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ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ACAD)
NASDAQ:ACAD
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ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (ACAD) AI Stock Analysis

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ACAD

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals

(NASDAQ:ACAD)

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Outperform 72 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:72Outperform
Price Target:
$29.00
▲(16.75% Upside)
Action:Upgraded
Date:05/30/26
The score is driven primarily by improved profitability and a strong, low-debt balance sheet, reinforced by reaffirmed guidance and positive commercial/pipeline momentum. This is tempered by a neutral-to-weak technical backdrop and cash-flow/expense-related execution risks (lower operating cash flow coverage and higher SG&A).
Positive Factors
Low leverage and sizable cash runway
ACADIA’s very low leverage together with $851M cash provides durable financial flexibility to fund commercial expansion, upcoming Phase II/III readouts, and R&D without near-term refinancing risk. This supports multi-quarter execution on sales force buildout and trial timelines.
Negative Factors
High gross‑to‑net discounts reduce realizable revenue
Large gross‑to‑net deductions materially lower net product revenue and compress cash conversion of sales. Persistently elevated adjustments would reduce sustainable revenue per prescription and require higher volumes to maintain margins, increasing dependency on commercial scale and payer negotiations.
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Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Low leverage and sizable cash runway
ACADIA’s very low leverage together with $851M cash provides durable financial flexibility to fund commercial expansion, upcoming Phase II/III readouts, and R&D without near-term refinancing risk. This supports multi-quarter execution on sales force buildout and trial timelines.
Read all positive factors

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Revenue by Product
Revenue by Product
Shows earnings from individual products, highlighting which offerings drive growth and which may need strategic adjustments. This helps assess product portfolio strength and market positioning.
Chart InsightsNUPLAZID remains the revenue engine with steady sequential growth, while DAYBUE has moved from launch to a meaningful commercial contributor — recent sales milestones validate the commercialization ramp and underpin raised guidance. That diversification de‑risks ACADIA’s revenue profile and funds heavier R&D and sales investment (including a planned 30% field expansion), but DAYBUE’s sub‑50% U.S. penetration and reimbursement setbacks abroad are the primary execution risks that could cap upside and pressure margins despite a strong cash position.
Data provided by:The Fly

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (ACAD) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. operates as a biopharmaceutical company, primarily dedicated to discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule therapeutics. Their core focus lies in addressing critical unmet medical needs within the realm...
How the Company Makes Money
ACADIA makes money primarily through product sales of NUPLAZID (pimavanserin). Revenue is generated by selling the drug into the U.S. pharmaceutical distribution channel (e.g., wholesalers/specialty pharmacies) and ultimately to patients via presc...

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:May 06, 2026
(Q1-2026)
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% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Nov 11, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call presented a predominantly positive commercial and pipeline picture: solid Q1 revenue growth (+11% adjusted), robust DAYBUE momentum (+20% YoY) and encouraging early uptake of the DAYBUE STIX formulation, continued demand and referral gains for NUPLAZID, a strong cash position ($851M) and major near‑term clinical catalysts (remlifanserin Phase II readout and trofinetide Japan Phase III). Headwinds include a temporary refill timing disruption that impacted Q1 NUPLAZID revenue timing, a sizable near‑term increase in SG&A (+35.3% YoY) to fund commercial expansion, ongoing regulatory uncertainty in Europe for trofinetide, and an R&D leadership transition. On balance, the positives (top‑line growth, product launches, reaffirmed guidance, pipeline catalysts and healthy cash) outweigh the challenges, which management describes largely as temporary or strategic investments.
Positive Updates
Solid Top-Line Revenue Growth
Total revenue of $268 million in Q1 2026, representing +11% year-over-year on an adjusted basis.
Negative Updates
Q1 NUPLAZID Refill Timing Disruption
A temporary increase in patients taking longer to refill prescriptions in January and early February negatively impacted Q1 NUPLAZID revenue timing; management indicates patients returned later in the quarter but notes late refills equate to lost revenue in the period (not lost patients).
Read all updates
Q1-2026 Updates
Negative
Solid Top-Line Revenue Growth
Total revenue of $268 million in Q1 2026, representing +11% year-over-year on an adjusted basis.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
ACADIA reaffirmed full‑year 2026 net sales and expense guidance, including total revenue guidance of $1.22–$1.28 billion, and said 2026 results will be back‑end loaded with greater contribution in H2 driven by the expanded NUPLAZID field force (30% expansion) and broader availability/adoption of DAYBUE STIX; Q1 results were $268M total revenue (+11% adj), DAYBUE $101M (+20% YoY) and NUPLAZID $167M (+6% YoY), with NUPLAZID demand +8% and physician referrals ~11%, gross‑to‑net adjustments of 22.1% (NUPLAZID) and 25.8% (DAYBUE), cash of $851M (vs. $820M), Q1 R&D $76.9M and SG&A $171M, while management reiterated near‑term catalysts and timelines (remlifanserin Phase II readout Aug–Oct 2026; trofinetide Japan Phase III readout Sep–Nov 2026), longer‑term goals of ~$1B NUPLAZID sales by 2028 and ~$700M for DAYBUE by 2028, a combined pipeline peak sales opportunity of $11B (≈$4B for remlifanserin), and plans to initiate 5 additional Phase II/III studies and report 4 Phase II/III readouts by end‑2027.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Strong turnaround to solid profitability with exceptionally high gross margins and a conservative, low-leverage balance sheet. Offsets include volatility in operating margins and weaker operating cash flow coverage versus net income, with historically choppy free cash flow.
Income Statement
78
Positive
Balance Sheet
86
Very Positive
Cash Flow
72
Positive
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue1.10B1.07B957.80M726.44M517.24M484.14M
Gross Profit1.00B982.51M875.96M680.71M507.07M465.00M
EBITDA126.91M150.66M100.16M-45.48M-211.42M-164.18M
Net Income375.65M391.00M226.45M-61.29M-215.97M-167.87M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets1.61B1.56B1.19B748.96M587.81M700.12M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments851.46M819.69M755.99M438.87M416.82M520.71M
Total Debt50.79M52.19M51.99M57.20M62.00M64.43M
Total Liabilities357.16M336.81M454.96M317.20M187.40M159.23M
Stockholders Equity1.25B1.23B732.79M431.75M400.41M540.89M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow212.43M105.15M157.20M-23.35M-114.03M-126.78M
Operating Cash Flow123.49M109.84M157.72M16.70M-114.03M-125.66M
Investing Cash Flow-112.23M-302.56M-30.54M32.00M73.24M-71.10M
Financing Cash Flow52.28M49.88M6.84M25.13M8.20M18.16M

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price24.84
Price Trends
50DMA
23.84
Positive
100DMA
22.78
Positive
200DMA
23.69
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
0.60
Positive
RSI
66.27
Neutral
STOCH
75.26
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For ACAD, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 24.84 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 25.74, above the 50-day MA of 23.84, and above the 200-day MA of 23.69, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.60 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 66.27 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 75.26 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for ACAD.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Risk Analysis

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals disclosed 55 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals reported the most risks in the "Legal & Regulatory" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (51)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
76
Outperform
$10.06B44.0219.25%25.15%79.56%
72
Outperform
$4.43B11.6035.65%9.93%61.40%
54
Neutral
$1.55B-4.75-85.61%-68.11%
51
Neutral
$7.86B-0.30-43.30%2.27%22.53%-2.21%
51
Neutral
$11.92B-39.56-55.45%14.09%-58.14%
51
Neutral
$5.68B-137.6721.72%-42.84%-106.21%
* Healthcare Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
ACAD
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals
25.61
1.97
8.33%
ARWR
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals
86.01
69.54
422.22%
PTCT
PTC Therapeutics
68.12
17.00
33.27%
KRYS
Krystal Biotech
312.57
175.22
127.57%
MLTX
MoonLake Immunotherapeutics
17.40
-36.01
-67.42%

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
Acadia Shareholders Approve Directors, Executive Pay and Equity Plan
Positive
May 29, 2026
Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. held its 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 29, 2026, where shareholders elected three Class I directors, James M. Daly, Edmund P. Harrigan, M.D., and Adora Ndu, Pharm.D., J.D., to serve until the 2029 annual me...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: May 30, 2026