International Stem CellISCO -10.50%24 Piotroski F-Score is 4 as of Jul. 06, 2026, which is at its 10-year median of 4.00. GuruFocus rates ISCO with a GF Score™ of 24/100 and a GF Value™ of $0.13 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,332 Biotechnology companies, International Stem Cell ranks better than 74.1% on this metric.
The zones of discrimination were as such:
Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3
International Stem Cell has an F-score of 4 indicating the company's financial situation is typical for a stable company.
The historical rank and industry rank for International Stem Cell's Piotroski F-Score or its related term are showing as below:
ISCO'
s Piotroski F-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 2 Med: 4 Max: 8
Current: 4
During the past 13 years, the highest Piotroski F-Score of International Stem Cell was 8. The lowest was 2. And the median was 4.
International Stem Cell (OTCPK:ISCO) Piotroski F-Score Explanation
The developer of the system is Joseph D. Piotroski is relatively unknown accounting professor who shuns publicity and rarely gives interviews.
He graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in accounting in 1989, received an M.B.A. from Indiana University in 1994. Five years later, in 1999, after earning a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Michigan, he became an associate professor of accounting at the University of Chicago.
He wanted to see if he can develop a system (using a simple nine-point scoring system) that can increase the returns of a strategy of investing in low price to book (referred to in the paper as high book to market) value companies.
What he found was something that exceeded his most optimistic expectations.
Buying only those companies that scored highest (8 or 9) on his nine-point scale, or F-Score as he called it, over the 20 year period from 1976 to 1996 led to an average out-performance over the market of 13.4%.
Even more impressive were the results of a strategy of investing in the highest F-Score companies (8 or 9) and shorting companies with the lowest F-Score (0 or 1).
Over the same period from 1976 to 1996 (20 years) this strategy led to an average yearly return of 23%, substantially outperforming the average S&P 500 index return of 15.83% over the same period.
International Stem Cell Piotroski F-Score Related Terms
International Stem Cell Piotroski F-Score Historical Data
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The historical data trend for International Stem Cell's Piotroski F-Score 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.
ISCO vs ZVSA, AXIM, HEPA: Piotroski F-Score Comparison
For the Biotechnology subindustry, International Stem Cell's Piotroski F-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Piotroski F-Score 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.
International Stem Cell Piotroski F-Score vs Biotechnology Industry
For the Biotechnology industry and Healthcare sector, International Stem Cell's Piotroski F-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where International Stem Cell's Piotroski F-Score 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.
*Note: If the latest quarterly/semi-annual/annual total assets data is 0, then we will use previous quarterly/semi-annual/annual data for all the items in the balance sheet.
Profitability
Question 1. Return on Assets (ROA)
Net income before extraordinary items for the year divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.
Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.
International Stem Cell's current Net Income (TTM) was -0.38.
==> Negative ==> Score 0.
Question 2. Cash Flow Return on Assets (CFROA)
Net cash flow from operating activities (operating cash flow) divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.
Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.
International Stem Cell's current Cash Flow from Operations (TTM) was -0.10.
==> Negative ==> Score 0.
Question 3. Change in Return on Assets
Compare this year's return on assets (1) to last year's return on assets.
International Stem Cell's return on assets of this year was -0.06792319. International Stem Cell's return on assets of last year was -0.04674986.
==> Last year is higher ==> Score 0.
Question 4. Quality of Earnings (Accrual)
Compare Cash flow return on assets (2) to return on assets (1)
International Stem Cell's gearing of this year was 0. International Stem Cell's gearing of last year was 0.05605048.
==> This year is lower or equal to last year. ==> Score 1.
Question 6. Change in Working Capital (Liquidity)
Compare this year's current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities) to last year's current ratio.
Score 1 if this year's current ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower
International Stem Cell's current ratio of this year was 0.75519905. International Stem Cell's current ratio of last year was 0.7513704.
==> This year's current ratio is higher. ==> Score 1.
Question 7. Change in Shares in Issue
Compare the number of shares in issue this year, to the number in issue last year.
Score 0 if there is larger number of shares in issue this year, 1 otherwise.
International Stem Cell's number of shares in issue this year was 8.004. International Stem Cell's number of shares in issue last year was 8.004.
==> There is smaller number of shares in issue this year, or the same. ==> Score 1.
Efficiency
Question 8. Change in Gross Margin
Compare this year's gross margin (Gross Profit divided by sales) to last year's.
Score 1 if this year's gross margin is higher, 0 if it's lower.
International Stem Cell's gross margin of this year was 0.56978247. International Stem Cell's gross margin of last year was 0.57413319.
==> Last year's gross margin is higher ==> Score 0.
Question 9. Change in asset turnover
Compare this year's asset turnover (total sales for the year divided by total assets at the beginning of the year) to last year's asset turnover ratio.
Score 1 if this year's asset turnover ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower
International Stem Cell's asset turnover of this year was 1.65113798. International Stem Cell's asset turnover of last year was 1.69212144.
==> Last year's asset turnover is higher ==> Score 0.
Evaluation
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Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3
International Stem Cell has an F-score of 4 indicating the company's financial situation is typical for a stable company.
International Stem Cell (ISCO) has a Piotroski F-Score of 4 as of Jul. 06, 2026. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on International Stem Cell and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 4.00. Over the past decade, International Stem Cell's Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 2.00 to 8.00. According to the industry distribution chart, International Stem Cell ranks #345 out of 1332 companies in the Biotechnology industry, placing it in the top 25.9%.
Is International Stem Cell's Piotroski F-Score too high?
International Stem Cell's current Piotroski F-Score of 4 is near median its 10-year median of 4.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 2.00 to a high of 8.00. The Biotechnology industry median Piotroski F-Score is 3.00. International Stem Cell's value of 4 is 33.3% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, International Stem Cell ranks #345 out of 1332 companies in the Biotechnology industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, International Stem Cell has a GF Score™ of 24/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does International Stem Cell's Piotroski F-Score compare to ZVSA and AXIM?
According to the Biotechnology industry distribution chart, International Stem Cell ranks #345 out of 1332 companies for Piotroski F-Score. This puts International Stem Cell in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Piotroski F-Score is 3.00. International Stem Cell's value of 4 is 33.3% above this benchmark. Historically, International Stem Cell's own Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 2.00 to 8.00 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 4.00 vs. the industry median of 3.00, International Stem Cell 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 Piotroski F-Score for a Biotechnology company?
The median Piotroski F-Score among Biotechnology companies is 3.00, based on 1,332 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Piotroski F-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Piotroski F-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. International Stem Cell's current Piotroski F-Score of 4 is 33.3% 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 Piotroski F-Score mean?
A high Piotroski F-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on International Stem Cell and its competitors. For the Biotechnology industry, the median Piotroski F-Score is 3.00 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. International Stem Cell's current Piotroski F-Score is 4, which is near median its own 10-year median of 4.00. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is International Stem Cell stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, International Stem Cell (ISCO) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $0.13, compared to a current price of $0.18 — trading 37.7% above its estimated fair value. The current Piotroski F-Score is 4, which is near median its 10-year median of 4.00 and 33.3% above the Biotechnology industry median of 3.00. International Stem Cell's overall GF Score™ is 24/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Piotroski F-Score calculated?
Piotroski F-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For International Stem Cell (ISCO), the current Piotroski F-Score is 4 as of Jul. 06, 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 International Stem Cell (ISCO) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, International Stem Cell stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $0.18 is trading 37.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of $0.13.
GuruFocus considers International Stem Cell to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for ISCO:
Piotroski F-Score: 4 (near median its 10-year median of 4.00)
GF Value™: $0.13 vs. price of $0.18 (37.7% above fair value)
Industry Position: 33.3% above the Biotechnology median (#345 of 1332)
No single metric tells the full story. See the ISCO stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
International Stem Cell Corp is a clinical-stage biotechnology company. It is focused on therapeutic and biomedical product development with multiple long-term therapeutic opportunities. The company develops different cell types from its stem cells that may result in therapeutic products. The clinical applications of the company include neural stem cells for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other central nervous system disorders; Liver cells, which are used to treat a variety of congenital and acquired liver diseases; and retinal cells and three-dimensional eye structures. The company operates in three segments, the therapeutic market, the biomedical market, and the anti-aging market. The Biomedical products business segment accounts for the majority of revenue.
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