend often precedes material downgrades in our moat assessment.
Key profit drivers include declining revenues (-100%) that pressure the earnings outlook. Our analysis indicates that profit quality raises some durability concerns, with the quality factor at the 31th percentile.
The margin profile shows operating margins of -38337%, net margins of -30140.5%. Return metrics include ROE of -328.4% and ROA of -164.1%. Relative to the Manufacturing sector, sector comparison data is limited, and ROE of -328.4% compares to a sector median of -2.5%.
The balance sheet reflects revenue growth of -100%. Overall balance sheet health is adequate for the current business environment.
Below-average quality (31th percentile) raises durability concerns about the fundamental profile and increases the risk of negative earnings surprises.
Above 50MA
37.18%
Net New Highs
+51081
INOVIO (NASDAQ:INO), a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing DNA medicines to help treat and protect people from HPV-associated diseases, cancer and infectious diseases, today announced that it will participate in the following scientific and investor conferences:
Inovio Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company developing DNA medicine, faces significant challenges despite having an innovative platform. While its lead candidate INO-3107 for treating recurrent respiratory papillomatosis has commercial potential, the FDA rejected accelerated approval and the company has a history of regulatory setbacks. The analyst warns the stock could become worthless within five years and recommends avoiding the investment.