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Verdict
Quantitative factor alignment verified for current market regime.
Quant Score
Rank
#4491
Positioning
Market Dominance
Manufacturing
Pharmaceutical Products
$141M
Remi Barbier
Cassava Sciences, Inc. was incorporated in 1998 and is based in Austin, Texas. Its lead therapeutic product candidate is simufilam, a small molecule drug, which is completed Phase 2b clinical trial.
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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 | |
$SAVA CASSAVA SCIENCES INC | 31 | 28 | 15 | 29 | - | - | -130.4% | -82.0% | - | - | - | - | 0.0% | 59.0x | $141M | ||
| SECTOR BENCH | - | - | - | - | - | 22.3x | 11.5x | -2.5% | -0.1% | 42.5% | 1.3% | -0.2% | 5.9% | 0.0% | 0.2x | - | REF |
CASSAVA SCIENCES INC (SAVA) receives a "Avoid" rating with a composite score of 30.6/100. It ranks #4491 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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Equity capital efficiency
Asset base utilization
Financial leverage load
Direct cash return
Remi Barbier
Chief Executive Officer
Labor Force
30
28
25
42
Audit Verdict: Lower quality and stability scores may indicate governance concerns.
No recent insider transactions available for SAVA
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 SAVA.
View All RatingsInsufficient data for Financial Analysis
ROE proxy -130.4% (sector -2.5%)
GM N/A vs sector 43%, OM N/A vs sector 1%
Capital turnover N/A
Rev growth N/A, 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 CASSAVA SCIENCES INC with an Avoid rating, assigning a composite score of 30.6/100 and 1 out of 5 stars. Ranked #4491 of 7,333 stocks, SAVA falls in the bottom tier across key factors. Historically, stocks with this profile have faced elevated risk of underperformance and capital loss.
SAVA's quality score of 28/100 is below average, suggesting challenges with profitability or capital efficiency. The company reports a return on equity of -130.4% (sector avg: -2.5%). Investors should examine whether management is actively addressing these weaknesses or if they reflect structural industry headwinds.
SAVA registers a value score of just 15/100, suggesting the stock trades at a significant premium to its fundamental metrics. Key valuation metrics include a P/B ratio of 1.26x. High-premium valuations like this require strong future execution to avoid multiple compression, and downside risk is elevated if growth disappoints.
CASSAVA SCIENCES INC's investment score of 25/100 suggests limited reinvestment activity. Key growth metrics include a return on assets of -82.0% (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.
CASSAVA SCIENCES INC is experiencing notably weak momentum with a score of just 29/100. The stock has underperformed its peers and is trending below major moving averages. Revenue growth data is not currently available, while a beta of 0.96 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.
SAVA's stability score of 42/100 signals elevated volatility and/or leverage concerns. Key stability metrics include a beta of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 59.00x (sector avg: 0.2x). Investors should be prepared for wider-than-average price swings and consider position sizing accordingly to manage portfolio risk.
CASSAVA SCIENCES INC's short interest score of 34/100 reveals significant bearish positioning, suggesting institutional investors are actively betting against the stock. Specific risk factors include elevated leverage (D/E: 59.00x), micro-cap liquidity risk. At $141M (micro-cap), SAVA carries meaningful risk and is best suited for investors with high risk tolerance who have thoroughly evaluated the bear thesis.
CASSAVA SCIENCES INC is a micro-cap company in the Manufacturing sector, ranked #0 of 50 in its sector (100th percentile) and #4491 of 7,333 overall (39th percentile). Key comparisons include ROE of -130.4% trailing the -2.5% sector median. This top-quartile standing reflects exceptional competitive strength relative to Manufacturing peers.
While SAVA 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 Value (15) would have the largest impact on the composite score.
ROE 5159% ABOVE SECTOR MEDIAN (FAVORABLE)
Debt/Equity 29400% ABOVE SECTOR MEDIAN
Div. Yield NaN% BELOW SECTOR MEDIAN
AUDIT DATA AS OF SEP 30, 2025 (Q2 FY2025)
We rate CASSAVA SCIENCES INC (SAVA) as Avoid with a composite score of 30.6/100 at a current price of $2.46. 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 (42th percentile) and momentum (29th percentile), which together account for the majority of the composite score. Offsetting weakness in value (15th percentile) and investment (25th percentile) tempers our overall conviction. We assign a No Moat rating (17/100), High uncertainty, and Poor capital allocation.
Key items to watch: momentum to confirm whether the current price trend has legs; valuation compression risk if growth disappoints. Any material change in these dynamics could warrant a reassessment of our rating. The moat trend is stable, which suggests the competitive landscape is stable for now.
CASSAVA SCIENCES 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 30.6/100 places it at rank #4491 in our full 7,333-stock universe. At $141M in market capitalization, CASSAVA SCIENCES INC is a small-cap player in the Manufacturing space, which limits certain scale advantages but may allow for more agile strategic execution.
Momentum indicators (29th percentile) suggest caution regarding the near-term price trend. Revenue growth data is unavailable, limiting our ability to confirm whether momentum is fundamentally supported.
Margin data is not available for CASSAVA SCIENCES INC, which limits our assessment of the company's cost structure and operating efficiency. We rely on factor-based signals to infer business quality in the absence of detailed margin data.
At a current price of $2.46, CASSAVA SCIENCES INC is trading at a premium to fundamental value. Our value factor score of 15/100 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/B of 1.3x. 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 30.6/100) reflects multi-factor weakness, and historically, stocks in this scoring range have underperformed the market by a meaningful margin.
Weak momentum (29th percentile) suggests institutional selling pressure and unfavorable technical dynamics that may persist.
Below-average quality (28th percentile) raises durability concerns about the fundamental profile and increases the risk of negative earnings surprises.
We assign a High uncertainty rating to CASSAVA SCIENCES INC. Key risk factors include weak quality scores (28th percentile). The wide range of potential outcomes widens our fair value estimate and increases the possibility of permanent capital impairment. Investors considering this name should size positions accordingly and demand a meaningful margin of safety before initiating.
Specific risk factors that inform our assessment include: weak quality scores (28th 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 42th percentile and quality factor at the 28th percentile provide a quantitative summary of the overall risk landscape.
We identify limited risk mitigants at this time, which contributes to our high 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 CASSAVA SCIENCES INC's capital allocation as Poor. Key concerns include low returns on equity (-130.4%), weak asset returns (ROA -82.0%). Exemplary capital allocators generate ROE above 20% and maintain conservative leverage — CASSAVA SCIENCES 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, CASSAVA SCIENCES INC receives a Avoid rating with a composite score of 30.6/100 (rank #4491 of 7,333). Our quantitative framework assigns a No Moat (17/100, trend: stable), High uncertainty, and Poor capital allocation. The average factor score across quality, value, momentum, stability, and investment is 28/100.
Our analysis does not support a constructive view on CASSAVA SCIENCES INC at this time. The combination of limited competitive advantages, high 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 CASSAVA SCIENCES INC a meaningful economic moat, scoring 17/100 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 10/20.
The strongest moat sources are margin superiority (10/20) and financial resilience (4.9/20). GM N/A vs sector 43%, OM N/A vs sector 1%. Interest coverage N/A. These pillars form the core of CASSAVA SCIENCES INC's competitive identity and are the primary drivers of excess returns in our framework.
Areas of relative weakness include reinvestment efficiency (0/20) and growth durability (0/20). Capital turnover N/A. 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 Stable. Multi-year ROIC and operating margin trajectories show neither meaningful improvement nor deterioration, suggesting the competitive position is steady. We expect CASSAVA SCIENCES INC's moat profile to remain largely unchanged absent a material shift in return on capital or industry dynamics.
Key profit drivers are not clearly identifiable from current fundamentals. This may reflect a company in transition, a cyclical downturn, or structural challenges in the business model. We assign a quality factor of 28/100 which further underscores our concern regarding earnings sustainability.
Return metrics include ROE of -130.4% and ROA of -82.0%. Relative to the Manufacturing sector, sector comparison data is limited, and ROE of -130.4% compares to a sector median of -2.5%.
The balance sheet reflects moderate leverage with D/E of 59%. The sector median D/E is 0%, putting CASSAVA SCIENCES INC at higher leverage than the typical peer. Overall balance sheet health is adequate for the current business environment.
Above 50MA
37.18%
Net New Highs
+51081
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cassava Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAVA, “Cassava”, the “Company”), a biotechnology company focused on developing novel, investigational treatments for central nervous system (CNS) disorders such as Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC)-related epilepsy, today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice Fraud Section (DOJ) has closed its inquiry into the Company regarding allegations of research misconduct as described in the indictment in United States
Vortex Companies (Vortex), a global leader in trenchless infrastructure rehabilitation solutions, today announced the introduction of the SAVA Series, UV Curing equipment line.