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Lisata Therapeutics (LSTA)
NASDAQ:LSTA

Lisata Therapeutics (LSTA) AI Stock Analysis

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LSTA

Lisata Therapeutics

(NASDAQ:LSTA)

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Neutral 51 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:51Neutral
Price Target:
$5.00
▲(156.41% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:03/13/26
The score is held down primarily by weak financial performance (limited/volatile revenue, continued losses, and ongoing cash burn) despite low leverage. Technicals are supportive with an established uptrend but show overbought risk. Earnings-call commentary adds some support via improving expense discipline and runway into 2027, though the need for additional Phase III funding remains a meaningful overhang; valuation is not especially helpful given negative earnings and no dividend.
Positive Factors
Conservative leverage
Zero or minimal reported debt reduces financial risk and preserves flexibility to pursue partnerships or fund trials without immediate solvency pressure. For a clinical-stage biotech, low leverage lengthens runway options and lowers bankruptcy risk while management seeks non-dilutive or strategic funding.
Strategic partnerships & licensing
Alliances with GATC (AI drug discovery) and a Catalent SMARTag license embed external technical capabilities and commercialization optionality. These partnerships de-risk development, broaden platform applications and can accelerate clinical candidate identification and manufacturing pathways over the medium term.
Expense discipline and runway
Management cut operating and R&D expenses while preserving clinical momentum, extending runway to Q1 2027 on ~$19M cash. Improved cost discipline increases the firm’s ability to reach near-term milestones and negotiate partnerships, giving more time to secure Phase III funding or strategic alternatives.
Negative Factors
Weak cash generation
Persistent negative operating and free cash flow indicate the company cannot self-fund development. Even with modest year-over-year burn improvement, sustained negative cash generation forces reliance on equity, partnerships, or acquisition to finance expensive Phase III trials, raising dilution or execution risk.
Very limited, volatile revenue and losses
Sharp revenue decline and sizable net losses reflect lack of commercial scale and persistent negative margins. Without predictable revenue streams, the company’s ability to fund development internally is constrained, increasing dependency on external capital and reducing visibility on multi-year financial sustainability.
Phase III funding overhang
Management explicitly flagged the need for substantial capital or partnerships for a Phase III trial. This is a structural overhang: securing large-scale trial funding or a partner is uncertain, and failure to do so would delay pivotal development or force dilutive financing, altering long-term strategic options.

Lisata Therapeutics (LSTA) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Lisata Therapeutics Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionLisata Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing cellular therapies to reverse disease and/or promote the regeneration of damaged tissue. Its product candidates include HONEDRA, a recipient of SAKIGAKE designation that is in Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of critical limb ischemia; XOWNA that is in Phase IIb clinical trial for the treatment of coronary microvascular dysfunction; and CLBS201, a CD34+ cell therapy for the treatment of pre-dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease. The company was formerly known as NeoStem, Inc. and changed its name to Caladrius Biosciences, Inc. in June 2015. The company was formerly known as Caladrius Biosciences, Inc. and changed its name to Lisata Therapeutics, Inc. on September 15, 2022. Lisata Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 1980 and is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
How the Company Makes Moneynull

Lisata Therapeutics Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Nov 06, 2025
(Q3-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 07, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
Lisata Therapeutics has made significant progress in its clinical programs and strategic partnerships, reflecting strong operational management and promising trial results. However, the need for additional capital for Phase III trials poses a significant challenge. The market's lack of response to positive developments highlights ongoing investor skepticism or broader market conditions.
Q3-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Strategic Alliance with GATC Health
Lisata entered into a strategic alliance with GATC Health to use their advanced AI technology for drug discovery, identifying several development candidates for clinical development in 2026.
Nonexclusive License Agreement with Catalent
Executed a global license agreement with Catalent, granting them access to certepetide for use in their SMARTag ADC technology platform, enhancing tumor targeting and efficacy.
Phase IIb ASCEND Trial Positive Results
Presented positive preliminary data from both Cohorts A and B, showing positive trends in survival rates without increased adverse events, supporting further development of certepetide.
Operating Expense Reduction
Operating expenses decreased by 17.3% year-over-year, reflecting successful cost management strategies.
Cash Runway into 2027
The company has cash and cash equivalents of approximately $19 million, supporting operations into the first quarter of 2027.
Negative Updates
Need for Additional Capital
The company acknowledged the need to raise substantial funds or secure partnerships to support a Phase III trial, highlighting the significant financial challenge ahead.
Limited Stock Market Response
Despite positive data and prudent capital management, the company's stock price has not reflected these achievements, attributed to macroeconomic factors and limited trading volume.
Company Guidance
During the Lisata Therapeutics Third Quarter 2025 Financial Results and Business Update Conference Call, the company provided guidance on several key metrics. They reported a decrease in operating expenses to $4.4 million for the third quarter of 2025, down from $5.3 million in the same period the previous year, marking a 17.3% reduction. Research and development expenses also declined by 22.9% to $2 million. The company reported a net loss of $4.2 million, compared to $4.9 million in the third quarter of 2024. Lisata highlighted their cash and cash equivalents totaling approximately $19 million as of September 30, 2025, with projections to support operations into the first quarter of 2027. Additionally, they discussed their strategic alliance with GATC Health and a nonexclusive global license agreement with Catalent, indicating a promising period ahead with several anticipated milestones.

Lisata Therapeutics Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Financial quality is weak: revenue is very limited and volatile (down ~84% in 2025 vs. 2024) with sizable net losses (~-$16.6M in 2025) and persistently negative operating/free cash flow (OCF about -$15.9M in 2025). The main offset is a conservatively levered balance sheet with minimal/no debt, but assets and equity have trended down with ongoing cash burn.
Income Statement
12
Very Negative
Revenue remains very limited and volatile (down ~84% in 2025 vs. 2024), and the company continues to post sizable losses (2025 net income about -$16.6M). Profitability is weak with deeply negative net margins, reflecting a business still in heavy investment mode. A positive is that losses narrowed versus 2022 levels, but the lack of consistent revenue scale keeps earnings quality and visibility low.
Balance Sheet
58
Neutral
The balance sheet is conservatively levered, with minimal to no debt (debt-to-equity near zero across periods, and zero total debt reported in 2025), which reduces financial risk. However, equity and total assets have trended down meaningfully since 2021, consistent with ongoing cash burn, and returns on equity are persistently negative. Overall: strong on leverage, weaker on capital preservation and profitability.
Cash Flow
18
Very Negative
Cash generation is a key pressure point: operating cash flow is consistently negative (about -$15.9M in 2025 vs. roughly -$19.4M in 2024), and free cash flow is also negative. The burn rate improved modestly year over year, but free cash flow growth is negative in 2025 and cash flows do not cover losses in a way that suggests near-term self-funding. The company likely remains reliant on external capital over time if losses persist.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue170.00K1.00M0.000.000.00
Gross Profit24.00K1.00M0.000.000.00
EBITDA-18.06M-22.23M-25.52M-57.53M-29.00M
Net Income-16.59M-19.98M-20.84M-54.23M-27.47M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets17.74M35.00M54.69M73.03M97.01M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments15.96M31.25M50.53M69.23M94.97M
Total Debt0.00137.00K168.00K485.00K714.00K
Total Liabilities3.14M5.68M6.80M6.71M5.01M
Stockholders Equity14.86M29.57M48.15M66.58M92.25M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-15.98M-19.36M-20.03M-21.45M-22.30M
Operating Cash Flow-15.95M-19.36M-20.03M-21.17M-22.25M
Investing Cash Flow15.09M13.23M10.10M28.91M-54.90M
Financing Cash Flow599.00K-206.00K385.00K-224.00K85.28M

Lisata Therapeutics Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price1.95
Price Trends
50DMA
3.87
Positive
100DMA
3.02
Positive
200DMA
2.77
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
0.26
Negative
RSI
72.04
Negative
STOCH
95.88
Negative
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For LSTA, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 1.95 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 4.55, below the 50-day MA of 3.87, and below the 200-day MA of 2.77, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.26 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 72.04 is Negative, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 95.88 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for LSTA.

Lisata Therapeutics Risk Analysis

Lisata Therapeutics disclosed 79 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Lisata Therapeutics reported the most risks in the "Tech & Innovation" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Lisata Therapeutics Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (51)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
52
Neutral
$21.53M-0.14-380.13%54.41%
51
Neutral
$7.86B-0.30-43.30%2.27%22.53%-2.21%
51
Neutral
$45.52M-0.97-84.39%15.32%
50
Neutral
$19.70M-0.51-54.40%18.73%
43
Neutral
$4.67M-0.19-389.34%99.02%
41
Neutral
$7.07M-0.66-301.42%72.88%
* Healthcare Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
LSTA
Lisata Therapeutics
5.04
2.66
111.76%
APVO
Aptevo Therapeutics
4.68
-945.72
-99.51%
CTXR
Citius Pharmaceuticals
0.88
-0.65
-42.48%
PCSA
Processa Pharmaceuticals
3.12
-8.08
-72.14%
APLM
Apollomics
19.51
11.54
144.79%

Lisata Therapeutics Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyDelistings and Listing ChangesM&A Transactions
Lisata Therapeutics to Be Acquired by Kuva Labs
Positive
Mar 9, 2026

On March 6, 2026, Lisata Therapeutics agreed to be acquired by privately held Kuva Labs in an all-cash tender offer valuing its common shares at $5.00 each at closing plus one non-tradable contingent value right per share, offering a potential additional $1.00 tied to future regulatory progress for certepetide. The transaction, unanimously recommended by Lisata’s board and expected to close in the second quarter of 2026 subject to a majority tender and other customary conditions, will take Lisata private, delist its stock from Nasdaq and consolidate its oncology-focused pipeline with Kuva’s preclinical NanoMark imaging platform, reshaping incentives for shareholders and aligning future upside with the success of certepetide.

The merger structure includes a second-step merger for untendered shares on identical terms and provides cash and CVR treatment for in-the-money stock options and time-based equity awards, while out-of-the-money options will be canceled without consideration. Termination provisions contemplate a $2 million break fee payable by either side under specified circumstances, and the deal excludes a financing condition, signaling Kuva’s committed funding and adding competitive and execution risk considerations for stakeholders as they evaluate the tender offer.

The most recent analyst rating on (LSTA) stock is a Hold with a $4.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Lisata Therapeutics stock, see the LSTA Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyM&A Transactions
Lisata Extends Kuva Labs Acquisition Term Sheet Timeline
Neutral
Feb 27, 2026

Lisata Therapeutics, Inc. and Kuva Labs Inc. had previously entered into a binding term sheet on January 20, 2026, outlining the framework for a potential negotiated acquisition of Lisata by Kuva via a tender offer for all outstanding Lisata common shares, followed by a short-form merger under Section 251(h) of Delaware law. On February 27, 2026, the parties amended the term sheet to extend its expiration to March 7, 2026, signaling continued progress toward a definitive purchase agreement and maintaining transaction optionality for Lisata shareholders while the tender offer has yet to formally commence and remains subject to regulatory filings and customary closing conditions.

The contemplated deal structure could lead to a full change of control of Lisata if sufficient shares are tendered and the merger is completed, potentially reshaping its strategic direction and ownership profile. However, the company highlights significant uncertainties, including the timing and consummation of the tender offer and merger, possible competing bids, and potential business disruption and litigation risks, underscoring that there is no assurance the transaction will close as envisioned and that stakeholders face both opportunity and execution risk as negotiations continue.

The most recent analyst rating on (LSTA) stock is a Hold with a $4.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Lisata Therapeutics stock, see the LSTA Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and Strategy
Lisata Therapeutics ends Qilu certepetide collaboration deal
Negative
Jan 27, 2026

On January 23, 2026, Lisata Therapeutics, Inc. and Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. mutually agreed to terminate their exclusive license and collaboration agreement, originally signed in February 2021 and subsequently amended, which had granted Qilu rights to research, develop and commercialize certepetide in Greater China. The termination, effective the same day, eliminates Lisata’s potential to receive up to $200 million in development and commercial milestone payments and 10%–15% royalties on sales in that territory, although both parties remain bound by obligations and certain provisions that accrued or were designated to survive prior to the termination, signaling a strategic shift in Lisata’s regional commercialization plans for certepetide.

The most recent analyst rating on (LSTA) stock is a Hold with a $2.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Lisata Therapeutics stock, see the LSTA Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyM&A Transactions
Lisata Therapeutics Agrees to All-Cash Acquisition by Kuva
Positive
Jan 21, 2026

On January 20–21, 2026, Lisata Therapeutics announced it had entered into a binding term sheet with privately held Kuva Labs for a negotiated acquisition via an all‑cash tender offer of $4.00 per share, to be followed by a short‑form merger, with Lisata stockholders also eligible for two non‑tradeable contingent value rights worth up to an additional $2.00 per share upon achieving specified certepetide‑related milestones. The offer, unanimously approved by both companies’ boards and expected to be formalized in a definitive purchase agreement before February 27, 2026, represents roughly an 85% premium to Lisata’s most recent closing price, or about 180% including the CVRs, and is structured with exclusivity, standstill and break‑up fee provisions that protect both parties while allowing Lisata to consider superior competing bids; the deal underscores the strategic value Kuva sees in Lisata’s certepetide‑based oncology platform and could deliver a substantial liquidity event for shareholders if the tender offer and subsequent merger close as planned.

The most recent analyst rating on (LSTA) stock is a Hold with a $2.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Lisata Therapeutics stock, see the LSTA 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 13, 2026