Catalyst Biosciences (NASDAQ:CBIO) Will Have To Spend Its Cash Wisely

Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com?

So should Catalyst Biosciences (NASDAQ:CBIO) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? For the purposes of this article, cash burn is the annual rate at which an unprofitable company spends cash to fund its growth; its negative free cash flow. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

View our latest analysis for Catalyst Biosciences

Does Catalyst Biosciences Have A Long Cash Runway?

A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. When Catalyst Biosciences last reported its balance sheet in March 2021, it had zero debt and cash worth US$107m. In the last year, its cash burn was US$75m. That means it had a cash runway of around 17 months as of March 2021. While that cash runway isn't too concerning, sensible holders would be peering into the distance, and considering what happens if the company runs out of cash. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

How Well Is Catalyst Biosciences Growing?

Notably, Catalyst Biosciences actually ramped up its cash burn very hard and fast in the last year, by 123%, signifying heavy investment in the business. And that is all the more of a concern in light of the fact that operating revenue was actually down by 63% in the last year, as the company no doubt scrambles to change its fortunes. Considering these two factors together makes us nervous about the direction the company seems to be heading. 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 Catalyst Biosciences To Raise More Cash For Growth?

Catalyst Biosciences revenue is declining and its cash burn is increasing, so many may be considering its need to raise more cash in the future. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations.

Since it has a market capitalisation of US$131m, Catalyst Biosciences' US$75m in cash burn equates to about 57% of its market value. That's high expenditure relative to the value of the entire company, so if it does have to issue shares to fund more growth, that could end up really hurting shareholders returns (through significant dilution).

How Risky Is Catalyst Biosciences' Cash Burn Situation?

On this analysis of Catalyst Biosciences' cash burn, we think its cash runway was reassuring, while its falling revenue has us a bit worried. Considering all the measures mentioned in this report, we reckon that its cash burn is fairly risky, and if we held shares we'd be watching like a hawk for any deterioration. Separately, we looked at different risks affecting the company and spotted 3 warning signs for Catalyst Biosciences (of which 1 is concerning!) you should know about.

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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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