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Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. (DNA)
NYSE:DNA
US Market

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings (DNA) AI Stock Analysis

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DNA

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings

(NYSE:DNA)

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Neutral 47 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:47Neutral
Price Target:
$6.50
▼(-26.64% Downside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:03/02/26
The score is held down primarily by weak financial performance (shrinking revenue, large losses, and ongoing cash burn) and a bearish technical setup (price well below key moving averages with negative MACD). The latest earnings call adds support via improved cost discipline, cash-burn guidance, and notable autonomous-lab traction, but uncertainty around near-term revenue visibility and continued losses keeps the overall score below average.
Positive Factors
High gross margins
Sustained ~81% gross margins indicate durable unit economics for Ginkgo’s platform services. High margins provide significant operating leverage if revenue stabilizes or grows, improve long-term viability of downstream royalty participation, and support reinvestment in automation and R&D.
Strong cash position
A large cash balance with no bank debt materially reduces near-term liquidity risk and gives management flexibility to fund the transition to a tools-focused model, invest in automation, pursue partnerships, and absorb continued operating losses without urgent refinancing pressure.
Biosecurity divestiture and retained stake
Moving Biosecurity into a partner while keeping a ~20% equity stake is a structural shift to an asset-light exposure. It offloads operating burden and cost while preserving upside, allowing Ginkgo to concentrate resources on core cell engineering and tools development over the medium term.
Negative Factors
Severe revenue decline
A multi-year collapse in revenue erodes scale benefits and threatens the economics of a business that depends on program volume to convert to downstream royalties. Persistent top-line decline makes it harder to leverage high gross margins and extends the timeline to sustainable profitability.
Negative operating and free cash flow
Large negative operating and free cash flow, even with improvement versus prior years, means the company still consumes significant capital to run operations. Continued cash burn constrains reinvestment, raises financing dependency risk, and limits the firm’s optionality if revenue recovery stalls.
Cell Engineering operational stress
Widening Cell Engineering losses and reliance on patchwork contract outcomes highlight execution and concentration risk. Program rationalization and large contract shortfalls weaken the pipeline that must scale to deliver milestone/royalty upside and impair progress toward a profitable services-to-tools transition.

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings (DNA) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionGinkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops platform for cell programming. Its platform is used to program cells to enable biological production of products, such as novel therapeutics, food ingredients, and chemicals derived from petroleum. The company serves various end markets, including specialty chemicals, agriculture, food, consumer products, and pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo Bioworks has a partnership with Selecta Biosciences, Inc. to develop ImmTOR technology platform. Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
How the Company Makes MoneyGinkgo Bioworks generates revenue through several key streams primarily focused on its partnerships and customer contracts in the biotechnology sector. The company collaborates with various organizations, including pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial companies, to develop custom organisms tailored to specific needs. Revenue is generated from service fees for its organism design and development services, as well as from licensing agreements that allow partners to utilize Ginkgo's proprietary technologies. Additionally, Ginkgo may earn royalties from commercialized products developed using its engineered organisms. Significant partnerships with major corporations enhance Ginkgo’s revenue potential by providing access to larger markets and more substantial projects, contributing notably to its earnings.

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Total Active Programs
Total Active Programs
Counts the number of ongoing projects or initiatives, indicating the company's innovation capacity and potential for future revenue streams.
Chart InsightsGinkgo Bioworks' active programs surged until late 2024, but a sharp decline followed, likely due to macroeconomic pressures and reduced demand for outsourcing R&D services. Despite this, the company is strategically expanding into new tools businesses and securing government contracts, which may offset some challenges. The earnings call highlighted significant cost reductions and improved profitability metrics, indicating a focus on financial resilience. However, ongoing net losses and a tough biotech capital market remain concerns, suggesting a cautious outlook for future program growth.
Data provided by:The Fly

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Feb 26, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 13, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call presented several strong strategic and operational positives: validated autonomous lab technology (OpenAI result, PNNL $47M deal), meaningful facility scale-up (Nebula), and substantial cost and cash-burn improvements (55% FY reduction) with disciplined 2026 cash-burn guidance. These positives are balanced by ongoing revenue pressures in Cell Engineering, continued GAAP losses and negative adjusted EBITDA, excess lease costs (~$54M in 2025), the planned divestiture of the Biosecurity revenue stream, and some near-term execution and adoption risks as the company scales RAC production and commercializes cloud/CapEx offerings. Overall, the company is shifting to a focused, investment-led growth strategy with improved financial discipline but still faces material near-term revenue and profitability headwinds.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Breakthrough Autonomous Lab Validation (OpenAI Collaboration)
Collaborated with OpenAI to connect GPT-5 as an "AI scientist" to Ginkgo's autonomous lab; achieved a 40% improvement vs state-of-the-art on a cell-free protein synthesis challenge over 6 experimental rounds. Demonstrates real-world AI-in-the-loop capability and strong differentiation for autonomous lab offering.
Large Government Contract and Deployment Momentum
Signed a $47 million contract with Pacific Northwest National Labs (DOE) to build a 97-RAC autonomous lab and installed the first 18 robots for the Genesis project, validating interest from federal research customers.
Nebula Facility Scale-Up and Market Demonstrations
Nebula (Boston) now a >50-RAC autonomous lab, hosted 590 visitors during SLAS tours; company plans to expand capacity from ~50 to 100 RACs by H1 to demonstrate scale and attract pharma, national labs and universities.
Material Cash Burn Improvement and 2026 Guidance
Full-year cash burn fell 55% from $383M (2024) to $171M (2025); Q4 cash burn down 15% from $55M to $47M. Provided 2026 cash-burn guidance of $125M–$150M, shifting guidance focus to runway and disciplined investment in autonomous labs.
Significant Reductions in R&D and G&A Expense
Cell Engineering R&D expense decreased 42% year-over-year (from $272M in 2024 to $159M in 2025) and R&D in Q4 decreased 44% (from $50M to $28M). Cell Engineering G&A fell 51% year-over-year (from $115M to $56M) and 40% in Q4 (from $20M to $12M), driven by restructuring.
Improved Segment and Adjusted EBITDA Performance
Cell Engineering operating loss improved materially: full-year loss narrowed from $219M (2024) to $96M (2025); Q4 operating loss narrowed from $38M to $17M. Total adjusted EBITDA improved: Q4 -$36M vs -$57M prior year, and full-year -$167M vs -$293M prior year.
Strategic Biosecurity Divestiture with Continued Minority Stake
Announced plan to divest Biosecurity business to allow focused investment in autonomous labs; company will retain a minority position and expects outside investors to accelerate the biosecurity prime opportunity while freeing Ginkgo capital for core strategy.
Commercial Traction on Data and Services
Datapoints business (data-generation for bio-AI) grew rapidly after a 1.5-year launch, working with ~10 of the top pharma companies and releasing public datasets. Ginkgo has completed ~250 Solutions partnerships over the last decade and is expanding cloud-lab and datapoints services.
Negative Updates
Cell Engineering Revenue Declines and Program Rationalization
Cell Engineering revenue was $26M in Q4 2025, down 26% year-over-year. Full-year Cell Engineering revenue was $133M (2025) vs $174M (2024); excluding noncash deferred revenue effects, revenue was $125M (2025) vs $129M (2024). Supported revenue-generating programs fell to 109 in Q4, a 4% decrease YoY, driven by ongoing program rationalization.
Ongoing GAAP Losses and Negative Adjusted EBITDA
Despite improvements, adjusted EBITDA remained negative: Q4 -$36M and full-year -$167M. The company continues to report GAAP net loss driven by noncash and other nonrecurring items (detailed in financial statements).
Excess Lease Carrying Costs
Carrying cost of excess lease space was $54M for 2025 (including $15M in Q4). This is a cash operating cost not driving revenue today and is a potential ongoing drag unless mitigated through subleasing or other measures.
Biosecurity Revenue Small and Business Transitioned
Biosecurity generated $7M in Q4 2025 and $37M for full-year 2025; planned divestiture removes that revenue stream from Ginkgo's core operating base even as it retains minority exposure, introducing short-term revenue headwind and transition risk.
No 2026 Revenue Guidance and Near-Term Uncertainty
Company declined to provide 2026 revenue guidance, instead guiding to cash burn; this reflects strategic shift but increases near-term topline visibility risk for investors as Ginkgo prioritizes autonomous-lab investment over short-term revenue targets.
Market/Segment Weakness and Execution Friction
Industrial/industrial-biotech demand remains challenged since 2022. Company noted that early autonomous-lab operation requires debugging and cultural onboarding (things break as frontier systems scale), creating execution and adoption friction with customers.
Manufacturing and Scale Considerations for RACs
While RAC design has been improved for manufacturability and current production can scale, management acknowledged that increasing RAC production and deployment (to meet customer demand) will require planning and expanded manufacturing partnerships.
Company Guidance
Management said they will not give 2026 revenue guidance and will instead guide on cash burn, targeting $125–$150 million for 2026 (versus $171M cash burn in FY2025, a 55% reduction from $383M in FY2024), with Q4‑2025 cash burn of $47M (down 15% YoY) and roughly $430M cash on hand. Profitability metrics improved: total adjusted EBITDA was negative $36M in Q4 and negative $167M for FY2025 (vs. -$57M Q4 and -$293M FY2024); carrying cost of excess lease space was $54M for 2025 ($15M in Q4). Operational metrics include Cell Engineering revenue of $26M in Q4 (‑26% YoY) and $133M for 2025 ($125M excluding noncash items vs $129M in 2024), 109 revenue‑generating programs in Q4 (‑4% YoY), R&D expense down 44% in Q4 to $28M and 42% for the year to $159M (including a Google Cloud shortfall settlement), G&A down 40% in Q4 to $12M and 51% for the year to $56M, and segment operating losses narrowed to $17M in Q4 and $96M for FY2025; Biosecurity revenue was $7M in Q4 and $37M for the year. They reiterated the planned Biosecurity divestiture, noted a $47M PNNL booking, and said they will expand Boston RAC capacity from ~50 to 100 units by H1 while focusing investment on autonomous labs.

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Financials remain weak: revenue has shrunk materially (to ~$170M in 2025) and losses/free cash flow are still deeply negative (FCF about -$179M). Positives include very strong gross margin (~81%), meaningful expense reductions, and improving (though still negative) EBITDA/cash burn, with a balance sheet supported by positive equity but rising leverage and equity erosion.
Income Statement
18
Very Negative
Revenue has contracted sharply over time (down from ~$478M in 2022 to ~$170M in 2025), signaling a difficult demand/scale environment. Gross margin is very strong (about 81% in 2025), showing healthy unit economics, but losses remain very large: 2025 net margin is deeply negative (roughly -184%), even though it has improved meaningfully versus 2022–2024. Overall, the income statement reflects improving cost discipline from extremely weak levels, but the business is still far from profitability and top-line momentum is currently negative.
Balance Sheet
42
Neutral
Leverage is moderate with debt below equity (2025 debt-to-equity ~0.82), but it has risen materially versus 2021–2023, increasing financial risk. Equity remains positive (~$509M in 2025), providing some balance-sheet support, yet it has declined significantly from prior years, consistent with ongoing losses. Returns on equity are strongly negative, highlighting that the capital base is not currently generating profits.
Cash Flow
24
Negative
Cash burn remains substantial, with operating cash flow around -$171M and free cash flow around -$179M in 2025, though both have improved versus 2023–2024. Free cash flow was slightly worse year over year in 2025, indicating the path to stabilization is not linear. Cash outflows exceed reported losses in magnitude terms from an operating perspective (still meaningfully negative operating cash flow), reinforcing that the company is not yet self-funding.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue170.16M227.04M251.46M477.71M313.84M
Gross Profit138.63M188.49M197.45M273.49M184.15M
EBITDA-254.61M-484.39M-821.29M-2.06B-1.81B
Net Income-312.76M-547.03M-892.87M-2.10B-1.83B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets1.12B1.38B1.67B2.54B2.07B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments422.62M561.57M944.07M1.32B1.55B
Total Debt417.08M467.73M239.31M442.59M23.03M
Total Liabilities611.11M661.39M568.19M803.04M503.61M
Stockholders Equity508.59M716.06M1.10B1.74B1.51B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-178.72M-382.13M-336.30M-304.47M-310.34M
Operating Cash Flow-171.06M-319.58M-295.50M-252.20M-253.82M
Investing Cash Flow-240.29M-62.24M-80.69M-67.39M-73.26M
Financing Cash Flow17.77M-1.74M-3.22M95.34M1.53B

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price8.86
Price Trends
50DMA
9.05
Negative
100DMA
9.96
Negative
200DMA
10.43
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.33
Positive
RSI
36.93
Neutral
STOCH
40.67
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For DNA, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 8.86 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 8.95, below the 50-day MA of 9.05, and below the 200-day MA of 10.43, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.33 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 36.93 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 40.67 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for DNA.

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Risk Analysis

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings disclosed 70 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings 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

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (51)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
75
Outperform
$398.23M20.5038.90%36.04%1240.00%
55
Neutral
$649.58M-1.24-50.23%14.68%89.16%
53
Neutral
$357.32M-15.55-26.54%-73.48%
52
Neutral
$511.98M-1.05-75.75%-34.92%-43.26%
51
Neutral
$7.86B-0.30-43.30%2.27%22.53%-2.21%
47
Neutral
$422.58M-1.24-51.08%-17.13%51.74%
46
Neutral
$421.04M-3.10-55.68%-33.09%3.38%
* Healthcare Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
DNA
Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings
7.05
-0.96
-11.99%
NAGE
Niagen Bioscience
4.99
-0.51
-9.27%
MNPR
Monopar Therapeutics Inc
53.47
22.54
72.87%
LYEL
Lyell Immunopharma
24.10
10.87
82.16%
JBIO
Jade Biosciences
14.12
5.34
60.82%
ABSI
AbSci
2.80
-0.62
-18.13%

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyM&A Transactions
Ginkgo Bioworks Divests Biosecurity Unit, Retains Minority Stake
Neutral
Feb 27, 2026

On February 26, 2026, Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc., agreed to transfer all equity interests of Ginkgo Biosecurity, LLC to Tower Biosecurity, Inc., effectively divesting substantially all of the parent company’s Biosecurity segment operations. In return, Ginkgo will receive common stock in Tower Biosecurity representing about 20% of the purchaser’s fully diluted equity, with closing expected in the first half of 2026 subject to customary conditions, signaling a shift in how Ginkgo participates in the biosecurity market while retaining a minority stake in the combined platform.

The transaction is structured to move Ginkgo’s biosecurity activities into Tower Biosecurity’s corporate structure, potentially altering Ginkgo’s operational footprint and cost base in that segment while preserving exposure to any future growth via its equity interest. For stakeholders, the deal suggests a strategic repositioning away from directly operating the Biosecurity unit toward a partnership and ownership model, which may impact how investors assess the company’s risk profile and focus areas within the broader synthetic biology and biosecurity landscape.

The most recent analyst rating on (DNA) stock is a Sell with a $9.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings stock, see the DNA Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Ginkgo Bioworks realigns leadership, shifts COO responsibilities
Positive
Dec 23, 2025

On December 18, 2025, Ginkgo Bioworks announced that longtime co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Reshma Shetty will transition her COO responsibilities to CEO Dr. Jason Kelly and senior executive Jennifer Wipf, effective January 1, 2026. Dr. Shetty will remain President and a member of the Board and will concentrate on expanding and utilizing the company’s autonomous lab to deliver its cell engineering service offerings, while Dr. Kelly assumes the principal operating officer policymaking role and Wipf, formerly Chief Commercial Officer and General Manager for Discovery Solutions and Manufacturing, takes charge of day-to-day commercial and operational functions, including procurement, deployment, facilities, real estate, and people operations, reflecting a leadership realignment aimed at strengthening operations and commercial execution.

The most recent analyst rating on (DNA) stock is a Sell with a $8.50 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings stock, see the DNA 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: Mar 02, 2026