IONS
HealthcareIonis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. · Biotechnology · $13B
What is Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.?
Ionis Pharmaceuticals is a large-cap biotech pioneer focused on RNA-targeted medicines, treating rare and serious diseases across neurology, cardiology, and metabolic conditions.
Ionis discovers and develops antisense therapies that target RNA to silence or modify disease-causing proteins. Revenue comes from approved medicines, royalties, and collaboration agreements with major pharmaceutical partners including AstraZeneca, Novartis, Roche, and Biogen.
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Carlsbad, California, Ionis has built one of the deepest RNA-therapy pipelines in the industry.
- SPINRAZA — approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy
- TEGSEDI — therapy for hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis
- WAYLIVRA — treatment for rare lipid disorders
- Late-stage pipeline including eplontersen, olezarsen, and pelacarsen
Is IONS a Good Stock to Buy?
UQS Score rates IONS as Good overall, reflecting a balanced but nuanced profile across the five quality pillars.
Growth stands out as the strongest pillar, supported by a broad late-stage pipeline and expanding collaboration revenues. Valuation is rated Attractive relative to peers, and Risk registers as Neutral.
Quality is the weakest pillar, reflecting profitability pressures common to pipeline-heavy biotechs still scaling commercial operations.
See the exact pillar breakdown and full financial metrics by signing up for a Pro account at UQS Score. Sign up free →
Past performance does not guarantee future results. UQS Score is based on fundamental data and is not a buy/sell recommendation.
Does IONS pay dividends?
No — Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.
Ionis does not currently pay a dividend. Capital is reinvested into advancing its RNA-therapy pipeline and funding clinical-stage programs — a typical approach for growth-oriented biotechs prioritizing long-term pipeline value over near-term income distribution.
When does IONS report earnings?
Ionis Pharmaceuticals reports earnings on a quarterly cadence, standard for US-listed equities.
Results tend to reflect the interplay between collaboration milestones, royalty streams from SPINRAZA, and ongoing R&D investment. Pipeline readouts and partnership updates often drive market reaction as much as headline revenue figures.
For the most recent quarter's results, visit Ionis Pharmaceuticals' investor relations page directly.
IONS Price History
+100.8% over 5Y
Monthly close, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment.
What if I invested in Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.?
Based on Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s historical closing prices, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Ionis Pharmaceuticals do?
Ionis discovers and develops RNA-targeted medicines for rare and serious diseases. Its platform uses antisense technology to modulate disease-causing proteins at the RNA level, with approved drugs in neurology and rare metabolic conditions, plus a broad late-stage pipeline.
Does IONS pay dividends?
No, Ionis does not pay a dividend. The company reinvests available capital into its clinical pipeline and research programs, which is consistent with its growth-stage biotech profile.
When does IONS report earnings?
Ionis reports on a quarterly basis. Exact dates shift each cycle, so check the company's investor relations page for the current schedule and most recent results.
Is IONS a good stock to buy?
UQS Score rates IONS as Good overall. The Growth pillar is Strong and Valuation is Attractive, but Quality is Weak — meaning investors should weigh pipeline potential against current profitability challenges. The full pillar breakdown is available to Pro members.
Is IONS overvalued?
Based on the UQS Valuation pillar, IONS is rated Attractive relative to sector peers. That said, biotech valuations are sensitive to clinical trial outcomes and partnership milestones, so context matters.
Is IONS a long-term quality investment?
As a long-term quality indicator, IONS scores Good on the UQS composite. Its Strong Growth pillar and Attractive Valuation are positives, but the Weak Quality pillar signals that sustained profitability is still developing — a key factor for long-horizon investors to monitor.
What is IONS's market cap bracket?
Ionis Pharmaceuticals is classified as a large-cap company, placing it among the more established names in the specialty biotech space.
What is the main competitive advantage of Ionis Pharmaceuticals?
Ionis has spent decades building proprietary antisense technology and a broad RNA-targeting platform. This has attracted collaboration agreements with multiple top-tier pharmaceutical companies, creating a diversified revenue base beyond its own commercial products.
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Pro Analysis
IONS — Score History
| Date | UQS | Quality | Moat | Growth | Risk | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 12, 2026 | 53.4 | 10.8 | 46.0 | 85.3 | 47.9 | 100.0 | +0.1 |
| Apr 18, 2026 | 53.3 | 10.8 | 46.0 | 85.3 | 47.2 | 100.0 | +15.0 |
| Apr 2, 2026 | 38.3 | 10.8 | 46.0 | 85.3 | 47.2 | 0.0 | — |
IONS — Pillar Breakdown
Quality
— 10.8/100 (25%)Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. currently shows below-average quality metrics, suggesting challenges with profitability.
How effectively capital is deployed to generate returns.
Profitability relative to shareholders' equity.
Ability to convert revenue into operating profit.
Bottom-line profit as a share of revenue.
Asset productivity — how much gross profit each dollar of assets generates.
Free cash flow relative to market value.
Growth
— 85.3/100 (20%)Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is growing rapidly with strong revenue and earnings expansion.
Revenue trajectory over the last twelve months.
Compound annual revenue growth rate over 3 years.
Year-over-year earnings per share growth.
Analyst consensus for future revenue growth.
Risk
— 47.9/100 (15%)Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has some risk factors including moderate leverage or solvency concerns.
Debt levels relative to earnings capacity.
Total debt relative to shareholder equity.
Short-term liquidity — ability to pay near-term obligations.
Earnings capacity relative to interest payments.
Valuation
— 100.0/100 (15%)Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. appears attractively valued relative to its earnings, cash flows, and sector peers.
Enterprise value multiple relative to sector median.
Moat
— 46/100 (25%)Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. possesses some competitive advantages but faces meaningful competition. The Moat pillar evaluates competitive advantages across five dimensions: Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets, and Scale & Ecosystem. Sign in to customize moat ratings for IONS.
Score Composition
Financial Data
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How is the IONS UQS Score Calculated?
The UQS (Unified Quality Score) for Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is calculated using a proprietary 6-pillar framework with 29 financial metrics. Each pillar evaluates a different dimension on a 0–100 scale, then combines into a single weighted score. Scoring thresholds are calibrated per sector. Momentum is an optional Pro toggle — without it, you get the 5-pillar / 25-metric core shown below.
Quality (25%) measures profitability and capital efficiency — ROIC, ROE, margins, GP/Assets, and FCF Yield.
Moat (25%) assesses Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s competitive advantages across switching costs, network effects, cost advantages, intangible assets, and ecosystem scale.
Growth (20%) tracks revenue trajectory and earnings momentum, combining historical results with analyst forward estimates.
Risk (15%) is inversely scored — lower leverage and strong balance sheet health result in higher scores.
Valuation (15%) measures whether Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is fairly priced using earnings yield, price-to-FCF, PEG ratio, and EV/EBITDA relative to sector peers.
Six investor-inspired presets are available, each with different pillar weights: Balanced, Buffett, Munger, Lynch, Cathie Wood, and Graham. The public score shown here uses the Balanced preset. Learn more in our FAQ.