We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Small-Cap Biotech Stocks with Massive Potential According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Kura Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:KURA) stands against the other small-cap biotech stocks.
Revolutionizing Healthcare and Economy: The Rapid Growth of Biotechnology
The biotechnology sector is expanding quickly due to rising demand for novel therapies, technological advances, and government assistance. Advances in fields like gene editing, sequencing, personalized medicine, and artificial intelligence are making new techniques possible, while the aging population and growing healthcare demands are driving a robust market for new treatments. According to a report by McKinsey & Company, venture capital firms made approximately $52 billion in global investments in therapeutic-focused biotech companies between 2019 and 2021. Two-thirds of this sum was given to platform-tech start-up companies.
Despite its growth, many biotech companies have faced challenges in turbulent markets, taking drastic measures such as cutting programs and implementing significant layoffs to conserve cash. While recent rate cuts could encourage the revival of scientific projects, analysts like Jared Holz note the difficulty of gauging their impact. Holz also highlighted a shift in market dynamics, observing that biotech’s performance increasingly correlates with small-cap equities. If small-cap stocks trade well, biotech is likely to follow, though stagnation could occur if momentum fades. Notably, the idea of interest rates predicting biotech success is relatively new, emerging only after the pandemic, which reshaped the industry by driving substantial investment into therapeutic-focused companies.
With innovative treatments, biotech businesses are revolutionizing healthcare by tackling important unmet medical needs. Establishing the National Bioeconomy Board as a component of Biden’s Investing in America agenda is a significant breakthrough. It seeks to maximize biotechnology’s economic potential in the United States.
Furthermore, policy suggestions to expedite the approval process for biotechnology goods are being developed by the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology. More academics will be able to use biotechnology for agricultural purposes if entry obstacles are reduced, which will benefit American farmers and increase food security. It is anticipated that these initiatives will open up new markets.
Pharmaceuticals as Defensive Investments and the 2024 Healthcare Market Outlook
This year (2024) started strongly for the biotechnology sector due to a rise in mergers and acquisitions as well as anticipations of falling interest rates. Therefore, estimates suggest that the worldwide biotechnology market might increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 14% from 2024 to 2033, reaching an astonishing $5.7 trillion. The market for agricultural biotechnology is also expected to develop at a 7.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and reach $232 billion by 2032.
But even with the market’s potential, investing in biotech companies still carries a number of serious dangers. Bankruptcy may result from failing to satisfy clinical trial endpoints or obtain adequate finance before a product launch. In the biotech industry, where drug development usually takes more than ten years and has an estimated failure rate of about 90%, the danger of failure is very substantial. Hence, biotech stocks are often considered “high-risk, high-reward” investments due to their upside potential coupled with significant risks
Our Methodology
In our methodology, we identified the top small-cap biotech stocks with significant growth potential, ranked according to their total hedge fund holdings as of Q2 2024. Our selection process began by filtering companies with a small market capitalization. Next, we reviewed analyst recommendations, focusing on stocks with strong bullish sentiment and high institutional ownership. Finally, we ranked these companies based on the number of hedge funds holding their shares as of Q2 2024.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
A biopharmaceutical researcher intently studying results from a clinical trial.
Kura Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:KURA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holdings: 36
Kura Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:KURA) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing precision medicines for the treatment of cancer. At its core, the company designs and develops targeted therapies that aim to improve outcomes for patients with various types of solid tumors and blood cancers.
A major catalyst for Kura Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:KURA) is the development of ziftomenib, its lead drug candidate. Ziftomenib, an oral medication targeting the menin-MLL1 protein-protein interaction, has received a Breakthrough Therapy Designation for patients with relapsed/refractory NPM1-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This designation could accelerate the drug’s path to market, potentially leading to increased revenue and market share. Another catalyst is the company’s expanding clinical trial program. The corporation has completed enrollment in a Phase 2 registration-directed trial of ziftomenib (KOMET-001) and is conducting multiple clinical trials to evaluate ziftomenib in combination with current standard-of-care regimens.
Kura Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:KURA) reported significant financial developments in Q3 2024, with research and development expenses increasing to $41.7 million from $29.3 million in Q3 2023 which was driven by higher clinical trial costs for key programs such as ziftomenib and KO-2806. General and administrative expenses also rose to $18.2 million from $13.1 million, contributing to a net loss of $54.4 million, up from $38.6 million in the prior year. The company maintains a strong cash position of $455.3 million, ensuring operational funding into 2027.
As of the third quarter of 2024, 36 hedge funds had investments in the company, with Suvretta Capital Management being the largest shareholder, holding stakes valued at $149.5 million, according to the Insider Monkey database. Analysts on Wall Street have a consensus Strong Buy rating for the stock. Over the past three months, analysts have set a 12-month price target of $30.89, with estimates ranging from a low of $22.00 to a high of $37.00. This represents a potential upside of 52.47% from the current price of $20.26.
Overall KURA ranks 2nd on our list of the best small-cap biotech stocks with massive potential according to hedge funds. While we acknowledge the potential of KURA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than KURA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
