CERS
Cerus Corporation Healthcare - Medical Devices Investor Relations →
Cerus Corporation (CERS) closed at $1.72 as of 2026-03-20, trading 25.9% below its 200-week moving average of $2.32. This places CERS in the extreme value zone. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from -27.7% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 41, indicating neutral momentum.
Trading volume is running at 1.5x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (1.07 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 1472 weeks of data, CERS has crossed below its 200-week moving average 27 times. On average, these episodes lasted 28 weeks. Historically, investors who bought CERS at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +12.9%.
With a market cap of $331 million, CERS is a small-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 0.8%. Return on equity stands at -25.7%. The stock trades at 5.2x book value.
Share count has increased 8.2% over three years, indicating dilution.
Over the past 28.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in CERS would have grown to $10, compared to $1075 for the S&P 500. CERS has returned -7.8% annualized vs 8.8% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been declining. A deteriorating cash flow trend warrants extra scrutiny — the stock may be cheap for a reason.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: CERS vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After CERS Crosses Below the Line?
Across 26 historical episodes, buying CERS when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +12.6% after 12 months (median +9.0%), compared to +10.2% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 60% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +50.0% vs +22.9% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment CERS crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
CERS has crossed below its 200-week MA 27 times with an average 1-year return of +12.9% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1998 | Jul 1998 | 13 | 19.3% | +15.8% | -88.5% |
| Aug 1998 | Oct 1998 | 8 | 22.0% | +82.8% | -88.4% |
| Nov 1998 | Nov 1998 | 1 | 1.3% | +95.6% | -88.9% |
| Nov 1998 | Dec 1998 | 1 | 3.8% | +90.9% | -88.6% |
| Apr 1999 | May 1999 | 2 | 4.7% | +128.6% | -89.4% |
| Jun 2002 | Jan 2006 | 188 | 93.5% | -74.0% | -95.2% |
| Apr 2006 | May 2006 | 7 | 12.4% | -7.5% | -78.2% |
| Jul 2006 | Oct 2006 | 12 | 18.4% | +3.4% | -73.6% |
| Jan 2007 | Feb 2007 | 6 | 6.6% | +17.4% | -68.1% |
| Feb 2008 | Mar 2008 | 7 | 26.3% | -86.8% | -71.3% |
| Apr 2008 | Oct 2011 | 184 | 90.1% | -82.1% | -71.8% |
| Nov 2011 | Nov 2011 | 1 | 0.4% | +13.7% | -37.9% |
| Jul 2014 | Sep 2014 | 8 | 6.2% | +46.4% | -55.7% |
| Sep 2014 | Oct 2014 | 3 | 7.3% | +33.6% | -54.9% |
| Mar 2015 | Apr 2015 | 6 | 6.7% | +37.1% | -58.3% |
| Oct 2016 | Nov 2016 | 4 | 7.5% | -39.8% | -66.7% |
| Nov 2016 | Mar 2018 | 66 | 57.6% | -21.9% | -65.5% |
| Dec 2018 | Dec 2018 | 2 | 0.8% | -16.6% | -65.5% |
| May 2019 | Jun 2019 | 4 | 11.6% | +32.6% | -63.3% |
| Sep 2019 | Sep 2019 | 1 | 2.5% | +15.0% | -65.9% |
| Sep 2019 | Feb 2020 | 21 | 21.7% | +25.1% | -64.6% |
| Mar 2020 | Apr 2020 | 4 | 36.7% | +55.5% | -58.2% |
| May 2021 | Jun 2021 | 1 | 3.0% | -6.4% | -67.9% |
| Jul 2021 | Aug 2021 | 4 | 12.8% | +9.9% | -67.4% |
| Jan 2022 | Jan 2026 | 209 | 74.4% | -46.2% | -70.5% |
| Jan 2026 | Feb 2026 | 3 | 8.6% | N/A | -26.2% |
| Mar 2026 | Ongoing | 3+ | 27.7% | Ongoing | -10.9% |
| Average | 28 | — | +12.9% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CERS below its 200-week moving average?
Yes. As of 2026-03-20, Cerus Corporation (CERS) is trading 25.9% below its 200-week moving average of $2.32. The current price is $1.72.
What is CERS's 200-week moving average price?
Cerus Corporation's 200-week moving average is $2.32 as of 2026-03-20. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when CERS drops below its 200-week moving average?
CERS has crossed below its 200-week moving average 27 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +12.9%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 28 weeks on average.
Is CERS a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about CERS as of 2026-03-20: The stock is below its 200-week moving average, which is the starting point for our analysis. The 14-week RSI is 41. Free cash flow yield is 0.8%. Return on equity is -25.7%. Price-to-book is 5.2x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does CERS compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 28.2 years, $100 invested in CERS would have grown to $10, compared to $1075 for the S&P 500. That's -7.8% annualized vs 8.8% for the index. CERS has underperformed the broader market over this period.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-03-20