Refile: Arbutus Biopharma swings to Q2 loss as revenue falls; plans up to $230 mln shareholder returns

Arbutus Biopharma

12/08/2026 12:48

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Aug 12 (Reuters) - 
Overview
US infectious disease drug developer's Q2 revenue fell sharply yr/yr after prior deferred revenue recognition
Company posted Q2 net loss, reversing profit from same period last year
Arbutus received $178 mln from Moderna settlement after Q2 ended, plans up to $230 mln share buyback

Outlook
Company expects to return up to $230 mln to shareholders, possibly starting in Q3 2026
Arbutus anticipates receiving a material dividend from Genevant in Q3 2026
Company plans to advance imdusiran to Phase 2b trial after FDA alignment on trial design

Result Drivers
REVENUE DECLINE - Lower Q2 revenue due mainly to prior recognition of deferred revenue from Qilu partnership in Q2 2025
LOWER R&D SPENDING - Research and development expenses fell due to workforce reduction, discontinuation of in-house research, and lower clinical trial costs
HIGHER ADMIN COSTS - General and administrative expenses rose mainly due to higher stock compensation
     
     
     

Key Details
Metric
Beat/Miss
Actual
Consensus Estimate
Q2 Revenue
Beat
$1.014 mln
$700,000 (1 Analyst)
Q2 Loss Per Share
 
$0.03
 

Analyst Coverage
The current average analyst rating on the shares is "strong buy" and the breakdown of recommendations is 2 "strong buy" or "buy", no "hold" and no "sell" or "strong sell"
The average consensus recommendation for the advanced medical equipment & technology peer group is "buy."
Wall Street's median 12-month price target for Arbutus Biopharma Corp is $5.50, about 17.8% above its August 11 closing price of $4.67

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(This story was created using Reuters automation and AI based on LSEG and company data. It was checked and edited by a Reuters journalist prior to publication.)