Best Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:AMGN,ARQL,ALNY,BIIB,

The stock market had a relatively calm session on Tuesday, bouncing back slightly after suffering substantial declines yesterday. Investors continue to worry about the threat of prolonged trade tensions across the globe, especially in light of recent U.S. policy, but a strong domestic economy seemed to make them a bit more comfortable with current events. Some individual companies also had good news that lifted their shares. General Electric (NYSE:GE), Puma Biotechnology (NASDAQ:PBYI), and Lennar (NYSE:LEN) were among the best performers on the day. Here's why they did so well.

GE bids adieu to the Dow

Shares of General Electric jumped 8% in a move that many would see as counterintuitive, because the industrial giant was taken out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average effective today. Yet the company also announced some major changes, including its decision to spin off its healthcare division and to sell its Baker Hughes oil services unit. CEO John Flannery has been under pressure to take aggressive action following ongoing struggles in some of the conglomerate's core businesses, and although today's moves might not be enough by themselves to be successful, GE shareholders at least see them as a step in the right direction.

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Celgene (CELG) : "I'd rather buy Amgen (AMGN) or Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) . I think Celgene overpaid for that acquisition a few years ago."

• [By Todd Campbell]

  When a brand new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors won Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2015, it was heralded as the biggest advance in battling heart disease since the invention of statins. The launch of PCSK9 inhibitors was accompanied by billion-dollar-plus predictions for sales. However, revenue has fallen far shy of blockbuster status, leaving drugmakers Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:REGN), and Sanofi SA (NYSE:SNY) in the lurch.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Intact Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 2,737.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 45,400 shares of the medical research company’s stock after purchasing an additional 43,800 shares during the period. Intact Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Amgen were worth $7,739,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) has been the hands-down winner over Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG) in terms of stock performance over the last year. It's the same story for revenue generated. Celgene beat Amgen in earnings, but only because of a technicality: Amgen incurred a big one-time tax hit in 2017.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  PNC Financial Services Group Inc. trimmed its stake in Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 0.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 2,120,853 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 6,484 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in Amgen were worth $391,489,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Cory Renauer]

  It isn't unusual for oncology stocks to double in a single day after a company announces clinical trial results. Arqule (NASDAQ:ARQL) stands out among its peers because it notched a 67% gain after reporting a partial remission for just one leukemia patient.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Thursday was another down day for the stock market, with new pressure coming from international moves on the macroeconomic front. The European Central Bank signaled that it was ready to provide more accommodative monetary policy, reversing a previous tightening stance and showing its concerns about the prospects for economic growth in the region. Yet favorable earnings reports continued lifting shares of certain individual companies. Rosetta Stone (NYSE:RST), ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL), and Fly Leasing (NYSE:FLY) were among the top performers. Here's why they did so well.

• [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 Joseph Griffin]

  Shares of ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQL) were down 5.4% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $4.71 and last traded at $4.73. Approximately 3,358,864 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 289% from the average daily volume of 863,008 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.00.

• [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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by equities researchers at Needham & Company LLC in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a $6.00 price target on the biotechnology company’s stock, up from their prior price target of $5.00. Needham & Company LLC’s price target suggests a potential upside of 134.38% from the company’s previous close.

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Crumly]

  Drug giant Pfizer released details of a successful trial of a drug for heart damage from a rare disease, and although that company's stock had little reaction, falling 1.9%, shares of companies with potentially competing drugs reacted sharply. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) soared 16.2%, Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) jumped 7.8%, and Eidos Therapeutics (NASDAQ:EIDX) plunged 31.1%.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) updated investors last month on how the launch of Onpattro, its first drug that was approved to treat transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR), was going at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

• [By Motley Fool Transcription]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALNY)Q4 2019 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 7, 2017, 4:30 p.m. ET

  Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks:

  Operator

• [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.

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  ADAMCAPITAL Gestao de Recursos Ltda. lowered its holdings in Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) by 30.5% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 125,856 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after selling 55,267 shares during the quarter. Biogen comprises approximately 1.8% of ADAMCAPITAL Gestao de Recursos Ltda.’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. ADAMCAPITAL Gestao de Recursos Ltda.’s holdings in Biogen were worth $36,528,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Cory Renauer]

  There's a lot for investors to like about Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB). Both of these biotech stocks have produced tremendous returns over the past couple of decades, and the businesses they represent still generate enormous profits. 

• [By Jim Crumly]

  As for individual stocks, Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) announced it's buying Nightstar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NITE), and Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF) is launching an effort to enter the U.S. hemp market.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Data source: Ionis Pharmaceuticals.

  What happened with Ionis Pharmaceuticals this quarter? Royalties from Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) for sales of Spinraza came in at $57 million, more than double the year-ago quarter. The rest of the revenue comes from research and development revenue, which can vary from quarter to quarter due to milestone payments. In July, Ionis' marketing partner Akcea Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKCA) received EU approval for Tegsedi, the brand name for inotersen that treats hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR). Earlier this month, Akcea licensed the Latin American rights to Tegsedi and Waylivra, which treats diseases with high lipid levels, to PTC Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PTCT); Ionis gets 60% of the milestone and royalty payments from PTC Therapeutics for Tegsedi and 50% of the payments for Waylivra. The larger loss came from an increase in R&D expenses, as Ionis and Akcea -- which is still included in Ionis' profit-loss statement because Ionis owns a majority stake -- continue to advance Ionis' pipeline. Selling, general, and administrative costs also increased as Akcea prepares to launch Tegsedi and Waylivra. Ionis' balance sheet can certainly absorb the quarterly loss; the biotech ended the quarter with $2 billion in the bank thanks to its latest deal with Biogen, which is plenty to get by as it waits for revenue to start rolling in.

  Image source: Getty Images.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Biogen (BIIB)

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

• [By George Budwell]

  Not surprisingly, biotech titans Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG) and Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) are among the leaders in this ongoing biopharma revolution. So, with that theme in mind, let's attempt to gauge which of these top biotechs is the more attractive long-term buy for investors right now.