Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, biotech company Lexicon Pharmaceuticals (LXRX 1.23%) has received a distressing two-star ranking.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Lexicon and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Lexicon facts
|
Headquarters (founded) |
The Woodlands, Texas (1995) |
|
Market Cap |
$1.2 billion |
|
Industry |
Biotechnology |
|
Trailing-12-Month Revenue |
$1.1 million |
|
Management |
Co-Founder/CEO Arthur Sands |
|
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) |
(43.8%) |
|
Cash/Debt |
$222.8 million / $23.5 million |
|
Competitors |
Aptalis Pharma |
Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, 21% of the 63 All-Star members who have rated Lexicon believe the stock will underperform the S&P 500 going forward.
Just yesterday, one of those Fools, All-Star zzlangerhans, touched on the stock's seemingly unsustainable valuation:
If there's one thing recent history has told us about Lexicon, it's that a market cap of over a billion for their highly speculative pipeline will not hold. Lexicon has assets, to be sure, and at a market cap of [$500M] or even [$600M] in this frothy market you wouldn't be hearing anything about them from me. But LX4211 doesn't have a clear place in the rapidly evolving field of glycemic control, and progression to phase III is on hold as a partnership is awaited. Telotristat is in the early stages of what undoubtedly will be a long phase III trial for the narrow indication of carcinoid. If the last year's pattern holds, the share price will be well under [$2 per share] again before any positive catalysts emerge from the pipeline.
