LGND
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. Healthcare - Biotechnology Investor Relations →
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. (LGND) closed at $190.44 as of 2026-02-02, trading 99.8% above its 200-week moving average of $95.29. The stock is currently moving closer to the line, down from 102.9% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 50, indicating neutral momentum.
Over the past 1685 weeks of data, LGND has crossed below its 200-week moving average 32 times. On average, these episodes lasted 25 weeks. Historically, investors who bought LGND at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +11.4%.
With a market cap of $3.7 billion, LGND is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 2.6%. Return on equity stands at 5.4%. The stock trades at 3.9x book value.
Share count has increased 14.0% over three years, indicating dilution.
Over the past 32.4 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in LGND would have grown to $554, compared to $2624 for the S&P 500. LGND has returned 5.4% annualized vs 10.6% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 3.4% compound annual rate, with 1 consecutive year of positive cash generation.
Growth of $100: LGND vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After LGND Crosses Below the Line?
Across 32 historical episodes, buying LGND when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +10.8% after 12 months (median +7.0%), compared to +11.0% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 50% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +33.8% vs +19.1% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment LGND crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
LGND has crossed below its 200-week MA 32 times with an average 1-year return of +11.4% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1993 | Nov 1993 | 1 | 1.6% | +22.5% | +578.6% |
| Jul 1994 | Aug 1994 | 1 | 3.0% | -18.6% | +531.3% |
| Oct 1994 | Dec 1995 | 60 | 45.1% | -26.7% | +531.3% |
| Mar 1997 | May 1997 | 7 | 14.1% | +48.8% | +546.3% |
| Jan 1998 | Feb 1998 | 1 | 4.3% | +17.0% | +516.9% |
| Jul 1998 | Jan 1999 | 27 | 48.4% | -9.4% | +503.2% |
| Feb 1999 | Dec 1999 | 45 | 44.3% | +118.0% | +531.3% |
| May 2000 | Jun 2000 | 2 | 20.0% | +32.3% | +589.4% |
| Jul 2000 | Aug 2000 | 7 | 18.2% | -20.2% | +456.8% |
| Jan 2001 | Jan 2001 | 1 | 0.9% | +44.7% | +459.7% |
| Feb 2001 | Apr 2001 | 10 | 28.2% | +25.8% | +506.6% |
| Jun 2001 | Oct 2001 | 18 | 33.9% | +18.7% | +476.6% |
| Jul 2002 | May 2003 | 47 | 67.2% | +34.7% | +563.4% |
| Aug 2003 | Aug 2003 | 1 | 3.0% | -30.0% | +490.1% |
| Oct 2003 | Oct 2003 | 2 | 3.6% | -22.7% | +466.0% |
| Nov 2003 | Nov 2003 | 1 | 1.6% | -11.1% | +474.1% |
| Aug 2004 | Dec 2005 | 72 | 58.5% | -6.1% | +743.0% |
| May 2006 | May 2006 | 2 | 7.6% | -11.5% | +585.5% |
| Jun 2006 | Jan 2007 | 32 | 25.8% | -7.6% | +585.5% |
| Feb 2007 | Sep 2011 | 236 | 78.0% | -60.0% | +500.0% |
| Sep 2011 | Oct 2011 | 5 | 8.0% | +29.7% | +2055.9% |
| Nov 2011 | Jan 2012 | 12 | 20.5% | +37.8% | +2422.9% |
| Apr 2012 | Jun 2012 | 5 | 8.5% | +120.3% | +2465.3% |
| Jan 2019 | Jan 2021 | 105 | 49.5% | -23.3% | +158.9% |
| May 2021 | Aug 2021 | 17 | 21.9% | -32.3% | +133.7% |
| Oct 2021 | Oct 2021 | 2 | 4.1% | -26.3% | +138.9% |
| Jan 2022 | Nov 2022 | 43 | 36.6% | -8.5% | +144.4% |
| Dec 2022 | Jan 2023 | 5 | 10.6% | -2.5% | +200.3% |
| Mar 2023 | Mar 2023 | 3 | 1.9% | +7.9% | +178.4% |
| Jul 2023 | Dec 2023 | 24 | 29.3% | +21.1% | +173.4% |
| Mar 2024 | Mar 2024 | 2 | 0.4% | +49.4% | +167.9% |
| Apr 2024 | Apr 2024 | 1 | 1.2% | +53.1% | +169.9% |
| Average | 25 | — | +11.4% | — |
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 Friday close, 2026-02-02