Stock Market Today, Feb. 23: ImmunityBio Surges After Anktiva Revenue Jumps 700%
ImmunityBio (NASDAQ:IBRX), a developer of cancer and infectious-disease immunotherapies, closed Monday at $9.83, up 12.99%. The stock moved higher after earnings highlighted 700% ANKTIVA revenue growth and narrowing losses. Investors are watching how new approvals and global partnerships translate into sustained demand. Trading volume reached 85.8 million shares, about 176% above its three-month average of 31.1 million shares. ImmunityBio IPO'd in 2015 and has fallen 72% since going public.
How the markets moved today
S&P 500 fell 1.01% to 6,840, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 1.13% to finish at 22,627. Within biotechnology, industry peers Iovance Biotherapeutics closed at $2.89 (+0.70%), and Krystal Biotech finished at $274.59 (+4.89%), underscoring strength among drug developers.
What this means for investors
Shares of ImmunityBio moved higher after sales of its primary biologic product, Anktiva, grew 700% in 2025, and 20% quarter over quarter in Q4. Now that Anktiva has been approved to treat certain forms of bladder cancer across the U.S., the E.U., the U.K., Saudi Arabia, and 33 countries in total, its international launch is set to take full effect.
However, Anktiva was also recently approved in Saudi Arabia for the treatment of certain types of lung cancer, suggesting that its primary product could have a growing list of potential indications. ImmunityBio is also growing enrollment in clinical trials for cases involving glioblastoma, sepsis, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and lymphopenia, creating an intriguing pipeline. That said, ImmunityBio’s stock has already quintupled in 2026, so investors need to take a measured approach with the nascent biotech.
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Josh Kohn-Lindquist has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Iovance Biotherapeutics and Krystal Biotech. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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