Atara Biotherapeutics Inc. Common Stock (ATRA)

FairStock Score: 83/100 — HIGH CONVICTION

Key Financials

AI Analysis

AI-generated, general educational analysis — not personal investment advice.

I approach a stock like Atara with Graham’s caution and Buffett’s preference for understandable, consistently profitable businesses. Atara is a clinical-stage biotechnology company with only 10 employees, pursuing Tab-cel in Phase 3 and ATA3219, an allogeneic CAR T. That is science, not a moat I can underwrite with confidence. The filed numbers are volatile. In fiscal 2023, the year ended 2023-12-31, revenue was $8.6 million and net loss was $276.1 million. In fiscal 2024, the year ended 2024-12-31, revenue was $128.9 million and net loss was $85.4 million. In fiscal 2025, the year ended 2025-12-31, revenue was $120.8 million and net income was $32.7 million, which is why FairStock computes its Lynch category as TURNAROUND — returned to profit after a loss within the last three years. But the latest filings are troubling: in fiscal Q1 2026, the quarter ended 2026-03-31, revenue was $516,000 and net loss was $4.1 million; in fiscal Q2 2026, the quarter ended 2026-06-30, revenue was $630,000 and net loss was $4.8 million. For comparison, fiscal Q2 2025, the quarter ended 2025-06-30, had revenue of $17.6 million and net income of $2.4 million. The market cap is only $41.8 million at the 2026-10-13 close of $9.31. FairStock’s price-based P/E is -7.16, its ROCE is -24.14%, and its trailing free cash flow yield is -52.4%. The Piotroski F-Score is 3/9 and Altman Z-Score is -135.13, both flashing financial weakness. There is no dividend. A low beta of 0.22 does not protect the business from clinical or commercial failure. The FairStock score of 83/100 may reflect optionality, but I see no margin of safety in current numbers. Growth depends on trial outcomes, not on durable competitive advantages. This is speculative, not a value investment.

In plain English: Atara is a tiny biotech company trying to develop cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune disease. The business looks weak right now: in the quarter ended 2026-06-30, revenue was only $630,000 and it lost $4.8 million, even though it reported a profit for the full year 2025. At $9.31 a share, the price is not supported by current sales or profits, so it looks speculative rather than clearly cheap or fair.

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Data as of 2026-10-13 close · note generated 2026-10-15 · model deepseek-flash

Sources (SEC EDGAR): fiscal Q2 2026 10-Q (period ended 2026-06-30) · fiscal Q1 2026 10-Q (period ended 2026-03-31) · fiscal Q3 2025 10-Q (period ended 2025-09-30) · fiscal Q2 2025 10-Q (period ended 2025-06-30) · FY2025 10-K (period ended 2025-12-31) · FY2024 10-K (period ended 2024-12-31) · FY2023 10-K (period ended 2023-12-31)

Fundamentals from company filings and market-data providers; prices are end-of-day, not real-time. AI-generated analysis is general and educational — not personal investment advice. Scoring methodology · Score test · Disclaimer