AMGN

ASCO Reveals That Big Pharma Is Alive

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This weekend, the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) kicked off in Chicago. The theme this year? Immunotherapy. The conference is traditionally littered with news from biotech companies revealing results from clinical studies, but this year’s event also included some news from big phama companies that haven’t been bursting with pipeline breakthroughs in years. Let’s take a look at some of the news out of the event. Firms Highlighted: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Amgen, Galena Biopharma, BioMarin, Celgene. Bristol-Myers Squibb Source: BMY ASOC 2013 Presentation Bristol-Myers Squibb (click ticker for report: ) isn’t exactly what we’d call an under-appreciated company. Over the past year, shares are up 43%. However, this year’s ASCO only further ignited the fire. The company … Read more

Amgen Announces $5 Billion Buyback; Move Reinforces Our ‘Undervalued” Thesis

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Biotech-firm Amgen (AMGN) announced Monday that it would pursue a large $5 billion share buyback (under its $10 billion stock repurchase program) to scoop up its undervalued stock. We think this move is fantastic and reinforces our view that Amgen is significantly undervalued. We are maintaining our above-market $83 fair value estimate and are encouraged by management’s actions that clearly are in favor of shareholders (over bondholders). The company will lever up its balance sheet by issuing senior notes to fund the repurchase (at attractive yields). We’re not concerned about Amgen’s investment-grade balance sheet, given its robust cash-flow generation, and think this move is decidedly value-creative. The company will pay a price not greater than $60 nor less than $54, … Read more

Amgen Posts Mixed Third-Quarter Results, Sales of Epogene Nosedive

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Amgen posted mixed third-quarter results Monday. Though the firm’s top line and bottom line increased by 3% each, Amgen’s performance was bolstered by a lower tax rate and reduced shares outstanding (lower earnings quality growth), while being muddied by a large legal charge. Nonetheless, we are maintaining our $80+ fair value estimate, as we think our long-term projections remain in the ballpark. The firm’s top line expansion was led by a 9% increase in international product sales. Combined Neulasta and Neupogene sales jumped 6%, while US sales of Xgeva, the firm’s new cancer drug, reached $100 million in the quarter following its recent launch. Sales of Sensipar/Mimpara jumped 18%, sales of Vectibix jumped 13%, and sales of Nplate increased 28%. … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending December 15

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending December 15. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week Abbot Laboratories (ABT): now $0.28 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.265. AES (AES): now $0.13 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.12. Air Lease (AL): now $0.10 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.075. Altius Minerals (ATUSF): now CAD 0.04 per share quarterly dividend, was CAD 0.03. Amgen (AMGN): now $1.32 per share quarterly dividend, was $1.15. AT&T (T): now $0.50 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.49. Balchem … Read more

Best Idea Vertex Pharma Boosts Guidance (Again), Buying Back Stock While Awaiting Key Clinical Trials

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Image Shown: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc is one of our favorite biotech ideas. Image Source: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc – Third Quarter of 2021 IR Earnings Presentation By Callum Turcan One of our favorite biotech plays out there is Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRTX), which is included as an idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. The company’s commercial portfolio, meaning therapeutics that have already been approved by key health regulators, is centered on drugs that treat cystic fibrosis (‘CF’), including patients as young as four months old as well as older patients. Its branded commercialized CF treatments include TRIKAFTA/KAFTRIO, SYMDEKO/SYMKEVI, ORKAMBI, and KALYDECO. Vertex Pharma is currently generating substantial revenue and cash flows from these offerings. Guidance Update Sales of its CF … Read more

Valuentum: Now Bearish, We’ve Been Here Every Step of the Way

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Valuentum Has Been Here Every Step of the Way   From the COVID-19 top in February 2020 to the COVID-19 bottom to the massive bull run through the end of 2021, we’ve been here for you.    2022 started out to be a rough year, catching many by surprise.   But Valuentum stayed positive. When the markets headed south in June, Valuentum stood its ground. On June 14, Valuentum said that “we still believe stocks could make a “huge rebound” in the near term.   We reiterated our views a few days later and on June 19, we said that “investors shouldn’t panic during this bear market” and that “stocks remain an attractive proposition at the moment and a very attractive consideration … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending December 18

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending December 18. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week ADT (ADT): now $0.22 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.21. AES (AES): now $0.11 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.10. Amgen (AMGN): now $1.00 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.79. Apollo Commercial (ARI): now $0.46 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.44. Apollo Residential Mortgage (AMTG): now $0.50 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.48. AT&T (T): now $0.48 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.47. Boeing (BA): now … Read more

The Success Equation Book Review: Is the Skill Paradox a Myth in Investing? We Think So

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“If I’d just tried for them dinky singles, I could’ve batted around .600.” – Babe Ruth — “In investing, the trend toward conformity is clear. For example, portfolios today look more like their benchmarks than they did thirty years ago. The average active share, a measure of how different a mutual fund portfolio is compared to its benchmark, has fallen from 75 percent in 1980 to about 60 percent in 2010 in the United States. Leaders in sports as well as in business fear straying too far from convention, even in cases where the convention isn’t all that great (page 174).” – The Success Equation (2012) — This article was originally published October 16, 2020. — By Brian Nelson, CFA — … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week December 3

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending December 3. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week Absecon Bancorp (ASCN): now $2.10 per share annual dividend, was $2.00. AES (AES): now $0.158 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.150. Amgen (AMGN): now $1.94 per share quarterly dividend, was $1.76. Axis Capital Holdings (AXS): now $0.43 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.42. Bank of Montreal (BMO): now CAD 1.33 per share quarterly dividend, was CAD 1.06. Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS): now CAD 1.00 per … Read more

Nelson: The 16 Most Important Steps To Understand The Stock Market

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A previous version of this article appeared on our website July 21, 2013. Refreshed and updated throughout, as of July 2018. By Brian Nelson, CFA After earning my MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and training stock and credit analysts from large organizations over the past decade or so, I have heard just about every question (though I admit I am still surprised by many things and remain a very humble student of the markets). I’ve also spent years perfecting the discounted cash flow process for large research organizations such as Morningstar and studied under one of the most famed aggressive growth investors of all time, Richard Driehaus. My knowledge runs the gamut from value through … Read more