MRK

Can Vertex Pharmaceuticals Dominate the Race to Treat Cystic Fibrosis?

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Tickerized for holdings in the XLV and IBB. Cystic Fibrosis is a rare disease that afflicts an estimated seventy-five thousand patients worldwide. Vertex Pharmaceuticals is the first to market with a combination treatment to treat a portion of the overall patient population. Will Vertex win the race to bring forth a triple therapy to treat the vast majority of those afflicted? By Alexander J. Poulos Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a recessive genetic disorder. The patient that is afflicted will carry two copies of the cystic fibrosis conductance regulator protein (CFTR) gene. The CFTR gene allows the body to produce the CFTR protein, whose function is to remove chloride from the cells. Patients that have CF will suffer from a “thickening” … Read more

Dow 21,000+; Forward P/E on S&P 500 ~18!!!

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By Brian Nelson, CFA To say that the broader equity market is “extended” is an understatement. After testing the 20,000 mark on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA), stocks have now plowed through 21,000 in such a fashion that can only be compared to the euphoric trading activity of 1999 when the index surged to 11,000 from 10,000 over roughly the same time frame. Who remembers the days of the dot-com bubble? The market is clearly off its rocker, but the market isn’t always on its rocker. Stock prices under and overshoot intrinsic value all of the time. It’s a part of the markets, as much as oxygen is necessary for human life. The markets overshot to the downside during … Read more

Is AbbVie a Value Trap?

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With uncertainty surrounding the patent of blockbuster drug Humira, AbbVie is looking to deliver another success story from its pipeline. Is it headed for a patent cliff? Let’s take a look. By Alexander J. Poulos and Kris Rosemann A successful operator in the pharmaceutical industry (XLV) is often characterized by having high margins, allowing for copious amounts of free cash flow generation, which can be returned to shareholders via dividends. In today’s yield-starved market environment, major pharma, and the above-average yields of some players within, remains in demand, but investors must be cognizant of the unique risks that face the industry. One key risk remains the loss of patent protection on drugs and treatments that leads to the aforementioned attractive … Read more

The Dreaded Patent Cliff: 3 Pharmaceutical Companies at Risk

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Image Source: Global Panaroma Let’s have a look at 3 pharmaceutical giants that may encounter some troubles in coming years. By Alexander J. Poulos and Brian Nelson, CFA Established companies in the pharmaceuticals industry (XLV) generally offer an appealing blend of high profit margins, a relatively recession-resistant nature of commercialized products, and a flourishing drug pipeline. In many ways, companies in the industry can be viewed as largely defensive, with a resilient revenue profile and profit stream helping to power a steadily-growing dividend, which remains highly prized in the current income-starved environment. In addition to a focus on balance sheet health and the timing of future free cash flow generation, when it comes to pharmaceutical entities, we also analyze the … Read more

Image: Returns Following the Trump Victory

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To download the table for easier viewing, please select the link . Financials: Trump’s Treasury Secretary choice Steven Mnuchin wants to repeal most of the burdensome Dodd-Frank legislation. A steepening yield curve is helping banks and may drive improved net interest margins in coming periods. Goldman Sachs is ripping higher, leading the Dow’s charge.   Crude Oil: The world is moving to a better balance in supply/demand dynamics in the energy markets. OPEC is talking, has agreed to cuts, and expectations for improved economic growth are helping energy resource pricing. High-beta companies such as Continental Resources are rallying hard.   Energy: Capital spending cuts are bolstering free cash flow in the upstream space as energy resource pricing improves. Reduced regulations could help … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending November 25

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending November 25. 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 Aircastle (AYR): now $0.26 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.24. Aramark (ARMK): now $0.103 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.095. Becton, Dickinson (BDX); now $0.73 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.66. Capital City Bank (CCBG): now $0.05 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.04. Chicago Rivet & Machine (CVR): now $0.20 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.18. First Connecticut (FBNK): now $0.09 per share quarterly dividend, was … Read more

Pharma, Biotech and How to Consider Investing In It

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The Valuentum analyst team digs deep into recent trends in big pharma and biotech from the lofty pricing of drugs to political and competitive pressures to ETF considerations and beyond. ~10 mins. If you cannot view the podcast below, please view the transcript below or select the link here. Tickerized for holdings in the XLV and IBB. Brian Nelson, CFA Gilead’s (GILD) hepatitis C regimen, almost a hundred thousand dollars. Vertex’s (VRTX) cystic fibrosis drug — hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Have the drug companies lost their mind? This is Brian Nelson from Valuentum Securities, and today joining me is Mr. Kris Rosemann and Mr. Chris Araos — and we are going to talk everything healthcare, biotech… Mr. … Read more

Earnings Insight – Gilead Sciences

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  Image Source: Gilead Let’s cover some ground on Gilead Sciences (GILD) third-quarter report. What management said: “I’d like to reiterate the positive progress Gilead is making in addressing viral diseases. We will soon have treated 1.2 million HCV-infected individuals around the world, most of whom are now cured. By any measure, this is a profound contribution to global health care delivery. And in the field of HIV, not only are we effectively managing the disease with our new TAF-based regimens, but Truvada is helping more and more people avoid infection. I am confident that we will close out the year with continued strong financial performance underpinned by a passion for operational excellence and our focus on putting the patient … Read more

Video: An Overview of Our 16-page Stock Research Reports

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Where I Went Wrong on Gilead

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Image Source: torbakhopper By Brian Nelson, CFA Our trade(s) in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio with respect to hepatitis-C juggernaut Gilead (GILD) is (are) not something I’m proud of. I know the Best Ideas Newsletter is performing fantastically, and we continue to outdistance the broad market benchmark, but I’m not satisfied unless I get everything right, even though this is an unattainable goal. Here’s what happened. I was enamored by Gilead. The pharma giant had found a cure for hep-C. It was a free-cash-flow generating behemoth, and its balance sheet was solid. What I did not anticipate was just how easily its patent on Harvoni/Sovaldi could be circumvented and how the economics would be truncated, both with respect to volume … Read more