First Trust Value Line Dividend Index Fund

Teva Pharmaceutical (TEVA) expects its 2017 non-generally accepted accounting principles (non-GAAP) earnings per share (or EPS) to fall in the range of $4.9–$5.3.

AvalonBay’s revenue grew 7% in the first quarter, driven by rental and other income.

Alcon reported revenue of ~$1.82 billion in the second quarter, a 7% rise.

Novartis surpassed Wall Street analysts’ estimates for earnings per share (or EPS) with reported EPS of $4.86 as compared to estimates of $4.82 for 2017.

On January 29, 2018, Sanofi (SNY) announced that it had agreed to acquire Ablynx (ABLX) for 3.9 billion euros.

Trelegy Ellipta could enable GlaxoSmithKline to compete aggressively with other respiratory players such as Novartis (NVS).

In 1Q17, 2Q17, and 3Q17, Tafinlar+Mekinist reported revenues of $187 million, $216 million, and $224 million, respectively.

Assurant’s (AIZ) revenue fell 27% and 18% in 2016 and 9M17, respectively.

In 3Q17, Novartis’s COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder) portfolio reported revenues of $165 million, which with ~2% higher YoY and 1% higher QoQ.

Sempra Energy’s revenue for the first half of 2017 rose 7.0%, driven by every segment.

In 1H17, Novartis’s (NVS) Promacta/Revolade reported revenues of around $385 million, which reflected ~33% growth on a year-over-year (or YoY) basis.

Three analysts were analyzing Novartis in September 2017. One analyst recommended a “strong buy,” while the other two recommended a “hold.”

How TechnipFMC intends to maintain its yield FMC Technologies and Technip merged to become TechnipFMC (FTI) in 2017, an international provider of subsea, onshore, offshore, and surface projects. The synergy aims to combat the challenges of low oil prices and a challenging outlook through cost cutting and the enhancement of efficiency. The company recorded 51% revenue […]

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) reported revenues of 7.32 billion pounds in 2Q17—12% growth compared to revenues of 6.53 billion pounds in 2Q16.

Novartis (NVS) reported flat revenues of $12.24 billion on a constant-currency basis for 2Q17. This included a 2% decline due to foreign exchange.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) met Wall Street analysts’ estimate for EPS at $0.74. It also surpassed the estimates for revenues.

Franklin Resources (BEN) has recorded consistent growth in dividends since at least March 1982.

General Medicines Sanofi’s (SNY) generic business contributed ~5.1% of its total revenue in 2Q17. The business reported revenue of 442 million euros in 2Q17, an 8% decrease from 2Q16. Revenue fell due to lower sales in US markets, European markets, and emerging markets. This fall was partially offset by the growth in the rest of […]

Sanofi (SNY), one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, reported operational growth of 5.5% to reach revenue of 8.7 billion euros in 2Q17.

Target’s (TGT) sales for 2016 fell 6.0% due to lower comparable store sales and weak store traffic.

Intel (INTC) released its 2Q17 results on July 27, 2017. The company’s revenue and EPS for the first half of 2017 rose 8.5% and 72.0%, respectively.

GSK’s Pharmaceuticals segment’s contribution to the company’s total revenues was 59.5% in 2Q17.

Arbor Realty Trust (ABR) paid 74.1% of its earnings as dividends in 2016 compared to 56.7% in 1Q17.

Analysts expect to see a growth of ~11.4% in GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) 2Q17 revenues, which are expected to total nearly 7.3 billion British pounds.

The overall contribution of the Innovative Medicines segment was ~67.6% at $8.28 billion for 2Q17.

The overall contribution of Novartis’s (NVS) Innovative Medicines segment is ~67.0% of its total revenues.

The sector has seen the weakest growth in its top and bottom lines due to uncertainty in terms of sector reforms.

Qualcomm (QCOM) recorded a year-over-year decline in revenues for 2Q17 after growth in the preceding quarter.

Novartis reported EPS of $1.13 on revenues of $11.54 billion for 1Q17, which represents 2% YoY operational growth in revenues.

Sanofi’s (SNY) Generics business contributes ~5% to the group’s total revenues.

Novartis’s (NVS) Innovative Medicines segment includes products for therapeutic areas such as oncology, cardiometabolic, immunology, and dermatology.

Sanofi’s (SNY) Consumer Healthcare segment reported a 1.6% YoY (year-over-year) fall in revenues at 3.33 billion euros (about $3.56 billion) in 2016.

Currently, an estimated 7,000 patients suffer from pediatric ALL in the US, Europe, Japan, Canada, and Israel.

Sanofi’s (SNY) Established Prescription Products segment contributed nearly 30.5% of the company’s total revenues in 2016.

Sanofi (SNY) reported a YoY (year-over-year) revenue growth of ~1.2% at constant exchange rates for 2016.

Novartis (NVS) expects modest prescription growth for its heart failure drug, Entresto, in 1Q17.

Novartis’s valuation has followed the industry’s overall trend over the last five years. Whether the healthcare sector’s valuation rises or falls, Novartis will definitely be affected.

In 2016, AstraZeneca’s (AZN) poly ADP-ribose polymerase (or PARP) inhibitor, Lynparza, managed to report revenues close to $218 million.

The revenues for AstraZeneca’s (AZN) Oncology segment rose ~20% at constant exchange rates in 2016.

Sanofi’s (SNY) established prescription products contributed nearly 28.9% of the company’s total 4Q16 revenues.

On January 31, 2017, Novartis was trading at a forward PE multiple of ~15.2x. Based on its last-five-year multiple range, this is neither high nor low.

Sandoz, the Generics segment of Novartis (NVS), is second-largest generic medicines provider worldwide and number one in differentiated generics.

Analysts expect an ~1.1% decline in Novartis’s (NVS) 4Q16 revenues to ~$12.4 billion following the effects of the acquisition and divestiture of several products.

The overall contribution of the innovative medicines segment was ~67% at $8,173 million for 3Q16.

On October 26, 2016, AstraZeneca (AZN) announced that Lynparza managed to demonstrate a superior clinical profile in the Phase 3 SOLO-2 trial.

Teva Pharmaceutical’s (TEVA) generic research pipeline is expected to result in more than 30 first-to-file (or FTF) launches in 2016 and 2017.

In his November Insights newsletter, Richard Bernstein stated, “It is incredible that investors have basically been wallflowers during the second longest bull market of the post-war period.”

A legitimate bull market In this series, we’ve taken a look at Richard Bernstein’s views on investors’ fear of an impending bear market. In Richard Bernstein Advisors’ October Insights newsletter, he rejects the notion that the current rise in US stocks (SPLV) (OEF) has been brought about only by the Fed’s easy monetary policy. In the […]

As one of the early entrants in biosimilars, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (TEVA) has managed to become one of the biggest players in the biosimilar space.

Sanofi (SNY) plans to become a leading company in the CHC business. The asset swap will exclude Boehringer Ingelheim’s CHC business in China.