Vanguard Health Care ETF

Of the 23 analysts covering Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) in August 2017, six analysts recommended a “strong buy,” and four analysts recommended a “buy.” Ten analysts recommended a “hold,” and three analysts recommended a “sell.”

In 1Q17, Abbott Laboratories’ (ABT) Nutritional segment reported revenue of nearly $1.6 billion, a year-over-year (or YoY) fall of ~1%.

Reducing medical costs would be a high priority in all economies, and generic drugs could provide a solution.

According to estimates by Evaluate Pharma, a whopping $120 billion in sales was lost to patent expirations between 2009 and 2014.

Wall Street analysts expect that Universal Health Services (UHS) will report higher net profit margins in 3Q15 compared to margins in 3Q14.

The U.S. Commerce Department reported retail sales fell in February for the third month in a row, while the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index jumped to a 14-year high…

Jeff Bezos’s primary focus remains his role as the CEO of Amazon, but he’s made investments in many other industries and companies.

Johnson & Johnson’s gross profit margin decreased to 64.1% in 4Q17, a ~5% decrease compared to 69.1% in 4Q16.

Eli Lilly (LLY) plans to release its 4Q17 and 2017 earnings on January 31, 2018. For 4Q17, analysts expect LLY to report earnings per share of $1.07 on revenues of ~$5.9 billion.

Lurica, one of the blockbuster drugs from Pfizer’s portfolio, is expected to report revenue growth during 4Q17—likely driven by increased US sales.

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals’ therapeutic candidate ARO-LUNG1 is being developed for an undisclosed disease of the lung. This is the first candidate to utilize the company’s TRiM platform.

In Merck’s cardiovascular product portfolio, Adempas reported revenues of $70 million in 3Q17 compared to $48 million in 3Q16.

For 4Q17, revenues for Johnson & Johnson’s immunology franchise are expected to increase due to the strong performance of Stelara.

In December 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Massachusetts issued an indictment against six former Insys (INSY) employees.

Eli Lilly’s Strattera had revenues of $137 million in 3Q17, a decline of ~31% compared to $199 million in 3Q16.

Eucrisa growth trends On December 14, 2016, Pfizer (PFE) announced that it had secured FDA approval for its mild-to-moderate AD (atopic dermatitis) therapy, Eucrisa (crisaborole) 2% ointment, for patients over two years old. This drug was added to Pfizer’s portfolio through the acquisition of Anacor Pharmaceuticals, which was completed in June 2016 for ~$5.2 billion. […]

In 3Q17, Eli Lilly’s (LLY) Alimta generated revenues of $514.5 million, a ~10% increase on a year-over-year (or YoY) basis and a 3% decline on a quarter-over-quarter basis.

Merck & Co.’s (MRK) Keytruda (pembrolizumab) sales increased ~194% in 3Q17 to ~$1.1 billion.

Eli Lilly’s cardiovascular franchise includes the drugs Cialis and Effient, but for 3Q17, both drugs reported lower sales.

On October 6, 2017, Intuitive Surgical will start trading on a split-adjusted basis. It has scheduled a stock split for its shares in a ratio of 3:1.

Medtronic (MDT) aims to leverage its expertise in implantable pump and electronics segments to further improve Heartware’s LVAD (left ventricular assist device) product portfolio.

Renewed tensions arising out of North Korea’s missile launch on Tuesday had a major impact on volatility. Asian markets have declined more than 1% as risk aversion dominated markets.

Allergan (AGN) is a leading pharmaceuticals company involved with pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter products, eye care, and aesthetics products.

Vectibix’s revenue trends In 2Q17, Amgen’s (AMGN) Vectibix generated revenues of ~$168 million, which represented a ~5% YoY (year-over-year) rise and a ~14% QoQ (quarter-over-quarter) rise. In the US, Vectibix generated revenues of ~$62 million in 2Q17, or ~19% higher YoY. Outside the US, Vectibix reported revenues of ~$106 million, or 2% lower YoY and […]

Some companies benefit in times of uncertainty, and some sectors provide cover for investors.

ABBVie anticipates upadacitinib to be commercialized by 2019. If approved, AbbVie’s upadacitinib will directly compete with Pfizer’s (PFE) Xeljanz.

In 2016, Bayer owned ~51,000 valid patent applications and patents relating to ~5,000 protected inventions worldwide.

Follow-up data were released from the Checkmate-205 study. It evaluated long-term effects of PD-1 inhibitors in patients with classical Hodgkin Lymphoma.

In 2016, AbbVie’s (ABBV) Duodopa, a combination drug for the treatment of advanced Parkinson’s disease, generated revenue of ~$293 million.

Strattera, a drug for the treatment of ADHD, reported 4% growth in its 1Q17 revenues to $196.2 million, compared to $188.1 million for 1Q16.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) has a presence around the globe, but around 80% of its revenues are generated from developed markets.

Johnson & Johnson’s Ppharmaceuticals segment includes products from various franchises: cardiovascular and metabolics, immunology, infectious disease, neuroscience, and oncology.

The US medical device industry is a global leader. Its market was valued at ~$140 billion for 2016. It represents ~45% of the global market.

The US economy is dealing with rising healthcare costs. The national healthcare expenditure grew 5.8% to $3.2 trillion in 2015 or $9,990 per person.

Keytruda, a prescription medicine classified under Merck’s (MRK) immunooncology franchise, is used to treat non-small cell lung cancer as well as melanoma.

In 4Q16, Eli Lilly (LLY) reported Basaglar sales of $40 million from Japan and several European markets.

Pfizer’s (PFE) portfolio includes medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. It segregates its operations into Innovative Health and Essential Health.

The healthcare sector provided unimpressive returns in 2016. The Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF fell 2.5% in 2016.

Bristol-Myers Squibb’s revenues from Opdivo are estimated to be $938.8 million in 3Q16, as compared to $305 million in 3Q15.

Pfizer’s businesses Pfizer’s (PFE) portfolio comprises medicine, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. The company has segregated its operations into two businesses: Innovative Health and Essential Health. Business segments  The above chart shows revenues for the last few quarters and revenue estimates for the next two quarters. Pfizer’s Innovative Health segment, which was previously referred to as […]

Pfizer (PFE) faces foreign exchange, global, legal, and integration risks. These risks are in addition to the pharmaceutical industry’s risks.

Opdivo is under phase II study for the use in the treatment of relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

This year, the healthcare sector seems to be receding, and the utilities sector seems to be in good gear. This is a sign that the early bear phase is over.

Aetna’s Humana acquisition is mainly aimed at increasing the combined companies’ exposure to the high-growth Medicare business. The deal is currently being scrutinized by antitrust regulators.

The Pfizer–Allergan deal could be beneficial to the combined entity in different ways. The combined entity has innovative and established product portfolios.

To extend cost-effective, high-quality medical devices and therapies, Medtronic aims to organize its marketing and sales teams around physician preferences.

Keytruda is a prescription medicine. It’s in Merck & Co.’s (MRK) immuno-oncology franchise. The drug treats non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma.

Remicade is one of the blockbuster drugs for Merck & Co. (MRK). It’s one of the top-selling drugs for the treatment of inflammatory disorders.

The Gardasil franchise is Merck & Co.’s (MRK) leading vaccine franchise. Gardasil is a vaccine that prevents certain strains of HPV (human papillomavirus).

Januvia and Janumet are two blockbuster drugs in Merck & Co.’s diabetes franchise. They’re used to lower the blood sugar level in patients with type-2 diabetes.

The Global Human Health, or Pharmaceuticals, segment generates the most revenue for Merck. It contributed nearly 85% of the total revenue in 2014.

The Global Established Pharmaceutical segment deals with products that have or are expected to lose market exclusivity through 2015 in most major markets.

Pfizer (PFE) is one of the oldest and largest pharmaceutical companies in the US. The company deals in two major business segments.

With a market capitalization of $35.1 billion, Aetna (AET) is one of the largest insurance providers in the US.

Chilton Investment added to its position in Covidien plc (COV) in 4Q14. The position accounts for 3.22% of the fund’s 4Q14 portfolio, up from 0.49% in 3Q14.