Ligand Pharmaceuticals stock gets USD 47 million AvenCell deal
Published on 09/24/2026 at 20:49 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Ligand Pharmaceuticals stock was trading at USD 301 on Nasdaq on September 24, 2026 at 2:47 p.m. ET, up 0.87 percent, as the company announced a financing agreement worth up to USD 47 million with AvenCell Therapeutics. The deal adds potential royalty income to Ligand's expanding portfolio of biopharmaceutical assets.
USD 47 million expands royalty reach
According to Ligand Pharmaceuticals on September 24, 2026, Ligand committed up to USD 41 million in exchange for a mid single-digit to low double-digit royalty on AvenCell's current and future pipeline assets.
A further USD 6 million commitment covers AvenCell's Series C financing, bringing the potential funding total to USD 47 million. The capital will be provided in four tranches, with later payments tied to clinical milestones and other financing conditions.
Q2 revenue rose 33.8 percent
Ligand's royalty model already produced a measurable step-up in the second quarter. A Stock Titan filing summary reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of USD 63.7 million, versus USD 47.6 million a year earlier, while royalty revenue reached USD 48.0 million, up 32 percent.
The same August 6, 2026 filing summary reported GAAP net income of USD 48.5 million, compared with USD 4.8 million in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted EPS was USD 2.37, and full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance stood at USD 9.00 to USD 9.50.
Analyst target remains USD 358
GuruFocus reported on September 24, 2026 that HC Wainwright maintained a Buy rating and a USD 358 price target. The target is an external analyst view, while the AvenCell agreement gives Ligand a separate pipeline-linked source of potential future royalties.
Nasdaq price stays below yearly high
Ligand's market capitalization was USD 6,032,359,361 on September 24, 2026. The 52-week range was USD 163.45 to USD 326.63, placing the intraday price of USD 301 7.85 percent below the yearly high.
Ligand Pharmaceuticals key data
- Company: Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
- Ticker: LGND
- Trading venue: Nasdaq
- Price (as of September 24, 2026, 2:47 p.m. ET): USD 301
- Market capitalization: USD 6,032,359,361 (as of September 24, 2026)
- 52-week range: USD 163.45-326.63 (as of September 24, 2026)
- Sector / Industry: Healthcare / Biotechnology
