Iovance Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:IOVA) Rating Increased to Outperform at Citizens Jmp

Citizens Jmp upgraded shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:IOVA) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report report published on Wednesday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has $5.00 price objective on the biotechnology company’s stock.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on IOVA. Chardan Capital dropped their price objective on shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics from $20.00 to $17.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Barclays lifted their price target on Iovance Biotherapeutics from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. HC Wainwright decreased their price objective on shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics from $20.00 to $9.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $2.00 target price on shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $10.00.

Iovance Biotherapeutics Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:IOVA opened at $3.83 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $2.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $2.41. Iovance Biotherapeutics has a fifty-two week low of $1.64 and a fifty-two week high of $5.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.42 and a beta of 0.76.

Iovance Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:IOVA) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.18) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.22) by $0.04. The company had revenue of $86.77 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $81.61 million. Iovance Biotherapeutics had a negative net margin of 148.41% and a negative return on equity of 54.09%. Research analysts expect that Iovance Biotherapeutics will post -1.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Iovance Biotherapeutics by 51.5% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 20,161,445 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $55,041,000 after purchasing an additional 6,851,486 shares during the last quarter. Palo Alto Investors LP increased its stake in shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics by 122.1% in the 3rd quarter. Palo Alto Investors LP now owns 7,618,132 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $16,531,000 after acquiring an additional 4,188,803 shares during the last quarter. HRT Financial LP raised its position in shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics by 1,078.3% in the 4th quarter. HRT Financial LP now owns 4,356,010 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $11,891,000 after acquiring an additional 3,986,314 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics by 202.8% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 5,777,344 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $19,239,000 after acquiring an additional 3,869,617 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Iovance Biotherapeutics by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 27,207,079 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $74,275,000 after acquiring an additional 3,148,096 shares during the last quarter. 77.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Iovance Biotherapeutics News

Here are the key news stories impacting Iovance Biotherapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations (narrower loss, $86.8M revenue) with Amtagvi sales up ~33% and management pointing to improved margins and pipeline momentum. This is a primary earnings catalyst supporting the rally. IOVA Beats on Q4 Earnings & Sales, Stock Soars on Pipeline Progress
• Positive Sentiment: FDA approval and positive real‑world data for lifileucel (Amtagvi) have shifted the program from a pipeline bet toward commercial execution, increasing revenue visibility and investor enthusiasm. Iovance FDA Approval Shifts Lifileucel From Pipeline Bet To Execution Test
• Positive Sentiment: Positive pilot sarcoma data (50% objective response rate in advanced soft‑tissue sarcomas) broadens Amtagvi’s potential label expansion and prompted immediate investor buying. This clinical readout is being treated as a material pipeline catalyst. Iovance Announces Positive Results for TIL Cell Therapy in Soft Tissue Sarcomas
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment is improving — Barclays raised its price target to $11 and Citizens JMP upgraded the stock — adding institutional validation to the move and supporting further upside potential. Analyst Coverage / Price Target Changes
• Positive Sentiment: Operational/volume story: coverage explaining a Philadelphia manufacturing/scale rationale helped investor confidence that commercial execution can improve, contributing to the weekly surge. Iovance Surged 44% This Week and Its Philadelphia Factory Explains Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Chardan trimmed its price target slightly (from $17 to $16) but kept a buy rating — a mixed signal (still bullish but slightly less aggressive). Chardan Lowers Price Target on Iovance
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity: a large one‑day increase in call buying was reported, signaling speculative bullish positioning but not confirming sustained fundamental buying. (Market flows can amplify moves.)
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest jumped ~24.8% in February to ~131.3M shares — ~36.9% of float — and a short‑interest ratio near 14.6 days. That raises potential for volatility (squeeze risk) but also indicates strong bearish positioning that could pressure the stock if fundamentals weaken.
• Negative Sentiment: Cash/runway and dilution risk remain material — analysts and sell‑side commentary flag that Iovance may need additional capital before Amtagvi generates steady cash flow, which could lead to future dilution. Seeking Alpha: Better Gross Margin And Faster Turnaround Support A Higher Floor

About Iovance Biotherapeutics

Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc is a clinical‐stage biotechnology company specializing in the development and commercialization of tumor‐infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) immunotherapies for the treatment of solid tumors. The company’s lead product candidate, lifileucel (formerly LN‐144), is an autologous TIL therapy in late‐stage clinical development for patients with advanced melanoma. Iovance’s pipeline also includes next‐generation TIL programs such as LN‐145 for cervical and other human papillomavirus (HPV)‐related cancers, as well as exploratory studies in head and neck, non‐small cell lung, gastric and other solid tumor indications.

Iovance’s TIL platform harnesses a patient’s own immune system by isolating, expanding and reinfusing tumor‐reactive lymphocytes.