Big Biotechs With The Most Upside for 2011 (AMGN, GILD, CELG, HGSI, DNDN, INCY, ACOR)
Bioheath Investor is creating some ongoing outlook pieces as 2010 ends so we have an outline of what to expect for 2011. We have already given the “Best of Big Biotech in 2010″ and now we want to focus on “The Big Biotechs With The Most Upside for 2011.” Using “Big Biotech” implies market caps of those with a market cap of $1 billion or higher. It was surprising that many of those big biotechs are actually trading much higher than their projected price targets.
Our screen generated 7 of the pack with implied upside of more than 15% for 2011. Those making the screen were Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN), Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD), Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG), Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: HGSI), Dendreon Corporation (NASDAQ: DNDN), Incyte Corporation (NASDAQ: INCY), and Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACOR) made the grade for those with the most implied upside to the average analyst price targets with a one-year horizon.
We did create a brief table showing the tickers, the current price, the implied analyst consensus price target from Thomson Reuters, the implied upside to that target, and the 52-week trading range. More importantly, we gave an added breakdown on each with supporting data and color for building such an outlook.
| Stock | Current | Target | Implied Gain | 52-Week Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMGN | $56.13 | $65.39 | 16.5% | 50.26 – 61.26 |
| GILD | $36.54 | $44.67 | 22.2% | 31.73 – 49.50 |
| CELG | $60.28 | $70.48 | 16.9% | 48.02 – 65.79 |
| HGSI | $24.63 | $35.17 | 42.8% | 20.56 – 34.49 |
| DNDN | $35.81 | $52.73 | 47.2% | 25.78 – 57.67 |
| INCY | $16.81 | $21.08 | 25.4% | 8.50 – 17.48 |
| ACOR | $27.60 | $33.58 | 21.6% | 24.99 – 40.48 |
Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) has been range-bound for so long that we have called it a Big Pharma company masquerading as a biotech. It is THE largest of all U.S.-based biotechs out there. The 16.5% implied upside to a consensus target of $65.39 would mean a multi-year high as this one has been greatly range-bound in a $50 to $60 range. We’ll be looking forward to more data on its prostate cancer indication possibilities. The market cap here is well over $50 billion and it has so far survived its political risks and reimbursement risks from Washington D.C. What else is there really to add?
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) has a high implied upside of more than 22% and it ranks among the biggest biotechs in the world with its $29.6 billion market cap. The implied target of $44.67 has already been breached before as the 52-week high is $49.50. Gilead even peaked at $55 back in 2008 before the meltdown. Its recent loss may have become InterMune’s gain.
Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) has become harder and harder to evaluate on its valuation versus growth, but grown it has… even if shares have been range-bound. Its market cap is north of $28 billion based on REVLIMID, THALOMID, and others. If it makes that near-17% upside to $70.48, that will be a new 52-week high and will be within striking distance of the 2007 and 2008 highs.
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: HGSI) is the #2 stock of the implied upside stocks worth more than $1 billion. The implied event is the FDA review of Benlysta for lupus in March 2011 and if approved it would be the first lupus treatment in the last 50 years. While the implied upside is almost 43% to $35.17, Human Genome shares have already traded as high as $34.49 over the last year. Two recent analyst calls could not have been more opposite.
Dendreon Corporation (NASDAQ: DNDN) won the pole position as #1 with the most implied upside. Dendreon is a 2011 story as it telegraphed that its Provenge is likely to see a later in the ramp up and back-ended growth cycle as more capacity comes on line. The company is also seeking expanded Provenge manufacturing approval. While the implied upside is 47% to the $52.73 target, shares have traded north of $57.00 this year. We recently saw a very bullish outlook from a research report here.
Incyte Corporation (NASDAQ: INCY) is expected to have some 25% upside to its $21.08 consensus target, and it should be noted that it has a 52-week high of only $17.48. Thomson Reuters expects a decline in 2011 revenues and the story is still one that can go either very well or could backfire as its losses mount. Incyte’s market cap is still north of $2 billion and its cash is in excess of $400 million as of its September 30, 2010 balance sheet. Keep in mind that at the time of that balance sheet, debt and deferred liabilities already offset that cash balance. Incyte is one that could be a huge wild card ahead.
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACOR) is one that is close enough to the 52-week lows that the implied upside may not be believed by many investors. The implied upside to the $33.58 target is still over 21%, but shares have come off the yearly highs by more than 30% so far in 2010. Its market cap is barely over the $1 billion line at $1.08 billion and we’d rate this another wild card for biotech investors.
As far as how these big biotech targets compare with a fresh initiation from Credit Suisse, that can be seen here. Keep your eyes out for both Human Genome Sciences and Dendreon in 2011. Those are both exponential winners and were up for review in late 2010 as they were among the field of ten-baggers with implied gains of 1,000% or more.
JON C. OGG
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