Our analysis rates IONS at only 28/100 on fundamental strength, reflecting significant weakness and a "Sell" outlook. IONS's Piotroski F-Score of 2/9 signals weak financial quality and deteriorating fundamentals. Its Altman Z-Score of 1.60 is in the distress zone, indicating elevated bankruptcy risk. Recent quarterly results reveal a declining trajectory in earnings and profitability for IONS.
| F1 | Positive ROA | ✗ Fail |
| F3 | Improving ROA | ✗ Fail |
| F5 | Decreasing Leverage | ✗ Fail |
| F6 | Improving Liquidity | ✓ Pass |
| F7 | No Dilution | ✓ Pass |
| F8 | Improving Gross Margin | ✗ Fail |
| F9 | Improving Asset Turnover | ✗ Fail |
Piotroski F-Score is a 9-point scoring system developed by accounting professor Joseph Piotroski to assess the financial strength of a company. It evaluates profitability (ROA, operating cash flow, accruals), leverage and liquidity (debt ratio, current ratio, share dilution), and operating efficiency (gross margin, asset turnover). Scores of 7–9 indicate strong fundamentals, while 0–3 suggest weakness.
Altman Z-Score is a formula developed by professor Edward Altman that predicts the probability of a company entering bankruptcy within two years. It combines five financial ratios — working capital, retained earnings, EBIT, market capitalization, and revenue — all relative to total assets. A score above 2.99 suggests the company is financially safe, while below 1.81 indicates distress. The Z-Score is not applicable to financial-sector companies (banks, insurance).
Earnings Momentum tracks quarter-over-quarter trends in EPS growth, revenue, and profit margins to assess whether a company's financial trajectory is improving or deteriorating. Short Sentiment evaluates bearish market positioning using short interest as a percentage of float, days to cover, and short volume trends — a high score (inverted) indicates bullish sentiment.