It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Acadia Pharmaceuticals (ACAD). Shares have added about 22.6% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.
But investors have to be wondering, will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Acadia due for a pullback? 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.
ACAD Q3 Earnings Beat, Nuplazid & Daybue Drive Y/Y Revenue Growth
Acadiareported third-quarter 2025 earnings of 26 cents per share (excluding a one-time tax benefit), which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 14 cents. In the year-ago quarter, the company had reported earnings of 20 cents per share.
Including the tax benefit recognized from a one-time impact from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the company reported earnings of 42 cents per share for the third quarter of 2025 compared with earnings of 20 cents per share reported in the year-ago quarter.
Acadia recorded total revenues of $278.6 million, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $274 million. ACAD’s net product revenues comprise revenues generated from the sale of Nuplazid and Daybue.
Total revenues increased 11% year over year, driven by contributions from Daybue and continued growth in Nuplazid's market share.
ACAD’s Q3 Earnings in Detail
Revenues from Nuplazid increased 12% year over year to $177.5 million in the third quarter of 2025, driven primarily by volume growth and higher average net selling price. Nuplazid sales beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $173 million as well as our model estimate of $169.1 million.
Daybue recorded net product sales of $101.1 million in the third quarter, up 11% year over year, driven by the growth in the drug’s unit sales as Acadia shipped to more unique patients. The reported figure was a tad higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $101 million but lower than our model estimate of $103.5 million.
Research and development (R&D) expenses were $87.8 million, up 31.8% year over year, owing to high costs associated with clinical studies and higher personnel expenses.
Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $133.4 million, almost flat year over year.
Acadia had cash, cash equivalents and investments worth $847 million as of Sept. 30, 2025, compared with $762 million as of June 30, 2025.
ACAD Updates 2025 Financial Outlook
Acadia now expects total revenues to be in the range of $1.070-$1.095 billion compared with the previously guided range of $1.045-$1.095 billion. Nuplazid net product sales are now expected to be in the range of $685-$695 million in 2025, up from the previous guidance of $665-$690 million. Daybue sales are now expected to be between $385 million and $400 million compared with the previous range of $380-$405 million.
R&D expenses in 2025 are now projected to be in the range of $335-$345 million versus the previous expectation of $330-$350 million. SG&A expenses are now expected to be between $540 million and $555 million compared to the earlier projection of $535 million and $565 million.
The updated guidance includes revenues from net product sales in the United States and named patient supply programs in ex-U.S. markets.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
In the past month, investors have witnessed a upward trend in fresh estimates.
The consensus estimate has shifted 6.49% due to these changes.
VGM Scores
Currently, Acadia has a great Growth Score of A, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a D. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock has a grade of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for value investors.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Notably, Acadia has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
Performance of an Industry Player
Acadia belongs to the Zacks Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry. Another stock from the same industry, Illumina (ILMN), has gained 5.7% over the past month. More than a month has passed since the company reported results for the quarter ended September 2025.
Illumina reported revenues of $1.08 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +0.4%. EPS of $1.34 for the same period compares with $1.14 a year ago.
For the current quarter, Illumina is expected to post earnings of $1.22 per share, indicating a change of +41.9% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +0.5% over the last 30 days.
The overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions translate into a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) for Illumina. Also, the stock has a VGM Score of B.
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ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ACAD): Free Stock Analysis Report Illumina, Inc. (ILMN): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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