International Stem CellISCO -10.50%24 WACC % is 3.06% as of Jul. 06, 2026, which is 26% below its 10-year median of 4.12. 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 1,418 Biotechnology companies, International Stem Cell ranks better than 89% on this metric.
As of today (2026-07-06), International Stem Cell's weighted average cost of capital is 3.06%%. International Stem Cell's ROIC % is -4.42% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
International Stem Cell earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.
For a comprehensive WACC calculation, please access the WACC Calculator.
International Stem Cell (OTCPK:ISCO) WACC % Explanation
Because it costs money to raise capital. A firm that generates higher ROIC % than it costs the company to raise the capital needed for that investment is earning excess returns. A firm that expects to continue generating positive excess returns on new investments in the future will see its value increase as growth increases, whereas a firm that earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital will destroy value as it grows.
As of today, International Stem Cell's weighted average cost of capital is 3.06%%. International Stem Cell's ROIC % is -4.42% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
International Stem Cell earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.
Be Aware
1. GuruFocus uses book value of debt (D) to do the calculation. It is simplified by adding latest one-year quarterly average Short-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation and Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation together.
For companies that report quarterly, GuruFocus combines all of the most recent year's quarterly debt data from the beginning of the year to the year-end and calculates the average.
For companies that report semi-annually, GuruFocus combines all of the most recent year's semi-annual debt data from the start of the year to the year-end and calculates the average.
For companies that report annually, GuruFocus combines the beginning and ending annual debt data from the most recent year and then calculates the average.
2. The WACC formula discussed above does not include Preferred Stock. Please adjust if preferred stock is considered.
3. (Expected Return of the Market - Risk-Free Rate of Return) is also called market premium. GuruFocus requires market premium to be 6%.
4. GuruFocus uses the latest TTM Interest Expense divided by the latest one-year quarterly average debt to get the simplified cost of debt.
* 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.
For the Biotechnology subindustry, International Stem Cell's WACC %, along with its competitors' market caps and WACC % 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 WACC % vs Biotechnology Industry
For the Biotechnology industry and Healthcare sector, International Stem Cell's WACC % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where International Stem Cell's WACC % falls into.
The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. The WACC is commonly referred to as the firm's cost of capital. Generally speaking, a company's assets are financed by debt and equity. WACC is the average of the costs of these sources of financing, each of which is weighted by its respective use in the given situation. By taking a weighted average, we can see how much interest the company has to pay for every dollar it finances.
WACC
=
E
/
(E + D)
*
Cost of Equity
+
D
/
(E + D)
*
Cost of Debt
*
(1 - Tax Rate)
1. Weights:
Generally speaking, a company's assets are financed by debt and equity. We need to calculate the weight of equity and the weight of debt.
The market value of equity (E) is also called "Market Cap". As of today, International Stem Cell's market capitalization (E) is $1.433 Mil.
The market value of debt is typically difficult to calculate, therefore, GuruFocus uses book value of debt (D) to do the calculation. It is simplified by adding the latest one-year quarterly average Short-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation and Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation together. As of Mar. 2026, International Stem Cell's latest one-year quarterly average Book Value of Debt (D) is $3.7968 Mil.
a) weight of equity = E / (E + D) = 1.433 / (1.433 + 3.7968) = 0.274
b) weight of debt = D / (E + D) = 3.7968 / (1.433 + 3.7968) = 0.726
2. Cost of Equity:
GuruFocus uses Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) to calculate the required rate of return. The formula is:
Cost of Equity = Risk-Free Rate of Return + Beta of Asset * (Expected Return of the Market - Risk-Free Rate of Return)
a) GuruFocus uses 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate as the risk-free rate. It is updated daily. The current risk-free rate is 4.471%. Please go to Economic Indicators page for more information. Please note that we use the 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate of the country/region where the company is headquartered. If the data for that country/region is not available, then we will use the 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate of the United States as default.
b) Beta is the sensitivity of the expected excess asset returns to the expected excess market returns. International Stem Cell's beta is -0.5701.
c) (Expected Return of the Market - Risk-Free Rate of Return) is also called market premium. GuruFocus requires market premium to be 6%.
Cost of Equity = 4.471% + -0.5701 * 6% = 1.0504%
3. Cost of Debt:
GuruFocus uses latest TTM Interest Expense divided by the latest one-year quarterly average debt to get the simplified cost of debt.
As of Mar. 2026, International Stem Cell's interest expense (positive number) was $0.145 Mil. Its total Book Value of Debt (D) is $3.7968 Mil.
Cost of Debt = 0.145 / 3.7968 = 3.819%.
4. Multiply by one minus TTM Tax Rate:
GuruFocus uses the most recent TTM Tax Expense divided by the most recent TTM Pre-Tax Income to calculate the tax rate. The calculated TTM tax rate is limited to between 0% and 100%. If the calculated tax rate is higher than 100%, it is set to 100%. If the calculated tax rate is less than 0%, it is set to 0%.
The latest calculated TTM Tax Rate = 0 / -0.382 = 0%.
International Stem Cell's Weighted Average Cost Of Capital (WACC) for Today is calculated as:
WACC
=
E / (E + D)
*
Cost of Equity
+
D / (E + D)
*
Cost of Debt
*
(1 - Tax Rate)
=
0.274
*
1.0504%
+
0.726
*
3.819%
*
(1 - 0%)
=
3.06%
* 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.
International Stem Cell (ISCO) has a WACC % of 3.06% as of Jul. 06, 2026. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the average rate a company pays to finance assets. View historical data on International Stem Cell and its competitors. This is 26% below median its historical median of 4.12. According to the industry distribution chart, International Stem Cell ranks #156 out of 1418 companies in the Biotechnology industry, placing it in the top 11%.
Is International Stem Cell's WACC % too high?
International Stem Cell's current WACC % of 3.06% is 26% below median its 10-year median of 4.12. The Biotechnology industry median WACC % is 9.93. International Stem Cell's value of 3.06% is 69.2% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, International Stem Cell ranks #156 out of 1418 companies in the Biotechnology industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. 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 WACC % compare to ZVSA and AXIM?
According to the Biotechnology industry distribution chart, International Stem Cell ranks #156 out of 1418 companies for WACC %. This places International Stem Cell in the top 11% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median WACC % is 9.93. International Stem Cell's value of 3.06% is 69.2% below this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 4.12 vs. the industry median of 9.93, International Stem Cell has consistently been below 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 WACC % for a Biotechnology company?
The median WACC % among Biotechnology companies is 9.93, based on 1,418 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a WACC % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, WACC % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. International Stem Cell's current WACC % of 3.06% is 69.2% below 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 WACC % mean?
A high WACC % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the average rate a company pays to finance assets. View historical data on International Stem Cell and its competitors. For the Biotechnology industry, the median WACC % is 9.93 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. International Stem Cell's current WACC % is 3.06%, which is 26% below median its own 10-year median of 4.12. 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 WACC % is 3.06%, which is 26% below median its 10-year median of 4.12 and 69.2% below the Biotechnology industry median of 9.93. 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 WACC % calculated?
WACC % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For International Stem Cell (ISCO), the current WACC % is 3.06% 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:
WACC %: 3.06% (26% below median its 10-year median of 4.12)
GF Value™: $0.13 vs. price of $0.18 (37.7% above fair value)
Industry Position: 69.2% below the Biotechnology median (#156 of 1418)
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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