On Monday, Needham maintained its Buy rating and $2.50 price target for Lucid (NASDAQ:LCID) Diagnostics Inc (NASDAQ: LUCD). The decision follows Lucid's announcement of a 30% sequential increase and a 43% year-over-year rise in EsoGuard test volume, reaching 3,147 in the second quarter of 2024. Despite the growth in test volume, Lucid missed consensus revenue estimates for the quarter.
Lucid has decided to moderate the growth of its test volume and sales force pending the final Medicare reimbursement decision. The company's operating expenses in the second quarter were slightly higher than anticipated. At the end of the quarter, Lucid reported having approximately $25 million in cash reserves.
Needham anticipates an improvement in Lucid's revenue growth as the company begins to process claims and collect payments. The firm expects that Lucid's revenue will further benefit in the long term as the company secures coverage from Medicare and other insurance providers, which would enable a reacceleration of EsoGuard test volume growth.
In other recent news, Lucid Diagnostics has reported substantial growth in its second quarter of 2024, with revenue reaching $1 million, marking a 500% increase from the previous year. The company's EsoGuard test volume also saw significant growth both quarterly and annually, setting a new record. Lucid Diagnostics' involvement in health fair events and direct contracting has expanded, with the company hosting over 50 such events, a 60% increase from the previous quarter. The company's cash reserves remain strong at $24.9 million, despite a quarterly burn rate of $10.6 million.
Lucid Diagnostics is also actively working on securing broad coverage and reimbursement for EsoGuard, with productive meetings with CMS MolDX and ongoing market access strategies with commercial payers. However, the company recognized a decrease in payment rate due to medically unnecessary claims and a backlog of $12.5 million in claims. The company also anticipates modest quarter-on-quarter growth due to its lean sales team and has plans to expand beyond firefighters to include police departments, municipal groups, unions, and employers.
Lucid Diagnostics has a complete body of outstanding clinical data supporting the EsoGuard test, with multiple published clinical validity and utility studies demonstrating its effectiveness. Despite increased test volumes, the company is facing challenges with payment rates and claim denials. These are recent developments in the company's operations.
InvestingPro Insights
Following the latest developments with Lucid Diagnostics Inc (NASDAQ: LUCD), an analysis using InvestingPro data and tips reveals a nuanced financial landscape. The company's market capitalization stands at a modest $41.41 million, and while Lucid boasts a significant revenue growth of 370.5% over the last twelve months as of Q1 2024, it's important to note that this has not yet translated into profitability. The company's gross profit margin during the same period was notably negative at -111.1%, underscoring the challenges it faces in converting sales into net income.
InvestingPro Tips highlight that Lucid holds more cash than debt on its balance sheet, which could provide some financial flexibility. However, analysts are concerned about the company's cash burn rate and weak gross profit margins. There are also no dividends paid to shareholders, which is typical for companies focusing on growth and not yet profitable. On the brighter side, analysts have revised their earnings upwards for the upcoming period, indicating potential optimism in the company's future performance.
For investors looking for a deeper dive into Lucid Diagnostics' financial health and future prospects, there are additional InvestingPro Tips available at InvestingPro. These tips could provide valuable insights into whether the company's recent growth in test volume and potential for Medicare coverage might translate into a sustainable financial upturn.
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