Fundamental analysis: Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (AEZS)

Awarener score: 4.0

Conclusion

The higher the Awarener score, the more bang you get for the buck. It measures how much genuine funds the company generates for the stock price paid (could not be estimated), the business stability (Very poor) and growth (Very good), and the company's inclination to return cash to the stockholders (Bottom).

Note: All scores range from 1 (worst) to 10 (best). Conclusions are updated daily with closing stock prices and new reported quarterly financial statements.

Revenue score: 5.0

Business has been growing at a very good pace. It's been below average when measured against peer companies.
Aeterna Zentaris Inc. business varies frequently, ups and downs are normal. It's risky. It looks slightly better than rivals.

Margins score: 2.7

AEZS profit margins -on goods and services sold- are usually sufficient. They stand slightly better than rival companies.
Business profit on sales tends to be extremely poor. It's more than average in relation to competitors.
Profits on sales made -available to repay debt and purchase properties- are usually extremely poor. They remain in good shape compared to peers.
Earnings -before income taxes and interests on loans taken- tend to be extremely poor in relation to total revenues. They're still well ranked against similar companies.
Profits -before income taxes- are usually extremely poor considering total sales, and remain more than average in relation to rivals.
Total net profit tends to be extremely poor when confronted to sales. Company stands more than average in relation to comparable firms.

Growth score: 2.3

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. profit -on goods and services sold- has been growing at an extremely fast pace. It's been in good shape compared to competitors.
In recent years, the firm hasn't always been able to profit from operations, which has been bottom tier against comparable firms.
In past years, the company couldn't always turn a profit -available to repay debt and purchase properties-, which compares last-in-rank when measured against peer enterprises.
In the previous years, the firm couldn't always make a profit -before income taxes and interests on loans taken-. It turns to be a disappointment compared to similar stocks.
In past years, at least once the company lost money -before income taxes-. It was bottom tier against rivals.
In the previous years, the firm had at least a total net loss, and last-in-rank when measured against peer companies.
The company lost money at least once in the past years. It's been a disappointment compared to industry peers.

Miscellaneous score: 2.7

AEZS had still to pay income taxes, even though in recent past years mostly lost money. It's been bottom tier against peers.
Research and development expenses consume a substantial portion of revenues. It's great when measured against competitors.
The company grows very little in relation to research and development efforts. It stands a slight improvement compared to rival companies.

Profitability score: 3.0

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. usually gets meagre returns on the resources it controls. It proves top tier when measured against peer firms.
Due to insufficient track history, we were unable to estimate typical returns on invested capital (ROIC). They remain undisclosed in relation to similar companies.
Normal return on equity (ROE) is unavailable at this time, because of not enough yearly inputs to calculate. It ranks unknown against competitors.
In the past, got meagre returns -on the tangible resources it controls-. This metric is usually related to the industry in which operates and combines profitability versus reinvestment needs. It's great when measured against comparable enterprises.

Usage of Funds score: 2.0

AEZS on average doesn't generate genuine funds, so to buy or replace property, plants and equipment must either burn existing cash or increase debt. It stands great when measured against rival firms.
The company is usually replacing most of the property, plant, and equipment that gets old, and saving a little funds for something else, which is below average when measured against industry peers.
In the past twelve months the stock paid no dividends. It came bottom tier against competitors.
The company pays no dividend, so measuring its growth is meaningless. The company has behaved in an conservative way compared to similar firms.
As no dividends are paid, it is useless trying to estimate their sustainability in time. Sustainability looks not applicable in regard to comparable companies.
The company has greatly enlarged the pool of investors in previous years, resulting in more mouths feeding on the pie of profits. It remains in a very weak position compared to peer enterprises.
Repurchase effectiveness metric is very complex. Run again in analytical mode if you're interested in a technical explanation. It stands in a very weak position compared to rivals.
We do not have sufficient data to comment on buybacks and their sustainability. It still looks dubious against competitors.

Balance Sheet score: 5.8

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. intangible assets (like brands and goodwill) represent a small portion of resources controlled, according to accounting books. It isn't that a significant risk of liquidating them if the company ever gets in financial distress. It happens to be substantially worse when measured against peer companies.
The company has a lot more short-term resources than short-term obligations. There're no liquidity concerns. It turns to be in good shape compared to similar firms.
Almost no resources controlled were provided for with financial debt. Financial strength is great. Company could significantly increase debt if it wished so, to reinvest in business, to buy a smaller company or to reward stockholders. It remains better than most rival firms.
A substantial portion of resources controlled are already cash or short-term investments, which is better for liquidity. It looks almost average when measured against rivals.
For every dollar of short-term obligations, the company has plenty of dollars in cash and short-term receivables. It's in good shape compared to peer firms.
For every dollar of short-term obligations, the company has plenty of dollars in cash and equivalents, which is well ranked against similar enterprises.
Usually, sales are on somewhat more than three months credit. It still ranks substantially worse when measured against peers.
Normally has more than six months of sales worth in inventory. It comes up as in a very weak position compared to competitors.
On average, it takes plenty of months from the purchase to charging customers. It happens to be worse than most peers.
On average pays suppliers many months after the purchase. It ranks great when measured against industry peers.
The company charges its customers long before it must pay its suppliers, so the more it sales, the more free funds it gets. It's excellent in relation to similar companies.
Has usually been losing money on the business, so net interest expenses must be paid by increasing borrowings, which is unsustainable in the long run. The situation is very risky for both creditors and shareholders, profitability must increase. It stands bottom tier against rival firms.
Business has usually been operated at a loss. Unless prospects improve, the company is no position to decrease loans taken levels but by additional shareholders' funding. Profitability must improve. It ranks last-in-rank when measured against comparable enterprises.
Revenues are huge in relation to property, plant, and equipment required to operate. This metric is likely dependent on the industry the company operates in. Low property, plant, and equipment requirements, allows the company to keep more money to reward stockholders in the long run. It looks impressive in relation to similar firms.
Resource exploitation is very low when yearly sales are considered, business volume must be greatly increased. This metric is normally tied to the industry where the firm belongs. It's still somewhat better than peer companies.

Valuation score: 4.7

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. reported losses, so valuating it in relation to earnings is meaningless. It happens to be last-in-rank when measured against competitors.
Price-to-Tangible-Book-Value is a fairly complex metric. Run again in analytical mode if you're interested in a technical explanation. It remains impressive in relation to peers.
There is insufficient information on the genuine funds generation capability showed in the past twelve months, which stands as an incognita in relation to similar companies.
Unfortunately, lack of enough yearly data impaired our ability to estimate the normal earnings power. It's still an unknown variable to measure against industry firms.
In the past twelve months, the company has greatly enlarged the pool of investors by issuing new shares. Future profits need to be high enough to justify the measure, as the pie of earnings will now be split among plenty more stockholders. It came up a disappointment compared to peer ventures.
We are unsure on the relationship between net financial position and market capitalization of the stock. It looks we will not be able to reach a conclusion regarding similar enterprises.
Considering the past twelve months, traditional Price-to-Earnings relation has been negative, as the company lost money. It ranks last-in-rank when measured against peer companies.
Comparing the current stock price with the past twelve-months revenues gives a three or four to one relationship. This is an important metric to check its evolution through time, and to compare to industry peers. It looks excellent in relation to rival firms.
The stock price is significantly below the accounting book value. Unless profitability is extremely low, the stock may be selling at a large discount. Pay attention to the other key indicators for hints. The company remains top-notch against peer firms.
We could not gauge an alternative metric of earnings power of the past twelve months. It happens to be an interesting metric to relate to industry peers.
An alternate metric on the usual genuine-funds generation ability could not be provided. It's still unknown against peer companies.

Total score: 3.5

Company at a glance: Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (AEZS)

Sector, industry: Healthcare, Biotechnology

Market Cap: 0.01 billions

Revenues TTM: 0.01 billions

Aeterna Zentaris Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, engages in developing and commercializing therapeutics and diagnostic tests. Its lead product is macimorelin, an orally available peptidomimetic ghrelin receptor (GHSR-1a) agonist that stimulates the secretion of growth hormone by binding to the GHSR-1a for the diagnosis of adult growth hormone deficiency and childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency, as well as oncology indications. The company markets macimorelin under the Macrilen brand name. Aeterna Zentaris Inc. has a license agreement with University Wuerzburg to research, develop, manufacture, and sell a potential COVID-19 vaccine; development, manufacture, and commercialization of the treatment for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder; and to develop human 3D intestinal tissue models to study infection biology; and for pre-clinical development towards the potential treatment of Parkinson's disease. It also has a license agreement with Consilient Health Ltd., Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk Health Care AG, and NK MEDITECH Ltd. for the development and commercialization of macimorelin in the United States and Canada, as well as The University of Sheffield, the United Kingdom for the research, development, manufacture, and commercialization of parathyroid hormone fusion polypeptides for the treatment of primary hypoparathyroidism. Aeterna Zentaris Inc. was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Summerville, South Carolina.