Yahoo Finance We're Hopeful That I-Mab (NASDAQ:IMAB) Will Use Its Cash Wisely
Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed.
So should I-Mab (NASDAQ:IMAB) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. Let's start with an examination of the business' cash, relative to its cash burn.
Check out our latest analysis for I-Mab
How Long Is I-Mab's Cash Runway?
You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. When I-Mab last reported its balance sheet in December 2021, it had zero debt and cash worth CN¥4.3b. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through CN¥1.0b. That means it had a cash runway of about 4.3 years as of December 2021. Importantly, though, analysts think that I-Mab will reach cashflow breakeven before then. In that case, it may never reach the end of its cash runway. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.
Is I-Mab's Revenue Growing?
Given that I-Mab actually had positive free cash flow last year, before burning cash this year, we'll focus on its operating revenue to get a measure of the business trajectory. The bad news for shareholders is that operating revenue actually plummeted 94% in the last year, which is a real concern in our view. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.
How Easily Can I-Mab Raise Cash?
Since its revenue growth is moving in the wrong direction, I-Mab shareholders may wish to think ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).
I-Mab's cash burn of CN¥1.0b is about 17% of its CN¥5.8b market capitalisation. As a result, we'd venture that the company could raise more cash for growth without much trouble, albeit at the cost of some dilution.
Is I-Mab's Cash Burn A Worry?
On this analysis of I-Mab's cash burn, we think its cash runway was reassuring, while its falling revenue has us a bit worried. One real positive is that analysts are forecasting that the company will reach breakeven. While we're the kind of investors who are always a bit concerned about the risks involved with cash burning companies, the metrics we have discussed in this article leave us relatively comfortable about I-Mab's situation. Its important for readers to be cognizant of the risks that can affect the company's operations, and we've picked out 3 warning signs for I-Mab that investors should know when investing in the stock.
Of course I-Mab may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
