Gilead Sciences—Sell Side’s Darling

Discussion in 'Stock Market Forum' started by PaulSchinider, May 17, 2014.

  1. PaulSchinider

    PaulSchinider Well-Known Member

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    Gilead Sciences continues to be a favorite among analysts’ in the biotech space, and here is why it should also be one of yours

    Gilead Sciences (GILD) saw its revenues increase 97.5% to $5 billion in the first quarter of its 2014 fiscal year (1QFY14), exceeding the industry’s average growth of 26.5%. The impressive growth rate is largely because of Sovaldi, the company’s Hepatitis-C drug, which proved to be a resounding success.

    Sovaldi actually generated about 50% of the company’s quarterly revenues. The drug saw its weekly prescription count touch 8,588, well ahead of competitor Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ (VRTX) protease inhibitor Incivek, which recorded a weekly prescription count of 2,188 in the first twenty weeks of its launch. Michael Yee, RBC Capital Markets analyst, thinks Sovaldi’s sales actually mark the biggest ever first-quarter launch he has seen. RBC Capital Markets has an Outperform rating on the stock, and at the same time, has set a target a price of $96 per share. Similarly, Citi (C) estimates that the drug is well on its way to post $9.5 billion in sales for 2014 provided that Sovaldi prescriptions continue to be written at the same pace as seen in the first twenty weeks of its launch. Citi included Gilead as one of its picks for 2014 stocks to go long on because of the company’s growing oncology segment as well as its strategic positioning in the Hepatitis-C as well as the HIV/AIDs market.

     

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