Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and acquiring technologies that aid in creating medicine. The company has partnerships and license agreements with various pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Ligand's business model is based on drug discovery, early-stage drug development, product reformulation, and partnerships. The company's revenue consists of three primary elements: royalties from commercialized products, license and milestone payments, and sale of its trademarked Captisol material.
The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc., comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.
Returns By Period
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. (LGND) has returned 5.83% so far this year and 111.07% over the past 12 months. Looking at the last ten years, LGND has achieved an annualized return of 6.04%, underperforming the Benchmark (SPY), which averaged 12.23% per year.
LGND
1M-3.31%
6M9.66%
YTD5.83%
1Y111.07%
5Y5.49%
10Y6.04%
Benchmark (SPY)
1M-3.85%
6M-2.35%
YTD-4.36%
1Y34.06%
5Y9.80%
10Y12.23%
Monthly Returns
The table below presents the monthly returns of Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. (LGND) with color gradation from worst to best to easily spot seasonal factors.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2026
1.86%
3.19%
1.24%
-1.92%
2025
7.80%
7.45%
-16.00%
4.68%
-7.66%
10.90%
17.04%
23.44%
9.54%
8.28%
5.29%
-5.41%
2024
2.25%
7.80%
-8.68%
-4.72%
21.29%
-1.38%
30.12%
-2.42%
-4.75%
5.59%
13.47%
-12.16%
2023
3.17%
3.47%
1.59%
4.08%
-7.12%
2.94%
-7.23%
-1.54%
-9.43%
-12.89%
10.96%
22.76%
2022
-19.34%
-18.70%
11.97%
-18.47%
-4.55%
-0.19%
3.95%
0.97%
-6.46%
1.67%
-16.83%
-8.37%
2021
86.17%
-21.96%
1.13%
-5.44%
-20.27%
11.22%
-14.07%
16.28%
5.98%
5.02%
10.25%
-6.23%
2020
-16.49%
4.34%
-24.03%
39.93%
5.12%
10.15%
5.21%
-15.00%
-6.32%
-14.11%
0.92%
16.49%
2019
-11.60%
4.36%
0.38%
-0.91%
-14.85%
4.89%
-21.27%
-2.62%
10.60%
8.18%
3.37%
-7.99%
2018
14.45%
-3.16%
8.67%
-5.89%
24.30%
7.30%
5.53%
19.28%
5.40%
-40.38%
-4.39%
-15.26%
2017
3.32%
-1.44%
-0.17%
5.51%
-2.75%
11.76%
-0.78%
6.09%
5.09%
6.18%
-9.97%
4.19%
2016
13.74%
-1.88%
0.23%
13.09%
-24.00%
-1.67%
-5.60%
8.73%
-3.33%
Performance Indicators
The charts below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. (LGND) and compare them to a Benchmark (SPY). These indicators evaluate an investment's returns against its associated risks.
Sharpe ratio
Sortino ratio
Omega ratio
Calmar ratio
Martin ratio
sharpe ratio
The Sharpe ratio helps investors understand how much return they're getting for the level of risk taken. A higher Sharpe ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance, meaning more reward for each unit of risk.
These values reflect how efficiently the investment has delivered returns relative to its volatility over different time periods. All figures are annualized and based on daily total returns.
The chart below shows the rolling Sharpe ratio of LGND compared to the benchmark. This view highlights how the investment's risk-adjusted performance has changed over time.
Volatility Chart
The current Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. volatility is 2.47%, representing the standart deviation of percentage change in the investments's value, either up or down over the past month. The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. It shows the maximum percentage drop from a peak to a trough over a specified period, indicating the risk of significant losses. Although chart shows positive values, it represents the percentage drop from the peak, so a value of 10% means the portfolio has dropped 10% from its highest point.
Income Statement
The income statement provides a summary of a company's revenues, expenses, and profits over a specific period. It shows how much money the company earned (revenues) and how much it spent (expenses), leading to the net income or profit. This statement is crucial for understanding a company's financial performance and profitability.
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
Liabilities And Equity (USD)
1.56B
941.77M
787.22M
762.67M
1.30B
1.36B
1.49B
1.26B
671.02M
601.59M
533.93M
258.03M
104.71M
104.26M
122.35M
Equity Attributable To Parent (USD)
1.02B
830.44M
700.91M
597.49M
821.16M
709.53M
767.23M
560.91M
399.79M
341.29M
304.39M
26.32M
49.61M
26.49M
8.65M
Equity Attributable To Noncontrolling Interest (USD)
Ligand Pharmaceuticals CFO Octavio Espinoza sold 3,057 shares worth $688,000 on March 11, 2026, representing 12.70% of his direct holdings. The sale was executed under a prearranged 10b5-1 plan and appears to be a structured liquidity event rather than a red flag. Despite the insider sale, Ligand's fundamentals remain strong with 2025 revenue reaching $268.1 million (60% increase) and net income of $124.5 million, with management forecasting up to $285 million in revenue for 2026.
The Motley Fool•Jonathan Ponciano
AI Insight
Despite insider selling, the company demonstrates strong fundamentals with significant revenue growth (60% YoY), substantial net income turnaround ($124.5M vs $4M loss prior year), and robust 2026 guidance. The CFO's sale appears to be routine compensation-related activity under a structured plan rather than a loss of confidence signal. The stock has surged 80% over the past year, reflecting market confidence in the company's royalty-focused business model and diversified drug portfolio.
Bank of America Securities initiated coverage of Ligand Pharmaceuticals with a Buy rating and $244 price target, highlighting the biopharmaceutical royalty aggregator's differentiated business model, strong management, and attractive growth prospects. The company beat Q4 earnings expectations with $2.02 EPS versus $1.56 consensus and $59.7M in sales versus $55.6M estimate, while maintaining fiscal 2026 guidance of $8.00-$9.00 EPS and $245-$285M in sales.
Benzinga•Vandana Singh
AI Insight
Bank of America initiated coverage with a Buy rating and $244 price target. The company beat Q4 earnings and sales expectations, has a differentiated royalty-based business model with lower risk than traditional biopharma, maintains strong guidance, and possesses over $1 billion in deployable capital with a portfolio of 100+ programs offering future revenue potential.
Ashford Capital Management increased its stake in Vicor by 128,664 shares worth $10.94 million in Q4 2025, bringing its total position to $38.78 million (4.32% of assets). The investment comes as Vicor stock has surged 213% over the past year, driven by strong Q3 results showing 18.5% revenue growth and 57.5% gross margins. The fund's confidence suggests belief in structural demand for Vicor's high-performance power conversion technology in AI and data center infrastructure.
The Motley Fool•Jonathan Ponciano
AI Insight
Mentioned as a top holding in Ashford Capital's portfolio ($40.42M, 4.5% of AUM) but no specific performance data or analysis provided in the article.
Ashford Capital Management sold 19,607 shares of Cavco Industries (CVCO) worth approximately $11.11 million in Q4 2025, reducing its position from 3.1% to 1.87% of fund assets. The sale appears to be a capital reallocation rather than a loss of conviction, as Cavco's fundamentals remain solid with Q3 revenue up 11.3% year-over-year, though the stock has underperformed the S&P 500 by 1.5 percentage points over the past year.
The Motley Fool•Jonathan Ponciano
AI Insight
Mentioned as a higher-beta holding in Ashford Capital's portfolio (4.5% of AUM, second-largest position), but no specific news or sentiment drivers are discussed in the article.
Ligand Pharmaceuticals announced 2026 full year revenue guidance of $245-$285 million, representing a 15% core revenue growth, with strong expectations for royalty revenue from key pharmaceutical products.
GlobeNewswire Inc.•Ligand Pharmaceuticals
AI Insight
Company projected strong revenue growth, increased royalty revenue, and robust investment strategy for 2026
Pelthos Therapeutics signed an agreement with a major Pharmacy Benefit Manager to expand patient access to ZELSUVMI, its FDA-approved topical gel for treating molluscum contagiosum, which affects an estimated 16.7 million people annually.
GlobeNewswire Inc.•Pelthos Therapeutics
AI Insight
Mentioned as the owner of the NITRICIL technology platform used in developing ZELSUVMI, with no direct impact on their current business performance
SQ Innovation received FDA approval for Lasix® ONYU, an at-home subcutaneous treatment for edema in heart failure patients, utilizing Ligand's Captisol technology to create a novel high-concentration furosemide formulation.
GlobeNewswire Inc.•Ligand Pharmaceuticals
AI Insight
Company's Captisol technology enabled a novel drug formulation, received milestone payments, and expanded its portfolio with a potentially significant medical innovation
Arecor Therapeutics signed a co-development agreement with Sequel Med Tech to combine AT278 insulin with Sequel's automated insulin delivery system, and sold royalty rights to Ligand Pharmaceuticals for up to $11 million, extending their cash runway to 1H 2027.
GlobeNewswire Inc.•Arecor Therapeutics Plc
AI Insight
Acquired royalty rights in a strategic investment, gaining potential future milestone payments
The global topical drugs Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) market is projected to grow from $46.32 billion in 2024 to $136.71 billion by 2034, with a CAGR of 11.43%. Key growth drivers include increasing demand for non-invasive therapies, advancements in drug delivery technologies, and expanding pharmaceutical outsourcing.
GlobeNewswire Inc.•Towards Healthcare
AI Insight
Partnering with Pelthos Therapeutics to commercialize a novel topical gel treatment, demonstrating product development capabilities
Ligand Pharmaceuticals executives will participate in two upcoming investor conferences: Citi 20th Annual BioPharma Conference in Boston and H.C. Wainwright 27th Annual Global Investment Conference in New York, presenting and hosting investor meetings.
GlobeNewswire Inc.•Todd Davis And Tavo Espinoza
AI Insight
Company is actively engaging with investors, presenting at conferences, and highlighting its diverse business model and technology platforms
