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. Indeed, MaxCyte (LON:MXCT) stock is up 310% in the last year, providing strong gains for shareholders. Nonetheless, only a fool would ignore the risk that a loss making company burns through its cash too quickly.
In light of its strong share price run, we think now is a good time to investigate how risky MaxCyte's cash burn is. For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). Let's start with an examination of the business' cash, relative to its cash burn.
View our latest analysis for MaxCyte
When Might MaxCyte Run Out Of Money?
A cash runway is defined as the length of time it would take a company to run out of money if it kept spending at its current rate of cash burn. When MaxCyte last reported its balance sheet in March 2021, it had zero debt and cash worth US$79m. In the last year, its cash burn was US$9.6m. That means it had a cash runway of about 8.2 years as of March 2021. While this is only one measure of its cash burn situation, it certainly gives us the impression that holders have nothing to worry about. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.
How Well Is MaxCyte Growing?
We reckon the fact that MaxCyte managed to shrink its cash burn by 25% over the last year is rather encouraging. Revenue also improved during the period, increasing by 16%. Considering the factors above, the company doesn’t fare badly when it comes to assessing how it is changing over time. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.
How Hard Would It Be For MaxCyte To Raise More Cash For Growth?
We are certainly impressed with the progress MaxCyte has made over the last year, but it is also worth considering how costly it would be if it wanted to raise more cash to fund faster growth. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.
Since it has a market capitalisation of US$1.2b, MaxCyte's US$9.6m in cash burn equates to about 0.8% of its market value. That means it could easily issue a few shares to fund more growth, and might well be in a position to borrow cheaply.
So, Should We Worry About MaxCyte's Cash Burn?
It may already be apparent to you that we're relatively comfortable with the way MaxCyte is burning through its cash. For example, we think its cash runway suggests that the company is on a good path. Its cash burn reduction wasn't quite as good, but was still rather encouraging! Looking at all the measures in this article, together, we're not worried about its rate of cash burn; the company seems well on top of its medium-term spending needs. Taking an in-depth view of risks, we've identified 2 warning signs for MaxCyte that you should be aware of before investing.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.
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About AIM:MXCT
MaxCyte
A life sciences company, discovers, develops, and commercializes next-generation cell therapies in the United States and internationally.
Flawless balance sheet with limited growth.
