NuCana (NCNA) To Report Q4 Earnings: What's In The Cards?

NuCana plc (NASDAQ:NCNA) will provide updates on its pipeline’s progress when it releases fourth-quarter 2019 results.

The company’s surprise history has been impressive so far. The trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise is 25.1%, on average. In the third quarter, NuCana delivered a positive earnings surprise of 42.3%.

Shares of NuCana have decreased 62.4% in the past year compared with the industry’s decline of 5.8%.

Let’s see how things have shaped up for the quarter to be reported.

Key Developments in Q4

As NuCana does not have any marketed products, we expect the company to provide updates on its pipeline’s progress on fourth-quarter earnings call.

NuCana has been prioritizing resources on two key programs: Acelarin, the company’s ProTide transformation of gemcitabine in biliary tract cancer and NUC-3373, another ProTide in colorectal cancer.

The company initiated the phase III NuTide:121 study comparing Acelarin combined with cisplatin to gemcitabine plus cisplatin in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. We expect an update on the study on the fourth-quarter earnings call.

Ongoing Studies

It has been conducting a phase Ib study (NuTide:302) of NUC-3373 in patients with advanced colorectal cancer to establish the recommended phase II dose of NUC-3373 in combination with other agents with which 5-FU is combined, including leucovorin, oxaliplatin and irinotecan.

We expect NuCana to provide updates on the progress of pipeline candidates during the fourth-quarter earnings call.

What Our Model Indicates

Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for NuCana this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that is not the case here, as you will see below.

Earnings ESP: It has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%, as both the Zacks Consensus Estimate and the Most Accurate Estimate are pegged at a loss of 21 cents. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Stocks That Warrant a Look

Here are a few healthcare stocks worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right mix of elements to beat estimates this time around.

Aduro Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ:ADRO) has an Earnings ESP of +23.08% and a Zacks Rank #1.

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAG) has an Earnings ESP of +36.55% and a Zacks Rank #3.

Sage Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:SAGE) has an Earnings ESP of +2.74% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release fourth-quarter results on Feb 27.

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