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Atara Biotherapeutics Inc (ATRA)
NASDAQ:ATRA

Atara Biotherapeutics (ATRA) AI Stock Analysis

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ATRA

Atara Biotherapeutics

(NASDAQ:ATRA)

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Neutral 46 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:46Neutral
Price Target:
$17.00
▲(7.66% Upside)
The score is primarily pressured by weak financial health (negative equity and ongoing cash burn) and a major negative regulatory development (FDA CRL for EBVALLO). Technicals are relatively supportive with price above key moving averages, and the low P/E helps modestly, but risks dominate.
Positive Factors
High gross margin
Sustained gross margin >81% in the trailing twelve months indicates favorable unit economics for Atara's therapies. High gross margins provide durable capacity to absorb R&D and SG&A as sales scale, improving the long-term path to profitability once commercial revenues stabilize.
Improving operating margins
A move to positive EBIT/EBITDA in the TTM period reflects emerging operational leverage and cost discipline in a R&D-heavy biotech. If sustained, this structural improvement reduces cash burn pressure and supports reinvestment in clinical programs and commercialization efforts over the medium term.
Commercial partner engagement
Revised commercialization terms with Pierre Fabre indicate an active strategic partner committed to tab-cel's launch. Such a partner can provide funding via milestones, regional commercialization expertise and distribution, materially de-risking market access and supporting durable commercial execution.
Negative Factors
Negative stockholders' equity
Negative stockholders' equity is a structural balance-sheet weakness that limits financing flexibility and raises creditor or covenant risk. Over months, this can force dilutive equity raises, restrictive financing terms, or asset dispositions, constraining strategic options and shareholder value.
Persistent cash burn
Ongoing negative operating and free cash flows indicate Atara is burning cash to fund operations and trials. This persistent cash burn requires external capital over the medium term, increasing dilution risk or leverage and limiting the firm's ability to independently finance development and commercialization.
Inconsistent revenue trend
An inconsistent revenue trajectory and a TTM decline weaken revenue predictability and the firm's ability to leverage fixed costs despite strong gross margins. Structurally, this heightens reliance on milestone payments and partners, complicating long-term planning and funding for clinical scale-up.

Atara Biotherapeutics (ATRA) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Atara Biotherapeutics Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionAtara Biotherapeutics, Inc., an off-the-shelf T-cell immunotherapy company, develops treatments for patients with cancer, autoimmune, and viral diseases in the United States. It is developing tabelecleucel, a T-cell immunotherapy that is Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of epstein-barr virus (EBV) driven post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease, as well as hematologic and solid tumors, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The company is also developing next-generation CAR T immunotherapies for patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, including ATA2271 and ATA3271 for mesothelin; and ATA2431 and ATA3219 for B-cell malignancies, as well as ATA188 for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. In addition, it develops ATA368 program for patients with human papillomavirus associated cancers. Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. has a license agreement with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; license, and research and development collaboration agreement with QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute; and strategic collaboration with H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, as well as Bayer AG for mesothelin-targeted CAR T-cell therapies for solid tumors. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.
How the Company Makes MoneyAtara Biotherapeutics generates revenue primarily through collaborations, grants, and clinical trial partnerships. The company may receive milestone payments and royalties from strategic partnerships with larger pharmaceutical companies that help fund its research and development efforts. Significant partnerships can include co-development agreements or licensing deals, where Atara provides its technology and expertise in exchange for financial support and shared profits on future product sales. Additionally, the company may receive funding from government grants or public and private investors, particularly for its innovative therapies that address unmet medical needs.

Atara Biotherapeutics Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Atara Biotherapeutics faces significant financial challenges. Despite a high gross profit margin, the company struggles with low net profit margins and negative revenue growth. The balance sheet shows financial instability with negative equity, and cash flow issues are evident with negative operating and free cash flows.
Income Statement
Atara Biotherapeutics shows a mixed performance in its income statement. The company has a positive gross profit margin of 79.32% TTM, indicating efficient cost management relative to revenue. However, the net profit margin is low at 3.39% TTM, and revenue growth is negative at -5.54% TTM, reflecting challenges in maintaining revenue levels. The EBIT and EBITDA margins are modest at 3.85% and 8.13% TTM, respectively, suggesting limited operational profitability.
Balance Sheet
The balance sheet reveals significant financial instability. The company has a negative stockholders' equity, leading to a negative debt-to-equity ratio of -0.44 TTM, which is concerning. The return on equity is also negative, indicating losses relative to shareholder investments. The equity ratio is not directly calculable due to negative equity, highlighting potential solvency issues.
Cash Flow
Cash flow analysis shows a challenging situation with negative operating and free cash flows. The free cash flow growth rate is negative at -4.98% TTM, and the operating cash flow to net income ratio is -4.39 TTM, indicating cash flow issues relative to earnings. The free cash flow to net income ratio is slightly above 1, suggesting that free cash flow is marginally covering net income.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue151.93M128.94M8.57M63.57M20.34M0.00
Gross Profit124.03M107.93M-313.00K63.57M-261.66M-244.65M
EBITDA30.50M-75.75M-266.00M-222.26M-331.12M-300.72M
Net Income23.40M-85.40M-276.13M-228.30M-340.14M-306.62M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets30.17M109.10M165.50M376.42M468.13M588.12M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments13.71M42.50M51.73M242.82M371.07M500.66M
Total Debt58.60M43.83M57.87M71.70M28.27M15.03M
Total Liabilities66.80M206.38M264.74M249.78M188.51M125.78M
Stockholders Equity-36.63M-97.28M-99.23M126.64M279.61M462.34M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-69.80M-68.96M-194.20M-274.62M-231.10M-185.27M
Operating Cash Flow-69.71M-68.72M-192.98M-270.43M-220.52M-180.76M
Investing Cash Flow13.08M8.62M123.87M202.96M22.26M-120.73M
Financing Cash Flow15.77M59.28M2.01M53.08M103.94M427.57M

Atara Biotherapeutics Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price15.79
Price Trends
50DMA
14.65
Negative
100DMA
14.12
Negative
200DMA
11.31
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-1.52
Positive
RSI
22.46
Positive
STOCH
4.25
Positive
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For ATRA, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 15.79 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 15.84, above the 50-day MA of 14.65, and above the 200-day MA of 11.31, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -1.52 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 22.46 is Positive, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 4.25 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for ATRA.

Atara Biotherapeutics Risk Analysis

Atara Biotherapeutics disclosed 68 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Atara Biotherapeutics reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Atara Biotherapeutics Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (51)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
51
Neutral
$7.86B-0.30-43.30%2.27%22.53%-2.21%
51
Neutral
$252.16M-1.67-49.18%-33.76%17.54%
50
Neutral
$154.29M-0.95-63.96%-28.50%
49
Neutral
$66.40M-1.05-76.44%-10.03%11.06%
48
Neutral
$113.23M-1.45-81.13%-9.70%23.23%
46
Neutral
$42.40M1.9951.27%
* Healthcare Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
ATRA
Atara Biotherapeutics
4.37
-7.94
-64.50%
MGNX
MacroGenics
1.75
-1.29
-42.43%
ZNTL
Zentalis Pharmaceuticals
3.48
0.84
31.82%
SRZN
Surrozen
20.65
9.46
84.54%
TCRX
TScan Therapeutics
1.17
-1.46
-55.51%

Atara Biotherapeutics Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial DisclosuresProduct-Related AnnouncementsRegulatory Filings and Compliance
FDA Rejects Atara’s EBVALLO BLA, Commercial Path Uncertain
Negative
Jan 12, 2026

On January 12, 2026, Atara Biotherapeutics reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a Complete Response Letter for EBVALLO (tabelecleucel), rejecting its Biologics License Application as a monotherapy for EBV-positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease in adults and children, despite previously resolving manufacturing compliance issues and raising no new safety concerns. The FDA, reversing its earlier stance, now deems the single-arm ALLELE trial inadequate to demonstrate effectiveness for accelerated approval, prompting Atara’s U.S. commercialization partner Pierre Fabre to seek a Type A meeting as the companies work to salvage a path forward for the therapy, while Atara continues a deep restructuring marked by a roughly 90% headcount reduction in 2025, amended commercialization milestones, a significant lease downsizing, and year-end 2025 cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of about $8.5 million, subject to audit.

The most recent analyst rating on (ATRA) stock is a Hold with a $18.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Atara Biotherapeutics stock, see the ATRA Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and Strategy
Atara revises tab-cel commercialization milestones with Pierre Fabre
Neutral
Jan 2, 2026

On December 30, 2025, Atara Biotherapeutics amended its commercialization agreement with Pierre Fabre Medicament, reducing potential regulatory milestone payments tied to FDA approval of a BLA for tab-cel from $40 million to $31 million in exchange for the opportunity to earn an additional $15 million milestone based on achieving a specified commercial milestone. The revised structure adjusts the balance between regulatory and commercial incentives, potentially aligning Pierre Fabre’s financial commitments more closely with tab-cel’s market performance and affecting the timing and composition of future milestone revenues for Atara.

The most recent analyst rating on (ATRA) stock is a Buy with a $25.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Atara Biotherapeutics stock, see the ATRA Stock Forecast page.

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: Jan 13, 2026