Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc. Stock Downgraded (MNTA)

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Momenta Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:MNTA) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to sell. The company's weaknesses can be seen in multiple areas, such as its deteriorating net income, weak operating cash flow, disappointing return on equity, generally disappointing historical performance in the stock itself and feeble growth in its earnings per share.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and the Biotechnology industry. The net income has significantly decreased by 142.8% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, falling from $60.34 million to -$25.82 million.
• Net operating cash flow has significantly decreased to -$7.06 million or 110.18% when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, when comparing to the industry average, the firm's growth rate is much lower.
• Return on equity has greatly decreased when compared to its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a signal of major weakness within the corporation. When compared to other companies in the Biotechnology industry and the overall market, MOMENTA PHARMACEUTICALS INC's return on equity has significantly outperformed in comparison with the industry average, but has underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500.
• Despite any intermediate fluctuations, we have only bad news to report on this stock's performance over the last year: it has tumbled by 30.71%, worse than the S&P 500's performance. Consistent with the plunge in the stock price, the company's earnings per share are down 143.22% compared to the year-earlier quarter. Naturally, the overall market trend is bound to be a significant factor. However, in one sense, the stock's sharp decline last year is a positive for future investors, making it cheaper (in proportion to its earnings over the past year) than most other stocks in its industry. But due to other concerns, we feel the stock is still not a good buy right now.
• MOMENTA PHARMACEUTICALS INC has exprienced a steep decline in earnings per share in the most recent quarter in comparison to its performance from the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. We feel it is likely to report a decline in earnings in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, MOMENTA PHARMACEUTICALS INC increased its bottom line by earning $3.55 versus $0.76 in the prior year. For the next year, the market is expecting a contraction of 134.9% in earnings (-$1.24 versus $3.55).

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Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company, specializes in the structural characterization, process engineering, and biologic systems analysis of complex molecules. These complex molecules include polysaccharides, polypeptides, and proteins and antibodies. Momenta has a market cap of $536.1 million and is part of the health care sector and drugs industry. Shares are down 40.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.

You can view the full Momenta Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

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