BioNTech SE (BNTX)
BioNTech is a German biotechnology firm that uses messenger RNA technology to develop innovative treatments for cancer and infectious diseases.
Is BioNTech SE a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Strong cash position from previous vaccine success. Worth weighing: Significant decline in revenue as pandemic demand fades.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does BioNTech SE do?
Best known for its role in the COVID-19 vaccine, BioNTech is now pouring its resources into researching new ways to treat cancer using the same underlying technology. They make money primarily through vaccine sales, but they are currently spending heavily on research and development to build a pipeline of future medicines. Keep an eye on whether their experimental cancer treatments can pass clinical trials and reach the market.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and quality, and weakest on growth.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- !Revenue slipped about 60% over the year
- ✓Low debt - a sturdier balance sheet
- Value screens high
- Growth screens low
- Momentum screens low
- Income screens low
Does BioNTech SE pay a dividend?
No - BioNTech SE doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
Most recent ex-dividend date: 2 Jun 2022. To receive a dividend you must already own the shares before the ex-dividend date; become a holder on or after it and the previous owner keeps that payment. Why the price usually falls that morning →
Does BioNTech SE have more cash or more debt?
It holds about €13.46B in cash against about €316.10M of debt - so it has net cash of about €13.15B. More cash than debt is a cushion: it does not need to borrow just to cover what it owes.
From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.
What do BioNTech SE's numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has BioNTech SE actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, BioNTech SE fell as much as −34% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
What do you actually own with BNTX?
This US listing is an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), not a direct holding of BioNTech SE's ordinary shares. A bank holds the real shares in Germany and issues receipts against them, and it is those receipts that trade in US dollars on a US exchange. It is the standard route by which a company listed abroad becomes available on a US market, and the receipt tracks the shares behind it.
- Two currencies are involved. BioNTech SE reports its results in euros, while the listing itself trades in US dollars. Exchange-rate moves therefore affect the value alongside the movement of the underlying shares.
- There is a custody fee. The depositary bank charges a small annual fee for running the arrangement - often a few cents per receipt - usually taken out of dividends or passed on by your platform.
- Dividends cross a border. Any dividend is converted into US dollars by the bank, and Germany may deduct withholding tax before it reaches you.
- Voting works differently. Receipt holders generally do not vote at the company's meetings directly; the bank holding the shares handles that.
This describes how the listing is put together, using its registered security type. It is context about the instrument, not a view on the company.
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Who owns BioNTech SE?
About 20% of BioNTech SE, or about 20 in every 100 shares, is held by big institutions such as pension and index funds, and company insiders hold about 58%. The rest, roughly 22%, is held by the public and smaller investors.
What this does and doesn't tell you
This is a recent snapshot of the share register, and it moves. We don't read anything into who owns what - a high institutional share is common for any large listed company and is not a signal about it.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does BioNTech SE make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
When does BioNTech SE report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
BioNTech SE is next scheduled to report on about 2026-11-03 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-04 | $-2.08 | $-2.22 | Missed -7% |
| 2026-05-05 | $-1.92 | $-1.95 | Missed -2% |
| 2026-03-10 | $-0.25 | $-0.33 | Missed -30% |
| 2025-11-03 | $0.10 | $-0.12 | Missed -220% |
| 2025-08-04 | $-1.41 | $-1.60 | Missed -14% |
| 2025-05-05 | $-2.35 | $-1.73 | Beat +26% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, BioNTech SE came in ahead of what analysts expected 1 time. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for BioNTech SE?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
Breakthrough in mRNA cancer therapy commercialisation
Inability to turn research into profitable products
What are the pros and cons of BioNTech SE?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Strong cash position from previous vaccine success
- High gross margins indicate efficient production
- Pioneering technology platform with broad potential
- Significant decline in revenue as pandemic demand fades
- Currently operating at a loss due to high research spending
- No dividend payments for shareholders
- High reliance on the success of experimental drugs
- Clinical trials are expensive and often fail
- High volatility compared to the broader market
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A major, unexpected regulatory approval for a new drug
- A complete halt in research and development spending
Common questions about BioNTech SE
Does BioNTech SE pay a dividend?
No - BioNTech SE does not currently pay a dividend, so the return would rest on the share price. Many growing companies reinvest profits instead of paying them out.
When does BioNTech SE report earnings next?
BioNTech SE is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-11-03. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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Genus plcBuilt from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.