Best Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:AMGN,BIIB,ARQL,ALNY,

"Even fools say something worthwhile now and again. Even a blind pig finds an acorn sometimes." - Robert Jordan, The Eye of the World

A Tier 4 biotech concern named Verastem (VSTM) has been a founding member of the model Busted IPO Forum model portfolio since the fourth quarter of last year. The shares spent a few months marking time, but the stock has been on a real roll of late as can be seen from the chart below.

The stock is off some 13% today in early trading. The company took advantages of the recent rise in their shares to announce a ~$35 million secondary offering priced at $4.50 a share today. If you believe all the positive analyst commentary around this attractive developmental name, the rally maybe only beginning and this will turn out to a buyable dip.

Best Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019: Amgen Inc.(AMGN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Cory Renauer]

  The market for complex therapies that train living cells to attack cancer is taking baby steps, but there's still a lot of enthusiasm for experimental drugs coming through the pipeline from bluebird bio (NASDAQ:BLUE) and it's big biotech partner Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG). That enthusiasm fell a notch after Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) released exciting data from a handful of patients that suggests it's found a much easier way to achieve the same goal. 

• [By Keith Speights]

  Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) actually have quite a bit in common. They co-market one of the world's best-selling drugs, Enbrel. They both face some headwinds with declining sales of older drugs. Each company has promising new drugs. And both stocks are up by nearly the same percentage over the last 12 months.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) and aTyr Pharma (NASDAQ:LIFE) are both medical companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, dividends, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

• [By Todd Campbell, Chris Neiger, and Sean Williams]

  Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR), Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN), and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) are very different companies, but they all share one thing in common: Our Motley Fool contributors think now's a good time to add them to dividend portfolios. What makes these companies special? Read on to learn why Whirlpool could be a bargain-bin buy because of tariffs, Amgen could benefit from dividend growth thanks to new drugs, and Microsoft's big bet on the cloud makes it a savvy buy.

• [By Keith Speights]

  It's a big drugmaker with a blockbuster immunology drug as its top-selling product. It pays an attractive dividend. And it faces some uncertainties. This description fits Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN), but it applies just as well to Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ).

Best Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019: Biogen Idec Inc(BIIB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage gain ahead of the close was Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) which traded up about 19% at $355.17. The stock's 52-week range is $249.17 to $370.57. Volume was over 12 million compared to the daily average volume of 1.6 million.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Short interest in Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) decreased to 4.29 million shares from the previous 4.73 million. The stock recently traded at $344.10, within a 52-week range of $249.17 to $370.57.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Data source: Alkermes.

  What happened with Alkermes this quarter? Sales of opioid and alcohol-dependence drug Vivitrol increased 11% year over year as states including Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Florida, and Kentucky increase coverage of the drug as a treatment option for patients suffering from substance-use disorder. Schizophrenia drug Aristada saw sales increase 72% year over year and 35% quarter over quarter, thanks to the launch of Aristada Initio, which helps patients get started on the drug while hospitalized. Alkermes estimates it captured 29% of new prescriptions for long-acting aripiprazole, the active ingredient in Aristada. Ampyra, which goes by Fampyra outside the U.S., brought in $38.8 million, basically flat year over year, which wasn't bad since a generic launched in the U.S. last year. Manufacturing and royalty revenues for Risperdal Consta, Invega Sustenna, and Invega Trinza were up about 4% year over year. Fourth-quarter revenue also included a one-time payment of $26.7 million, which came from the sale of certain royalty streams by Zealand Pharma to Royalty Pharma. In November, Alkermes reported positive data from a second phase-3 clinical trial for schizophrenia drug ALKS 3831 that showed patients taking the drug had lower weight gain than those taking olanzapine. In December, Alkermes and its partner Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) filed for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of diroximel fumarate, which Biogen plans to market under the name Vumerity. In January, Alkermes got bad news from the FDA when the agency turned down the marketing application for its depression drug ALKS 5461.

  Image source: Getty Images.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Investors haven't been happy with either Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) or Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG) lately. But the level of discontent is much higher with Celgene. The biotech stock has dropped more than 20% so far in 2018, compared to a single-digit percentage decline for Biogen.

Best Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019: ArQule Inc.(ARQL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on ArQule (ARQL)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL) rose 15.3 percent to $53.50 in pre-market trading after the company reported better-than-expected results for its first quarter. Evofem Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVFM) rose 10.4 percent to $4.58 in pre-market trading. Evofem Biosciences reported closing of public offering of common stock and warrants. Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) rose 7.3 percent to $4.88 in pre-market trading after declining 1.94 percent on Thursday. SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEDG) shares rose 5.7 percent to $59.65 in pre-market trading after falling 8.43 percent on Thursday. Yirendai Ltd. (NYSE: YRD) rose 5 percent to $30.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Deckers Outdoor Corp (NYSE: DECK) rose 4.9 percent to $108.75 in pre-market trading after reporteingd better-than-expected results for its fiscal fourth quarter. Blue Apron Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: APRN) rose 4.2 percent to $3.21 in pre-market trading after gaining 3.70 percent on Thursday. Recro Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: REPH) rose 4 percent to $5.85 in pre-market trading after dropping 54.67 percent on Thursday. ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQL) rose 3.8 percent to $4.70 in pre-market trading after gaining 4.86 percent on Thursday. Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: BW) shares rose 2.9 percent to $2.85 in pre-market trading after climbing 7.78 percent on Thursday. Bilibili Inc. (NASDAQ: BILI) shares rose 2.5 percent to $14.20 in pre-market trading after surging 11.33 percent on Thursday.

  Find out what's going on in today's market and bring any questions you have to Benzinga's PreMarket Prep.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Shares of development-stage biopharma ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) rose nearly 17% today after the company announced two appointments to its management team in two newly created positions. Dr. Marc Schegerin will serve as senior vice president, corporate strategy, communication, and finance. Dr. Shirish Hirani will serve as senior vice president, program management and product planning. 

• [By Cory Renauer]

  What's behind these dramatic gains? Read on to find out.

  Company Gain in H1 2018 Market Cap Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARWR) 270% $1.19 billion ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQL) 235% $482 million Endocyte, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECYT) 222% $959 million Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDGL) 205% $3.99 billion

  Data source: YCharts.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  ValuEngine downgraded shares of ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday.

  Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on ARQL. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $2.75 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 8th. B. Riley set a $4.00 target price on shares of ArQule and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, March 26th. Roth Capital raised their target price on shares of ArQule from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 17th. BidaskClub upgraded shares of ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, May 19th. Finally, Leerink Swann upgraded shares of ArQule from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The company has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $5.35.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on ArQule (ARQL)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

Best Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ALNY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Cory Renauer]

  If approved, Tegsedi will run directly into competition with Alnylam's (NASDAQ:ALNY) recently approved treatment for the limited population of ATTR patients, Onpattro. Inotersen and Onpattro haven't been tested in a head-to-head study, but most analysts expect Alnylam's drug to gain a much larger share of the limited space than Akcea's.

• [By Keith Speights]

  It's not exactly David vs. Goliath. However, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:BLCM) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) are definitely in different leagues right now. Both are clinical-stage biotechs, but Bellicum's market cap is less than $350 million while Alnylam's market cap is close to $10 billion.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Speaking of competition, Ionis should have its hands full battling rivals for Tegsedi assuming the drug wins approval. Alnylam (NASDAQ:ALNY) anticipates winning FDA approval for its hATTR drug patisiran within a few weeks. Because the FDA delayed its decision on Tegsedi, Alnylam appears to be in position to reach the market first. In addition to its first-mover advantage, patisiran appears to have an edge over Tegsedi in efficacy and safety based on clinical data for the two drugs. 

• [By Jim Crumly]

  You would think that when a drug company that's been working for 16 years to develop drugs using a novel therapeutic approach wins its first-ever approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), confetti would fall from the ceiling and its investors would be celebrating a huge stock gain the next day. That didn't happen this week for shareholders of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY), with shares dropping 6.6% the day after the announcement, and there were two main reasons for that.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a hold rating to a sell rating. According to Zacks, “Although we are pleased with Alnylam’s broad and promising pipeline, we note that most candidates are in their early or mid stages of development. These candidates still have a long way to go before hitting the market. Currently, Alnylam depends heavily on Onpattro for growth. We also note that gaining approval for pipeline candidates has become more difficult now.  However,  In August, Alnylam got a significant boost with the approval of Onpattro (patisiran), a first-of-its-kind RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic, both in the United States and in Europe, for the treatment of the polyneuropathy of hereditary transthyretin-mediated (hATTR) amyloidosis in adults. This is the first approved candidate for the company and hence should drive revenues. Loss estimates have remained stable ahead of the Q3 earnings release.”

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) was downgraded by investment analysts at BidaskClub from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday.