Analyst Ratings February 12, 2026

Rothschild Redburn Cuts Arcellx Rating to Neutral, Lowers Price Target on Competitive Pressures

Firm trims peak-sales estimates for anito-cel and cites broader competition in earlier myeloma treatment lines despite positive clinical signals

By Priya Menon ACLX
Rothschild Redburn Cuts Arcellx Rating to Neutral, Lowers Price Target on Competitive Pressures
ACLX

Rothschild Redburn downgraded Arcellx Inc. (ACLX) from Buy to Neutral and reduced its price target to $82 from $113, pointing to rising competition in larger treatment markets across earlier multiple myeloma lines as the main factor. The firm kept a constructive view of Arcellx's anito-cel in late-line disease based on clinical data and a physician survey but lowered global peak sales estimates to roughly 15% below consensus. Other firms continue to show support with Buy or Overweight stances and higher price targets.

Key Points

  • Rothschild Redburn downgraded Arcellx from Buy to Neutral and cut its price target to $82 from $113.
  • The firm remains positive on anito-cel in late-line multiple myeloma based on clinical data and a proprietary physician survey but cites heightened competition across earlier treatment lines (1-4L) as the main reason for a more conservative view of the CAR-T class.
  • Other analysts have kept or initiated Buy/Overweight ratings with higher price targets, reflecting differing assessments of safety data and market potential.

Rothschild Redburn has moved Arcellx Inc. (NASDAQ: ACLX) off its Buy list and placed the stock at Neutral, along with a substantial reduction in its price target to $82 from $113. The adjustment reflects a more cautious stance toward the broader CAR-T class rather than a reversal on the program-specific data for Arcellx's lead candidate, anito-cel.

The brokerage reiterated a favorable view of anito-cel for late-line multiple myeloma, citing encouraging clinical results presented at a medical meeting and the firm's own physician survey as supporting evidence. At the same time, Rothschild Redburn stressed increased competition from alternative therapeutic modalities in larger markets across earlier treatment lines - identified as 1-4L in the firm's analysis - as the primary reason for trimming its outlook for the category overall.

Operationally, the firm revised its global peak end-user sales projections for Arcellx downward, placing its forecast roughly 15% below prevailing market consensus. That reduction underpins the lower price target, yet the new $82 target still implies upside relative to the company's prevailing market price at the time of the note.


Arcellx has continued to share data and engage the analyst community. The company reported preclinical findings showing that the D-Domain binder used in anitocabtagene autoleucel, known as anito-cel, exhibited no tonic signaling or off-target activity in laboratory studies. Those results were presented at the 2026 Tandem Meetings in Salt Lake City and were characterized in the company's materials as indicative of a potentially favorable safety profile for its BCMA-directed CAR T therapy.

Despite Rothschild Redburn's more conservative stance on peak commercial potential, several other research firms have taken or maintained positive ratings. Stifel retained a Buy rating and assigned a $127 price target, citing promising safety signals from in vitro work. UBS initiated coverage with a Buy rating and set a $100 price target, identifying potential entry into the relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma market. Wells Fargo also initiated coverage with an Overweight rating and described anito-cel as a material future entrant in multiple myeloma care.

Collectively, these varied analyst actions underline a divergence of views across the sell-side: some firms are emphasizing the clinical and safety data and assigning higher valuations, while Rothschild Redburn is tempering its long-term commercial expectations based on competitive dynamics and earlier-line market pressures.


For investors and market participants, the note from Rothschild Redburn highlights the tension between encouraging program-level data and the commercial realities of therapeutic competition across treatment lines. Arcellx remains a clinical-stage company focused on cell therapies, and while some analysts see substantial upside based on safety and efficacy signals, others are factoring in market-share risk that reduces peak-sales assumptions.

Risks

  • Rising competition from alternative treatment modalities in earlier myeloma lines (1-4L) could limit commercial uptake and peak sales for CAR-T therapies, impacting biotech and healthcare market segments.
  • Analyst divergence on commercial assumptions and peak sales may increase stock volatility for Arcellx, affecting investor sentiment in the biotech sector.
  • Downward revisions to peak end-user sales estimates, such as Rothschild Redburn's forecast roughly 15% below consensus, create uncertainty around valuation and future revenue projections for the company.

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