Advertisement
Singapore markets closed
  • Straits Times Index

    3,224.01
    -27.70 (-0.85%)
     
  • Nikkei

    40,369.44
    +201.37 (+0.50%)
     
  • Hang Seng

    16,541.42
    +148.58 (+0.91%)
     
  • FTSE 100

    7,952.62
    +20.64 (+0.26%)
     
  • Bitcoin USD

    69,967.57
    -777.20 (-1.10%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,254.35
    +5.86 (+0.11%)
     
  • Dow

    39,807.37
    +47.29 (+0.12%)
     
  • Nasdaq

    16,379.46
    -20.06 (-0.12%)
     
  • Gold

    2,254.80
    +16.40 (+0.73%)
     
  • Crude Oil

    83.11
    -0.06 (-0.07%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.2060
    +0.0100 (+0.24%)
     
  • FTSE Bursa Malaysia

    1,536.07
    +5.47 (+0.36%)
     
  • Jakarta Composite Index

    7,288.81
    -21.28 (-0.29%)
     
  • PSE Index

    6,903.53
    +5.36 (+0.08%)
     

The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Sciences, Repligen, Illumina and Bio-Techne

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – June 5, 2019 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. VRTX, Gilead Sciences Inc. GILD, Repligen Corp. RGEN, Illumina Inc. ILMN and Bio-Techne Corp. TECH.

Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

5 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now

Many of the companies in the biotech sector have had a rough past few weeks with many stocks hitting their lowest levels since January. That being said, here are a few stocks that have outperformed their peers and are expected to have continued growth throughout the next couple of years. All the stocks in this list are a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) or better.

ADVERTISEMENT

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Zacks Rank #2 (Buy)

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a Boston based biotech firm that specializes in the development and production of Cystic Fibrosis treatments. Vertex was recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) on the back of earnings estimate revisions for the current fiscal year trending in the right direction. On top of 3.4% projected growth this year, the Zacks Consensus Estimate calls for VRTX’s fiscal 2020 earnings to climb 37% above our 2019 estimate. This bottom-line growth is projected to be fueled by estimated revenue growth of 16.7% this year and a further 22% expansion in 2020. Vertex currently earns a Style Score of "B" for Growth.

Gilead Sciences Inc.

Zacks Rank #2 (Buy)

California-based Gilead Sciences is a drug company primarily focused on developing antiviral drugs. Gilead had 11 upwards earnings estimate revisions over the past 60 days, compared to just 1 downward revision for fiscal 2019. This shows analysts are more optimistic about the company’s current year earnings. Gilead also boasts a Zacks Style Score of "A" for Value due to multiple factors including its low P/E of 9.23 compared to its industry’s average of 23.89. The combination of good value and expected earnings growth could make Gilead a great addition to a portfolio.

Repligen Corp.

Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy)

Repligen is a biotech company based out of Massachusetts that develops and produces materials used to manufacture biological drugs. Repligen is the first of two Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) companies on this list. The Zacks Consensus Estimates for Repligen’s earnings growth are 28.8% and 19% for fiscal year 2019 and 2020, respectively. These earnings growth rates are accompanied by expected revenue growth of 30% and 16.9% for fiscal year 2019 and 2020, respectively. This expected growth helped earn Repligen a Zacks Style Score of "A" for Growth.

Illumina Inc.

Zacks Rank #2 (Buy)

Illumina is a San Diego based biotech company that has created products to help genome sequencing and reduce its cost. Illumina, like many of the companies on this list is expected to have good growth over the next couple of fiscal years. Over the past 60 days, Illumina had 11 upwards earnings revisions for fiscal year 2019 and 8 upwards earnings revisions for fiscal year 2020 while also having 0 downwards revisions for those same estimates. Zacks Consensus Estimates have Illumina’s revenue growth around 12.8% along with earnings growth of 16.7% for the current fiscal year. The company’s revenue is expected to increase slightly more the following fiscal year. Overall, the signs for Illumina point to solid future growth, which could help its stock price grow in the coming months.

Bio-Techne Corp.

Zacks Rank#1 (Strong Buy)

Minneapolis-based Bio-Techne is a holding company for biotech and clinical diagnostic brands. Bio-Techne was recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).  Analysts seem optimistic about the company as it has received multiple upward earnings estimate revisions for the current fiscal year recently. Additionally, Zacks Consensus Estimates call for earnings growth to surge 14% in fiscal year 2020, on the back of 10% revenue growth that same year. Bio-Techne’s expected growth helps to make it a good option to add to a portfolio.

Today's Best Stocks from Zacks

Would you like to see the updated picks from our best market-beating strategies? From 2017 through 2018, while the S&P 500 gained +15.8%, five of our screens returned +38.0%, +61.3%, +61.6%, +68.1%, and +98.3%.

This outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. From 2000 - 2018, while the S&P averaged +4.8% per year, our top strategies averaged up to +56.2% per year.

See their latest picks free >>

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com                    

https://www.zacks.com

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.


Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Bio-Techne Corp (TECH) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Repligen Corporation (RGEN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Illumina, Inc. (ILMN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research