We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com?

So, the natural question for Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AUPH) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. Let's start with an examination of the business' cash, relative to its cash burn.

See our latest analysis for Aurinia Pharmaceuticals

How Long Is Aurinia Pharmaceuticals' Cash Runway?

A cash runway is defined as the length of time it would take a company to run out of money if it kept spending at its current rate of cash burn. In June 2023, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals had US$350m in cash, and was debt-free. Importantly, its cash burn was US$40m over the trailing twelve months. So it had a cash runway of about 8.7 years from June 2023. Notably, however, analysts think that Aurinia Pharmaceuticals will break even (at a free cash flow level) before then. In that case, it may never reach the end of its cash runway. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

How Well Is Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Growing?

Happily, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals is travelling in the right direction when it comes to its cash burn, which is down 73% over the last year. And there's no doubt that the inspiriting revenue growth of 82% assisted in that improvement. Considering these factors, we're fairly impressed by its growth trajectory. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.

Can Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Raise More Cash Easily?

We are certainly impressed with the progress Aurinia Pharmaceuticals has made over the last year, but it is also worth considering how costly it would be if it wanted to raise more cash to fund faster growth. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals has a market capitalisation of US$1.1b and burnt through US$40m last year, which is 3.7% of the company's market value. Given that is a rather small percentage, it would probably be really easy for the company to fund another year's growth by issuing some new shares to investors, or even by taking out a loan.

How Risky Is Aurinia Pharmaceuticals' Cash Burn Situation?

It may already be apparent to you that we're relatively comfortable with the way Aurinia Pharmaceuticals is burning through its cash. For example, we think its revenue growth suggests that the company is on a good path. But it's fair to say that its cash burn relative to its market cap was also very reassuring. One real positive is that analysts are forecasting that the company will reach breakeven. Taking all the factors in this report into account, we're not at all worried about its cash burn, as the business appears well capitalized to spend as needs be. Notably, our data indicates that Aurinia Pharmaceuticals insiders have been trading the shares. You can discover if they are buyers or sellers by clicking on this link.

Of course Aurinia Pharmaceuticals may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.