Shares of AKESO (HKG:9926) plummeted 5.03% during intraday trading on Wednesday following the release of its disappointing first-half 2025 financial results. The pharmaceutical firm reported a substantial increase in losses, causing investor concern and triggering a sell-off.

According to a Hong Kong bourse filing on Tuesday, AKESO's loss attributable to owners widened to 570.1 million yuan for the first half of 2025, a significant increase from the 238.6 million yuan loss reported in the same period last year. The loss per share expanded to 0.64 yuan, compared to 0.28 yuan in the prior-year period, falling short of analyst expectations. Visible Alpha analysts had estimated earnings of 0.01 yuan per share, highlighting the magnitude of the earnings miss.

Despite the widening losses, AKESO did report an increase in revenue, which rose to 1.41 billion yuan from 1.02 billion yuan in the previous year. This figure surpassed Visible Alpha analysts' estimates of 841.8 million yuan. However, the revenue growth was not sufficient to offset the increased losses, leading to the negative market reaction. The company's board declared no dividend, further disappointing investors looking for returns in the face of mounting losses.