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TWST: Share Valuations Will Stabilize As End Markets Remain Strong

Published
21 Mar 25
Updated
20 May 26
Views
251
20 May
US$69.03
AnalystConsensusTarget's Fair Value
US$63.33
9.0% overvalued intrinsic discount
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138.9%
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17.3%

Author's Valuation

US$63.339.0% overvalued intrinsic discount

AnalystConsensusTarget Fair Value

Last Update 20 May 26

Fair value Increased 15%

TWST: Silicon DNA Platform And Profitability Shift Will Drive Bullish Repricing

Analysts have raised their average price target for Twist Bioscience to about $63.33 from $55.00, citing updated assumptions around profitability, modest tweaks to discount rates and growth, and a lower future P/E multiple as key inputs in their models.

Analyst Commentary

Recent research on Twist Bioscience centers on how updated profitability assumptions and valuation frameworks translate into higher price targets, with several analysts revising their models over a short period.

Bullish Takeaways

  • Bullish analysts are lifting price targets in several increments, which signals greater confidence that the company can eventually support a higher earnings base than previously modeled.
  • Updates to discount rates and growth inputs suggest these analysts see the risk and return trade off as more attractive, even while incorporating a lower future P/E multiple into their calculations.
  • The clustering of target changes around similar timeframes points to a shared view that execution on the current plan could justify a higher long term valuation range.
  • Repeated target revisions by some of the same firms indicate that, as new information is assessed, Twist Bioscience still screens as compelling within their coverage universe on a risk adjusted basis.

Bearish Takeaways

  • Even with higher targets, analysts are building their cases with a reduced future P/E multiple, which implies caution about how much investors may ultimately be willing to pay for the company’s earnings.
  • References to updated profitability assumptions highlight that the path to consistent profits remains a key swing factor for valuation, and that execution risk around margins is still front and center.
  • Frequent model tweaks, including to discount rates, underline that the investment case is sensitive to changes in perceived risk, so sentiment or new data could shift valuation work quickly.
  • The reliance on scenario adjustments rather than clear profit visibility suggests some analysts see the story as dependent on successful delivery against ambitious financial goals.

What’s in the News

  • Twist Bioscience agreed to collaborate with LenioBio to combine LenioBio’s ALiCE cell free protein expression platform with Twist’s DNA manufacturing and automation, aiming to speed up the design, build, and test cycle for AI driven protein and antibody design customers (Client Announcements).
  • The LenioBio collaboration introduces cell free protein expression into Twist’s offering, targeting faster turnaround of full length, folded proteins within about 24 hours and supporting higher throughput lab in the loop cycles for research teams (Client Announcements).
  • Twist launched early access to Complex Genes, expanding its clonal genes portfolio to handle structurally complex and highly engineered protein sequences using its silicon based DNA synthesis and automated manufacturing processes (Product Related Announcements).
  • Complex Genes are designed to accept a very high share of clonal gene and DNA product orders, including sequences with short tandem, inverted, and long repeats or extreme GC content, which are used in nucleic acid therapeutics and AI generated drug discovery sequences (Product Related Announcements).
  • When customers submit gene sequences, Twist provides a complexity score and manufacturability score and indicates it can deliver constructs of 300 to 7,000 base pairs in a standard turnaround time of about 15 business days, cloned into either Twist catalog vectors or customer selected vectors (Product Related Announcements).

Valuation Changes

  • Fair Value: Updated analyst fair value has risen from $55.00 to about $63.33, reflecting a higher assessed level for the stock in their models.
  • Discount Rate: The discount rate has edged lower from 7.19% to about 7.15%, indicating slightly different assumptions around risk in the cash flow models.
  • Revenue Growth: Revenue growth assumptions have shifted marginally, from about 15.76% to about 15.76%, signaling a largely unchanged view on top line expansion.
  • Net Profit Margin: Net profit margin assumptions have moved from about 12.80% to about 18.87%, suggesting a higher modeled earnings contribution from each dollar of revenue.
  • Future P/E: The future P/E multiple has been reduced from about 56.64x to about 44.20x, pointing to a more restrained valuation multiple applied to those projected earnings.
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Key Takeaways

  • Broadening customer base, innovative product launches, and industry tailwinds are driving sustained growth and widening Twist's market opportunity.
  • Increased operational efficiency, product diversification, and global market trends support expanding margins and improved long-term earnings stability.
  • Heavy customer concentration, ongoing losses, volatile margins, and stagnant emerging market growth threaten revenue stability, profitability, and long-term competitive positioning in dynamic genomics markets.

Catalysts

About Twist Bioscience
    Manufactures and sells synthetic DNA-based products.
What are the underlying business or industry changes driving this perspective?
  • Expansion of Twist's customer base, especially among smaller academic clients and long-tail customers, combined with the successful rollout of new synthetic biology (SynBio) product lines, is likely to drive sustained top-line growth and broaden the company's addressable market, positively impacting future revenue.
  • High demand from large pharma, biotechnology, and clinical diagnostic customers for personalized medicine, genomics, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) services continues to accelerate, supported by long-term increases in global life sciences R&D investment, which should fuel ongoing revenue growth and earnings stability.
  • Continuous product innovation, including new gene fragment offerings and anticipated upcoming product launches, reflects strategic reinvestment into R&D and manufacturing infrastructure, supporting scalability and improved gross margins over the medium to long term.
  • Significant improvements in gross margin (now above 50%) through volume leverage, process improvements, and increased vertical integration signal ongoing margin expansion and a clear near-term path toward adjusted EBITDA breakeven, indicating robust future earnings potential.
  • Diversification across multiple end markets and geographies, coupled with strong underlying industry trends like AI-driven drug discovery and global genomics market expansion, provides resilience against market cycles and supports steady, long-term revenue and profit growth.
Twist Bioscience Earnings and Revenue Growth

Twist Bioscience Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

How have these above catalysts been quantified?

  • Analysts are assuming Twist Bioscience's revenue will grow by 15.8% annually over the next 3 years.
  • Analysts are not forecasting that Twist Bioscience will become profitable in next 3 years. To represent the Analyst Price Target as a Future PE Valuation we will estimate Twist Bioscience's profit margin will increase from -19.8% to the average US Biotechs industry of 18.9% in 3 years.
  • If Twist Bioscience's profit margin were to converge on the industry average, you could expect earnings to reach $119.9 million (and earnings per share of $1.75) by about May 2029, up from -$81.3 million today.
  • In order for the above numbers to justify the price target of the analysts, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 44.4x on those 2029 earnings, up from -37.9x today. This future PE is greater than the current PE for the US Biotechs industry at 16.0x.
  • Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to grow by 3.16% per year for the next 3 years.
  • To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 7.15%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Risks

What could happen that would invalidate this narrative?
  • Twist Bioscience remains unprofitable, with an expected adjusted EBITDA loss of $45 million to $47 million for fiscal 2025, and only a goal-not a guarantee-to achieve breakeven in 2026; persistent negative operating margins increase the risk of future dilution or an eventual capital raise, which could weigh on earnings per share and shareholder value over time.
  • A substantial portion of NGS (Next-Generation Sequencing) revenue is concentrated with a small number of large customers-44% of NGS revenue comes from just the top 10 customers-meaning revenue could be volatile or contract sharply if any of these relationships weaken or are lost, posing a risk to recurring revenue stability and overall top line growth.
  • The company's guidance and margin improvements partly benefited from favorable order timing and mix in recent quarters, which may not repeat; this creates uncertainty about true underlying margin expansion and raises concerns over the sustainability of gross margins and predictable revenue growth into future periods.
  • Intense competition and potential commoditization in both the NGS and SynBio markets are acknowledged, especially as the company broadens market access and pursues smaller accounts or academic/government customers; this could lead to downward pricing pressure, compress gross margins, and limit future profitability as competition intensifies or innovation outpaces the company's offerings.
  • Growth in the APAC region remains stagnant and total revenue exposure to China is minimal (approximately 1.5% of Q3 revenue), limiting Twist's ability to capitalize on the rapid expansion of genomics markets in major emerging economies, which may restrict long-term revenue diversification and growth opportunities compared to industry peers who succeed in these markets.

Valuation

How have all the factors above been brought together to estimate a fair value?

  • The analysts have a consensus price target of $63.33 for Twist Bioscience based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors.
  • However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of $75.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $36.0.
  • In order for you to agree with the analysts, you'd need to believe that by 2029, revenues will be $635.2 million, earnings will come to $119.9 million, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 44.4x, assuming you use a discount rate of 7.2%.
  • Given the current share price of $49.5, the analyst price target of $63.33 is 21.8% higher.
  • We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.

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Disclaimer

AnalystConsensusTarget is a tool utilizing a Large Language Model (LLM) that ingests data on consensus price targets, forecasted revenue and earnings figures, as well as the transcripts of earnings calls to produce qualitative analysis. The narratives produced by AnalystConsensusTarget are general in nature and are based solely on analyst data and publicly-available material published by the respective companies. These scenarios are not indicative of the company's future performance and are exploratory in nature. Simply Wall St has no position in the company(s) mentioned. Simply Wall St may provide the securities issuer or related entities with website advertising services for a fee, on an arm's length basis. These relationships have no impact on the way we conduct our business, the content we host, or how our content is served to users. The price targets and estimates used are consensus data, and do not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and they do not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Note that AnalystConsensusTarget's analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

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