Wall Street Zen Upgrades Iovance Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:IOVA) to Hold

Iovance Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:IOVA) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on IOVA. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “sell” rating and set a $2.00 price target on shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Chardan Capital reduced their target price on shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Citizens Jmp upgraded Iovance Biotherapeutics from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $5.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $9.33.

Iovance Biotherapeutics Stock Up 1.8%

Iovance Biotherapeutics stock opened at $3.86 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.59 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.45 and a beta of 0.76. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $2.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $2.43. Iovance Biotherapeutics has a 52 week low of $1.64 and a 52 week high of $4.57.

Iovance Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:IOVA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.18) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.22) by $0.04. The company had revenue of $86.77 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $81.61 million. Iovance Biotherapeutics had a negative return on equity of 54.54% and a negative net margin of 148.41%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Iovance Biotherapeutics will post -1.24 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Iovance Biotherapeutics

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Squarepoint Ops LLC boosted its stake in Iovance Biotherapeutics by 115.2% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 856,569 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $1,473,000 after buying an additional 458,540 shares during the period. Mirador Capital Partners LP purchased a new position in shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics during the third quarter worth about $1,118,000. Voss Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics during the second quarter worth about $1,157,000. Virtus Investment Advisers LLC increased its position in shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics by 326.5% in the second quarter. Virtus Investment Advisers LLC now owns 192,378 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $331,000 after purchasing an additional 147,271 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Iovance Biotherapeutics in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,056,000. Institutional investors own 77.03% of the company’s stock.

Iovance Biotherapeutics News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 / FY results beat expectations — Iovance reported Q4 product revenue of ~$87M (30% growth Q/Q) and full‑year revenue up ~61% to ~$264M; GAAP EPS was less negative than expected (Q4 EPS roughly -$0.18 vs. consensus -$0.22). Investors are treating the print as evidence that Amtagvi commercial sales and the company’s growth trajectory are real. IOVA Beats on Q4 Earnings & Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline and development catalysts — the stock popped on 50% ORR data and Iovance’s plan for a registrational sarcoma study, reinforcing upside from clinical progress beyond commercial sales. That data-driven message contributed materially to today’s buying. Pipeline Progress & ORR Data
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and estimate lifts — HC Wainwright raised FY2026/FY2027 EPS assumptions and maintains a Buy/$9 target; Citizens JMP upgraded Iovance to Outperform. Upgrades and higher price targets amplify demand from institutions and momentum traders. Raised to Outperform at Citizens Jmp
• Positive Sentiment: Manufacturing/commercial ramp explained — reporting and coverage highlighted the Philadelphia factory ramp as a key reason sales can scale, reducing execution risk around supply and supporting the narrative that Iovance is transitioning from pure pipeline to a commercial-stage company. Philadelphia Factory Explains Surge
• Neutral Sentiment: High trading and options activity — unusually large options and stock volume signaled speculative interest and positioning around the earnings/catalyst news; this can amplify intraday moves but is not a sustained fundamental change by itself. Unusually Large Options Volume
• Neutral Sentiment: Management investor outreach — Iovance announced presentations at TD Cowen and Barclays conferences (early March), which could provide additional color but are routine post‑earnings investor engagement. Conference Presentations
• Negative Sentiment: Very large and rising short interest — short interest jumped ~24.8% to ~131M shares (~36.9% of float) with a ~14.6 day cover ratio, leaving the stock vulnerable to volatility and squeezes; this elevated shorting is both a risk (pressure on future upside if sentiment reverses) and a potential amplifier of rapid moves. (data reported 2/25)

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.