Aura Biosciences Inc (AURA) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $279.75M
• Dividend Yield: N/A
• Average Volume (3M): 369.96K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): ―
• Beta (1Y): 2.16
• Revenue Growth: N/A
• EPS Growth: 9.22%
• Country: US
• Employees: 106
• Sector: Healthcare
• Sector Strength: 66
• Industry: Biotechnology
• EPS (TTM): -1.75
• Shares Outstanding: 50,225,310
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 262,238
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 369,965
• PEG Ratio: N/A
• Price to Book (P/B): N/A
• Price to Sales (P/S): N/A
• Price to Cash Flow (P/CF): -6.10
• P/FCF Ratio: 0.00
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: N/A
• 1Y Price Target: $22.00
• Price Target Upside: 310.45% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Strong Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 7

Aura Biosciences' overall stock score reflects its early-stage biotech profile, characterized by no revenue, increasing losses, and negative cash flows. While the company maintains a solid balance sheet, its stock faces bearish technical indicators and speculative valuation. The recent board appointment is a positive development, but the company's financial health and market trends remain the primary concerns.

Positive Factors

Clinical Data

Aura's bel-sar shows promise in treating bladder cancer by providing early positive signals for future development.

Financial Performance

The company has $151 million in cash and cash equivalents, providing financial runway into the second half of 2026.

Regulatory Engagement

Plans for the Ph 1b/2 trial have been discussed with the FDA, indicating regulatory engagement.

Negative Factors

Market Adoption

The market model has been adjusted to reflect a slower adoption of the immune-ablative approach for intermediate-risk patients, as it deviates more from current practice.

Market Competition

The neoadjuvant space is more competitive, with a number of programs in the post BCG/high risk setting.

Sales Projections

Overall peak sales for bel-sar in bladder are now estimated at $800 million, down from a previous estimate of $1.1 billion.

Aura Biosciences Inc Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Aura Biosciences Inc (AURA) is a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapies for the treatment of various cancers. The company's core product candidates are designed to selectively target and destroy cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Aura Biosciences is particularly known for its work in ocular oncology, including the development of proprietary virus-like drug conjugates that target ocular and other rare cancers.

How the Company Makes Money

Aura Biosciences generates revenue primarily through the development and potential commercialization of its proprietary cancer therapies. The company aims to make money by obtaining regulatory approval for its drug candidates and subsequently commercializing them either independently or through strategic partnerships with larger pharmaceutical companies. Revenue streams may include upfront payments, milestone payments, and royalties from licensing agreements, as well as direct sales of approved therapies. Significant partnerships with established pharmaceutical companies can also contribute to its earnings by providing financial support and market access for its products.

Aura Biosciences Inc Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Aura Biosciences Inc. is an early-stage biotechnology company with no revenue and increasing net losses. The balance sheet shows strong equity positions and manageable debt levels, indicating financial stability despite operational losses. However, continued negative cash flows highlight the need for strategic funding and revenue generation strategies to sustain operations.

Income Statement

Aura Biosciences Inc. has consistently reported zero revenue over the years, indicating a pre-revenue or early-stage biotech company. Net losses have increased from -$24.2M in 2019 to -$86.9M in 2024, reflecting higher operational expenses likely due to R&D and other growth activities. Although this is typical for biotech firms in early stages, the absence of revenue presents a significant financial risk.

Balance Sheet

The company's balance sheet improved in terms of equity, turning from negative in 2019 to positive in recent years, with a stockholders' equity of $151.97M in 2024. The debt-to-equity ratio is low, indicating manageable debt levels relative to equity. However, the absence of revenue to cover liabilities presents a risk if financing becomes constrained.

Cash Flow

Operating cash flow remains negative, with a significant increase in cash burn over the years, reaching -$79.8M in 2024. Despite negative free cash flow, the company has maintained significant cash reserves, likely due to financing activities, evidenced by substantial cash and equivalents of $151.09M. This provides a buffer but raises sustainability concerns if cash outflows persist without revenue.

Breakdown
Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement		Total Revenue
0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
	Gross Profit
0.00	-1.29M	-1.18M	-835.00K	-831.00K
	EBIT
0.00	-84.99M	-60.30M	-35.25M	-22.21M
	EBITDA
0.00	-83.70M	-59.12M	-34.42M	-21.38M
	Net Income Common Stockholders
-86.92M	-76.41M	-57.23M	-34.42M	-22.21M
Balance Sheet		Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
151.09M	226.15M	188.81M	149.06M	17.39M
	Total Assets
182.50M	255.07M	223.94M	160.03M	22.10M
	Total Debt
18.77M	19.56M	20.86M	975.00K	15.00K
	Net Debt
-12.92M	-21.51M	-100.72M	-148.09M	-17.38M
	Total Liabilities
30.53M	29.23M	28.35M	7.71M	130.82M
	Stockholders Equity
151.97M	225.85M	195.58M	152.31M	-108.71M
Cash Flow		Free Cash Flow
-81.06M	-64.56M	-55.70M	-34.53M	-25.09M
	Operating Cash Flow
-79.81M	-63.85M	-54.60M	-32.41M	-24.32M
	Investing Cash Flow
68.82M	-113.96M	-67.87M	-2.13M	-771.00K
	Financing Cash Flow
1.59M	97.29M	95.63M	166.26M	10.04M

Aura Biosciences Inc Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Neutral
• Last Price: 5.36
• 50DMA: Negative
• 100DMA: Negative
• 200DMA: Negative
• MACD: Negative
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For AURA, the sentiment is Neutral. The current price of 5.36 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 5.67, below the 50-day MA of 6.77, and below the 200-day MA of 8.33, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.40 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 44.50 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 64.58 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Neutral sentiment for AURA.

Aura Biosciences Inc Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
GLUE	52 Neutral	$274.33M	―	-36.15%	―	―	61.09%
Sector *	50 Neutral	$5.14B	3.10	-40.94%	2.95%	17.94%	2.00%
ATYR	48 Neutral	$275.46M	―	-79.69%	―	-33.43%	8.94%
OLMA	46 Neutral	$324.58M	―	-39.07%	―	―	0.42%
AURA	43 Neutral	$279.75M	―	-46.01%	―	―	9.22%
TSHA	40 Underperform	$254.27M	―	-121.94%	―	-46.07%	71.52%
ATAI	40 Underperform	$293.68M	―	-62.43%	―	-0.90%	-89.51%

Aura Biosciences Inc Corporate Events

Aura Biosciences Expands Board with New Director Appointment

On March 31, 2025, Aura Biosciences expanded its Board of Directors by appointing Teresa Marie Bitetti as a Class II director. Bitetti, who is the President of the Global Oncology Business Unit at Takeda, brings extensive operational and commercial experience to the board. Her appointment is expected to strengthen Aura’s strategic direction as it advances its clinical pipeline in ocular and urologic oncology. Bitetti’s industry expertise is anticipated to support Aura’s mission to grow as an innovative global oncology company.