A month has gone by since the last earnings report for CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP). Shares have lost about 0.7% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is CRISPR Therapeutics due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.
Wider-Than-Expected Loss in Q1, Sales Miss Estimates
CRISPR reported a first-quarter 2026 loss of $1.28 per share, wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $1.14. The company had incurred a loss of $1.58 in the year-ago quarter.
Total revenues were $1.46 million in the quarter (comprising $1 million in collaboration revenue and the rest from grant revenues), which significantly missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $8.39 million. In the year-ago period, CRSP recorded total revenues of $0.87 million, which comprised only grant revenues.
Vertex recorded Casgevy sales of about $43 million in the quarter, up from $14.2 million in the year-ago period. This revenue growth was attributed to continued uptake for therapy and reimbursement progress across major regions.
Manages Costs While Strengthening Balance Sheet
CRISPR Therapeutics reported research and development (R&D) expenses of $68.6 million in the first quarter of 2026, down 5.4% year over year. The company attributed the decline primarily to lower employee-related costs, including stock-based compensation, reflecting continued efforts to align spending with program priorities.
General and administrative expenses were $17.2 million, down about 11% year over year, mainly due to lower employee-related costs. Collaboration expense, net, improved to $45.9 million from $57.5 million, due to an increase in the company’s share of Casgevy sales under the Vertex collaboration economics.
CRSP exited the quarter with $2.44 billion in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, up from $1.98 billion at the end of 2025. It said the increase was primarily driven by $585.4 million in net proceeds from the issuance of convertible senior notes in March, partially offset by operating expenses. The higher cash position strengthens the company’s ability to fund operations as it works to broaden its revenue base over time.
Balance sheet metrics also reflected the larger liquidity position, with working capital rising to $2.31 billion and total assets increasing to $2.73 billion as of March 31, 2026. For investors, the higher cash base provides additional flexibility to fund multiple clinical updates expected later in 2026 across Casgevy expansion efforts, zugo-cel studies and liver-directed in vivo programs.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in estimates review.
The consensus estimate has shifted 5.67% due to these changes.
VGM Scores
Currently, CRISPR Therapeutics has a poor Growth Score of F, however its Momentum Score is doing a lot better with a B. However, the stock has a score of F on the value side, putting it in the lowest quintile for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of F. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Notably, CRISPR Therapeutics has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
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CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).