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HCW BiologicsHCWB +0.24%37 Debt-to-Equity is 1.14 as of Mar. 2026, which is 571% above its 10-year median of 0.17. GuruFocus rates HCWB with a GF Score™ of 37/100 and a GF Value™ of $43.74 (Possible Value Trap). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 966 Biotechnology companies, HCW Biologics ranks worse than 88.61% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for HCW Biologics's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
HCWB'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -130.54 Med: 0.17 Max: 2.46
Current: 1.14
During the past 7 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of HCW Biologics was 2.46. The lowest was -130.54. And the median was 0.17.
HCWB's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 88.61% of 966
companies
in the Biotechnology industry
Industry Median: 0.16
vs HCWB: 1.14
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
HCW Biologics Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
HCW Biologics Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for HCW Biologics's Debt-to-Equity can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
HCWB vs KAPA, IMNN, MTVA: Debt-to-Equity Comparison
For the Biotechnology subindustry, HCW Biologics's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
HCW Biologics Debt-to-Equity vs Biotechnology Industry
For the Biotechnology industry and Healthcare sector, HCW Biologics's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where HCW Biologics's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
HCW Biologics (HCWB) has a Debt-to-Equity of 1.14 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on HCW Biologics and its competitors. This is 571% above median its historical median of 0.17. According to the industry distribution chart, HCW Biologics ranks #856 out of 966 companies in the Biotechnology industry, placing it in the top 88.6%.
Is HCW Biologics' Debt-to-Equity too high?
HCW Biologics' current Debt-to-Equity of 1.14 is 571% above median its 10-year median of 0.17. The Biotechnology industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.16. HCW Biologics' value of 1.14 is 612.5% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, HCW Biologics ranks #856 out of 966 companies in the Biotechnology industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, HCW Biologics has a GF Score™ of 37/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does HCW Biologics' Debt-to-Equity compare to KAPA and IMNN?
According to the Biotechnology industry distribution chart, HCW Biologics ranks #856 out of 966 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places HCW Biologics in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.16. HCW Biologics' value of 1.14 is 612.5% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 0.17 vs. the industry median of 0.16, HCW Biologics has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for a Biotechnology company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Biotechnology companies is 0.16, based on 966 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. HCW Biologics's current Debt-to-Equity of 1.14 is 612.5% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on HCW Biologics and its competitors. For the Biotechnology industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.16 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. HCW Biologics's current Debt-to-Equity is 1.14, which is 571% above median its own 10-year median of 0.17. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is HCW Biologics stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, HCW Biologics (HCWB) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $43.74, compared to a current price of $4.01 — trading 90.8% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 1.14, which is 571% above median its 10-year median of 0.17 and 612.5% above the Biotechnology industry median of 0.16. HCW Biologics' overall GF Score™ is 37/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For HCW Biologics (HCWB), the current Debt-to-Equity is 1.14 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is HCW Biologics (HCWB) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, HCW Biologics stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $4.01 is trading 90.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of $43.74.
GuruFocus considers HCW Biologics to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for HCWB:
Debt-to-Equity: 1.14 (571% above median its 10-year median of 0.17)
GF Value™: $43.74 vs. price of $4.01 (90.8% below fair value)
Industry Position: 612.5% above the Biotechnology median (#856 of 966)
No single metric tells the full story. See the HCWB stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
HCW Biologics Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing transformative fusion immunotherapeutics to support or treat diseases promoted by chronic inflammation. It has created novel compounds that represent a new class of drugs that it believes has the potential to fundamentally change the treatment of autoimmune disorders and other proinflammatory diseases, cancer and senescence-associated dysplasia. The company has developed two proprietary drug discovery and development platforms which it uses to create novel fusion immunotherapeutics: The TOBI (Tissue factOr-Based fusIon) platform, and The T-cell Receptor Beta Chain constant region (TRBC) platform. It operates and manages its business as one reportable segment.
37GF Score
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