BofA Downgrades Ginkgo Bioworks, Cuts Price Target In Half

While Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Inc’s DNA overall first-quarter results were better than expected, revenues and active programs in its core Foundry segment fell short of estimates, according to BofA Securities.

The Ginkgo Bioworks Analyst: Derik de Bruin downgraded the rating for Ginkgo Bioworks from Neutral to Underperform, while reducing the price target from $6 to $3.

The Ginkgo Bioworks Thesis: The Foundry segment’s revenues of $22 million came in short of the BofA estimate of $32 million, “primarily due to the timing of milestone recognition and the impact of new users still ramping on the platform,” de Bruin said in the downgrade note.

Although downstream value creation opportunities depend on factors beyond the company’s control, the lack of visibility could limit upside to the stock in the current environment, he added.

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“In addition, multiples for DNA’s synthetic biology and platform company peers have compressed,” the analyst wrote.

“In order to revisit our thesis, we would look for the market’s appetite for longer duration growth stories to return and for greater visibility into DNA’s future revenue streams,” de Bruin further mentioned.

DNA Price Action: Shares of Ginkgo Bioworks had declined by 2.73% to $2.68 at the time of publication Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro.