Tag: AbbVie Inc. (ABBV)

Pfizer’s Dividend Yield vs. Growth: Is It Time to Rebalance Your Portfolio?

Posted on by The INO.com Team

Pfizer Inc. (PFE), striving to set the standard for quality, safety, and value in the discovery, development, and manufacture of biopharmaceutical products, reported solid second-quarter 2024 earnings and raised guidance for the full year. In the second quarter of 2024, the company’s revenues increased 2.1% year-over-year to $13.28 billion. This was PFE’s first quarter of top-line growth after reporting declines over the past five quarters.

Despite a modest year-over-year growth, Pfizer’s overall revenue growth has been sluggish, particularly in the post-pandemic period, as the pharma company lost the revenue boost from its COVID-19 vaccine. During the first six months of 2024, PFE’s revenues came in at $28.16 billion, down 11% year-over-year.

Furthermore, the company reported adjusted income and EPS of $3.40 billion and $0.60 for the second quarter, down 11.4% and 10.4% from the previous year’s quarter. While Pfizer’s adjusted EPS declined year-over-year, it surpassed analysts’ expectations of $0.46.

Dr. Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer, said, “We are driving progress toward our 2024 strategic priorities through solid execution across the company. I am pleased with the strong performance of our product portfolio in the second quarter led by several of our acquired products, key in-line brands and recent commercial launches. Notably, we achieved exceptional growth in our Oncology portfolio, with strong revenue contribution from our legacy-Seagen products.”

“Overall, I am encouraged by our performance in the first half of 2024 and we remain focused on making a difference in the lives of patients as we continue to advance and strengthen our company,” Bourla added.

Following an improved second-quarter performance that exceeded past expectations, PFE raised its full-year guidance. The company increased its revenue guidance by $1 billion at the midpoint to a range of $59.5 to $62.5 billion. Its adjusted EPS is expected to be $2.45 to $2.65, up from the prior guidance of $2.15 to $2.35.

Pfizer’s Strength: A High Dividend Yield

Pfizer has raised dividends for 13 consecutive years. PFE pays an annual dividend of $0.42, which translates to a yield of 5.8%. The dividend yield of 5.80% is well above the average yield in the pharmaceutical sector. The company has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to returning capital to shareholders, having paid nearly $5 billion in dividends in the most recent quarter alone.

However, PFE’s dividend yield, while appealing, may not fully compensate for the company’s slower revenue growth trajectory. Since the pharmaceutical giant grapples with falling COVID-19 vaccine sales and patent cliffs on blockbuster drugs, future revenue growth may remain muted. This leaves Pfizer in a position where its high dividend yield could mask underlying financial challenges.

While Pfizer offers an attractive dividend yield, growth investors may find more attractive opportunities in faster-growing pharmaceutical companies like AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) and Eli Lilly and Company (LLY).

AbbVie: A Balance of Growth and Income

ABBV presents a compelling case for investors seeking both income and growth. The company boasts a strong product pipeline, particularly in immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care, which positions it for sustained revenue growth. Moreover, AbbVie recently showcased the advancement of the solid tumor pipeline at ESMO 2024 with new data from its innovative antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform.

Further, in August 2024, the company completed the acquisition of Cerevel Therapeutics (CERE). This strategic acquisition strengthens its foundation in neuroscience and positions it to deliver sustainable long-term performance into the next decade and beyond.

For the second quarter that ended June 30, 2024, ABBV’s worldwide net revenues increased 4.3% year-over-year to $14.46 billion. Global net revenues from the oncology portfolio rose 10.5% year-over-year, and global net revenues from the neuroscience portfolio grew 14.7%.

“Our business continues to perform exceptionally well, with second quarter results meaningfully ahead of our expectations,” stated Robert A. Michael, chief executive officer of AbbVie. “Based upon the significant momentum of our ex-Humira growth platform, our continued investments in the business and our pipeline progress, we are very well positioned to deliver our top-tier long-term outlook.”

Following an outstanding second-quarter performance, AbbVie raised the 2024 adjusted EPS guidance range from $10.61-$10.81 to $10.71-$10.91.

In addition to these growth opportunities, AbbVie remains committed to rewarding shareholders. The company has a solid dividend track record, raising dividends for ten consecutive years. The company raised an annual dividend of $6.20, translating to a yield of 3.23% at the prevailing share price, making it an appealing option for investors who want a combination of dividend income and growth potential. Its balance of innovation and shareholder returns makes it an attractive long-term investment.

Should You Rebalance Your Portfolio?

For investors focused on maximizing long-term returns, it may be the right time to rebalance their portfolios. PFE’s high dividend yield remains attractive, but those seeking higher growth should consider trimming their positions and reallocating toward faster-growing pharmaceutical companies like ABBV or LLY.

Is ABBV a Long-Term Growth Stock Buy With a $27 Billion Sales Projection?

Posted on by The INO.com Team

Pharma company AbbVie Inc. (ABBV), with a market cap of over $300 billion, has recently unveiled its fourth-quarter earnings report. Its revenue for the quarter amounted to $14.30 billion, down 5.4% year-over-year, while its adjusted EPS declined 22.5% from the year-ago quarter to $2.79. But both figures surpassed analysts’ estimates.

Following its 2013 spinoff from Abbott Laboratories, ABBV, under the leadership of CEO Richard Gonzalez, was confronted with the challenge of preventing sales dips amid increasing competition to its top-performing drug, Humira – which at the time accounted for roughly $9 billion in annual sales, making up over half the company's total sales.

Humira achieved staggering success, hitting its peak with $21.23 billion in annual sales in 2022 and accumulating more than $200 billion in lifetime revenue – shattering even the most optimistic Wall Street projections. Market analysts praised Humira's impressive growth trajectory, but the looming patent expirations provoked investor anxiety. Humira's impressive results equipped ABBV with additional resources and time to adapt to a post-Humira future.

Sales of Humira dropped 40.8% year-over-year to $3.30 billion worldwide in the fiscal fourth quarter that ended December 31, 2023. This decline notably outpaced the full-year sales downturn of 32.2% year-over-year, a trend the drug maker attributes to the emergence of biosimilar drugs on the market.

ABBV believes that Humira's fiscal 2023 revenue remains strong at $14.40 billion despite the introduction of biosimilars. As competition from these copycat medications is projected to surge in the upcoming year, ABBV forecasts that sales for Humira will drop to $9.6 billion.

ABBV foresaw the impending loss of exclusivity and strategically diversified its product line. ABBV's strategic plan, upon the entry of Humira biosimilars, aims to weather the initial financial impact in 2024 before regaining momentum in 2025.

To cushion against this looming loss of exclusivity – the most significant event of its kind across the industry to date – ABBV planned to leverage sales of its rapidly growing products, including Humira’s immunology heirs, Rinvoq and Skyrizi. ABBV's two innovative anti-inflammatory medications, Skyrizi and Rinvoq, are used to manage conditions like Crohn’s disease and arthritis.

ABBV's acquisition of Allergan in 2020 and the creation of these new drugs, however, did not entirely abate investors' apprehensions about the long-term viability of ABBV’s products or its ability to maintain sales and earnings growth as consistently as it did during Humira's reign. This residual anxiety has seen the stock oscillating between $134 and $175 over the past two years. Nonetheless, concerns were substantially eased following the company's strong fourth-quarter financial report.

Revenue from Skyrizi and Rinvoq climbed 51.9% and 62.9% year-over-year, respectively. This propelled their combined revenue contribution to $3.65 billion. The company projects the two drugs to generate an impressive $16 billion in sales revenue. In 2027, these medicines could amass $27 billion, thereby outperforming peak earnings from Humira.

Upon detailed examination, Skyrizi could accumulate over $17 billion by 2027, underpinned by increased market share in psoriasis treatment and its growing use in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Rinvoq is also slated for success, with projections suggesting it will reach over $10 billion in revenue in 2027 across rheumatology, IBD, and atopic dermatitis applications. Rinvoq's forecast includes moderate additions from several new treatment areas, onto which ABBV hopes to introduce the drug during the latter half of this decade. These new indications have a combined peak sales capability equivalent to several billion dollars.

ABBV maintains a robust competitive stance with high capture rates, as confirmed by Chief Commercial Officer Jeffrey Stewart. While currently on the lower end of the prescription share spectrum, Stewart remains optimistic about potential growth opportunities. He states there remains significant scope for boosting patient uptake of Rinvoq and Skyrizi, particularly within their existing treatment applications.

Moreover, the company has submitted its Skyrizi application for use in treating ulcerative colitis, with approval anticipated by 2024. Rinvoq is concurrently undergoing Phase 3 trials for additional treatment indications, indicating an avenue for growth in the future. Potential applications for Rinvoq include conditions such as vitiligo, hidradenitis suppurative (HS), and lupus.

Beyond Skyrizi and Rinvoq, there is also ongoing development of next-generation drug options. Lutikizumab, for example, recently displayed beneficial outcomes in a Phase 2 trial in adults experiencing moderate to severe HS and is set to advance to Phase 3.

ABBV's proficiency spans beyond immunology, despite its Oncology division recording a 7.4% year-on-year decrease to $1.51 billion, attributed to competitive pressures on Imbruvica. This trend is expected to prevail for a few more years. Imbruvica's U.S. market share has dwindled in favor of other BTK inhibitors and is among the initial 10 drugs that will be subject to price negotiation for Medicare coverage.

Nevertheless, ABBV's $10 billion ImmunoGen acquisition deal is projected to bolster the company's presence in the solid tumor space – beginning with the already-approved Elahere, a second-line therapy for specific ovarian cancer types. The deal is anticipated to result in R&D synergies across multiple treatments in this area.

ABBV's aesthetics segment has demonstrated resilience, marking a 6.4% year-on-year appreciation, primarily driven by an 11.8% annual increase from Botox cosmetics. Given Botox's impressive market penetration, the aesthetics segment is envisaged to continue trending upwards.

In addition, ABBV's neuroscience division reported a substantial 22.6% year-over-year growth, fueled by successful launches of migraine medications and an extended indication for Vraylar for major depression treatment. Migraine medications Ubrelvy and Qulipta are projected to attain combined peak revenues of $3 billion.

A paramount development in this segment was the $8.7 billion Cerevel Therapeutics acquisition. ABBV's prevailing neuroscience portfolio, in conjunction with its combined pipeline with Cerevel, epitomizes a substantial growth prospect stretching into the next decade.

For the fiscal year 2024, ABBV anticipates its revenue to be $54.2 billion and adjusted EPS between $11.05 and $11.25. This guidance includes a $0.32 per share dilutive impact tied to the proposed ImmunoGen and Cerevel acquisitions, slated for completion around mid-2024.

Analysts predict ABBV's revenue for the same period will reach $54.53 billion, while EPS is projected to hit $11.25 billion.

Following an optimistic quarterly earnings report, a surge was noted in ABBV shares. Eliciting this rise were the post-earnings price target escalations by analysts tracking the trajectory of the pharma company. Wall Street analysts expect the stock to reach $176.53 in the next 12 months, indicating a potential upside of 3.1%. The price target ranges from a low of $135 to a high of $200.

Wells Fargo maintains an overweight rating on ABBV shares, raising the firm's price target to $200. The financial institution highlighted an improving growth narrative for ABBV, as its products – Skyrizi and Rinvoq – are positioned to surpass Humira.

Bottom Line

Global medicine expenditure grew 35% over the past five years, and it is anticipated to surge around 38% by 2028, underlining the increasing demand for medicinal products. Moreover, the escalation in autoimmune diseases, now the third most frequent reason for chronic afflictions in the U.S., has instigated an ascending demand for next-generation immunology drugs. The next-generation immunology drugs market is poised to grow at a 6.1% CAGR by 2029.

Pharma firm ABBV is taking considerable strides to foster investor confidence, exhibiting its ability to succeed Humira, the primary growth engine since its inception as an independent entity. Furthermore, robust sales of Skyrizi and Rinvoq, along with significant oncology and neuroscience acquisitions, have fortified its operational pipeline and enhanced portfolio balance.

Considering market dynamics and drug trajectory, ABBV's projected growth appears feasible. While Humira sales are projected to temper due to escalating biosimilar competition from 2024, consistent gains are expected for the company's immunology franchise post-2024. The adept transition after Humira's exclusivity termination played a pivotal role in the recent upgrade.

In the pipeline, ABBV will require bolstering phase 3 assets, although an improved phase 2 pipeline and recent acquisitions of ImmunoGen and Cerevel enhance the company's long-term outlook. With the ImmunoGen acquisition, optimism surrounds the cancer drug Elahere. Late 2024 or early 2025 should see promising phase 2 data for several Alzheimer’s drugs, potentially paving the way for major new blockbusters.

Moreover, the need for debt to finance acquisitions could potentially impact the company’s predicted net margin. However, improving bottom lines could be seen as the debt diminishes.

Investors relish substantial portfolio returns, especially income investors who prioritize consistent cash flow from liquid investments. ABBV pays an annual dividend of $6.20 per share, yielding 3.68%, far exceeding the industry average of 1.59% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.34%. ABBV's dividend has seen an 8.68% CAGR over the past five years.

Future dividend growth will be contingent on earnings growth and the payout ratio. ABBV's present payout ratio stands at 53.92%, signifying that over 53% of its trailing 12-month EPS was disbursed as dividends.

Additionally, the company has maintained an impressive track record, with a decade-long streak of increasing dividends. Over the past 10 years, its dividend payments grew at a 14.1% CAGR. Its trailing-12-month levered FCF margin of 43.65% notably exceeds the industry average. Moreover, as of September 30, 2023, ABBV had cash and equivalents of $13.29 billion. The overall scenario supports the notion that dividend hikes over the past decade have not impeded cash accumulation.

Moreover, its notable reserve could act as a buffer against unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, this stock presents a solid prospect for passive income generation, reinforcing investors' rationale for the inclusion of ABBV in their portfolios.

Navigating A Major Lawsuit: Will Pharma Stock ABBV Hold Strong Under Scrutiny?

Posted on by The INO.com Team

Humira has not just been a wonder drug for treating moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis and other debilitating auto-immune conditions for millions of people; it has been a cash cow for its manufacturer, AbbVie Inc. (ABBV). Excluding the COVID vaccine that was developed in response to the pandemic, Humira has been the world’s best-selling drug.

In return, the company has defended its fortress from potential competition from cheaper substitutes for over two decades with the help of the American patent system, which has enabled ABBV to file more than 100 patents to extend Humira’s patent protection beyond the 12 years that’s standard for other biotech drugs.

Biotech drugs like Humira are more complicated to design, develop, manufacture, and administer than pills or tablets. Consequently, their interests are protected by relatively more patents and intellectual property (IP) rights around them.

However, even by those standards, ABBV’s strategy was more aggressive, according to some experts, considering that some of Humira's patents covered things such as the drug's formulation and manufacturing methods.

But ABBV’s approach of taking no prisoners may be coming back to bite it this time around. In this article, we will look into the specifics and potential consequences of its alleged transgressions.

Under The (Double-Barreled) Gun

On April 25, ABBV was sued by a nationwide class of consumers who have accused the drug maker of fraudulently and illegally inflating the cost of Humira by as much as 470% over the past two decades.

The class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois alleges that the drug maker had repeatedly raised the publicly-listed price paid by consumers while offering pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) lower and undisclosed net prices for its blockbuster drug.

ABBV has allegedly exploited this covert arrangement to charge its consumers exorbitantly while helping PBMs to profit excessively by pocketing a portion of the larger spread between the publicly listed price and the private net price they paid for the drug. Continue reading "Navigating A Major Lawsuit: Will Pharma Stock ABBV Hold Strong Under Scrutiny?" →

4 Value Stocks for Times of Uncertainty

Posted on by The INO.com Team

Ahead of the Fed’s July rate hike, markets seem volatile. Given the viability of value investing during such times, quality value stocks Intel (INTC), Micron Technology (MU), AbbVie (ABBV), and Cisco Systems (CSCO) could be solid picks to navigate a volatile environment.

The Fed is yet to announce its next rate hike for July. Since inflation soared to a record 9.1% in June, another 75 bps rate hike seems imminent. Consequently, market volatility is rife, as is evident from the CBOE Volatility Index’s 35.7% year-to-date gains.

Amid such circumstances, value investing has a history of outperforming its growth counterparts. Over the past 40 years, a significant portion of value returns has come during rate hike periods.

Furthermore, Bank of America Corp’s (BAC) chief quant Savita Subramanian prefers value over growth, and the bank expects value stocks to outperform growth in the coming years.

Therefore, fundamentally sound value stocks Intel Corporation (INTC), Micron Technology, Inc. (MU), AbbVie Inc. (ABBV), and Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) could be profitable investments amid the ongoing uncertainty.

Intel Corporation (INTC)

An industry leader, INTC designs, manufactures, and sells computer products and technologies worldwide. It operates through CCG; DCG; IOTG; Mobileye; NSG; PSG; and All Other segments. INTC creates world-changing technology to enable global progress.

On July 12, 2022, INTC launched the first set of its open-source AI reference kits, which were built in collaboration with Accenture plc (ACN). These kits are designed to make AI more accessible to organizations in the on-prem, cloud, and edge environments and are available on GitHub. The company is expected to release a series of open-source AI reference kits over the next year, which should bolster its revenues.

INTC’s Datacenter and AI segment revenue increased 22.1% year-over-year to $6.03 billion for the first quarter ended April 2, 2022. Its net income came in at $8.11 billion, up 141.4% year-over-year, while its EPS came in at $1.98, up 141.5% year-over-year.

INTC’s forward EV/S of 2.18x is 22.1% lower than the industry average of 2.80x. Its forward P/S of 2.23x is 22.5% lower than the industry average of 2.87x.

Analysts expect INTC’s revenue to grow 2.6% year-over-year to $76.43 billion in 2023. Its EPS is expected to grow 2% year-over-year to $3.49 in 2023. It has surpassed EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. Over the past month, INTC has gained 7.6% to close the last trading session at $40.61.

INTC’s strong fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. The stock has an overall B rating, which indicates a Buy in this proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings assess stocks by 118 different factors, each with its own weighting.

INTC has an A grade for Value and a B grade for Quality. Within the B-rated Semiconductor & Wireless Chip industry, it is ranked #24 out of 94 stocks. Click here to learn more about POWR Ratings.

Micron Technology, Inc. (MU)

MU designs, manufactures, and sells memory and storage products worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Compute and Networking Business Unit; Mobile Business Unit; Storage Business Unit; and Embedded Business Unit.

On July 6, 2022, MU announced the commercial and industrial channel partner availability of Micron DDR5 server DRAM to support the industry qualification of next-generation Intel and AMD DDR5 server and workstation platforms. The product’s commercial availability should add to the company’s revenue stream.

On June 30, 2022, MU’s President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, said, “We are confident about the long-term secular demand for memory and storage and are well positioned to deliver strong cross-cycle financial performance.”

For the third quarter ended June 2, 2022, MU’s revenue increased 16.4% year-over-year to $8.64 billion. Its non-GAAP net income came in at $2.94 billion, up 35.3% year-over-year. Also, its non-GAAP EPS came in at $2.59, up 37.8% year-over-year.

In terms of its forward EV/S, MU’s 2.09x is 25.4% lower than the industry average of 2.80x. Its forward P/S of 2.22x is 22.6% lower than the industry average of 2.87x.

MU’s revenue is expected to come in at $31.38 billion in 2022, representing a 13.2% year-over-year rise. The company’s EPS is expected to increase 41.3% year-over-year to $8.56 in 2022. In addition, it surpassed EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. Over the past month, the stock has gained 12% to close the last trading session at $63.64.

MU has an overall B grade equating to a Buy in the POWR Ratings system. It also has an A grade for Value and a B for Quality.

MU is ranked #39 in the Semiconductor & Wireless Chip industry. Click here to learn more about POWR Ratings.

AbbVie Inc. (ABBV)

ABBV discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company functions across several key therapeutic areas like immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, and gastroenterology.

In July, ABBV announced Health Canada’s approval for its RINVOQ® (upadacitinib, 15 mg), an oral, once-daily selective and reversible JAK inhibitor for the treatment of adults with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This is expected to expand the company’s portfolio of treatment options for Canadians.

On July 20, 2022, ABBV and iSTAR Medical SA announced a strategic transaction to develop and commercialize iSTAR Medical’s MINIject® device, a minimally invasive glaucoma surgical device. The strategic alliance is expected to be a step forward in the company’s innovation in glaucoma treatment.

ABBV’s net revenues for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022, came in at $13.54 billion, up 4.1% year-over-year. Its net earnings came in at $4.49 billion, up 26.4% year-over-year. Moreover, its adjusted EPS came in at $3.16, up 9.3% year-over-year.

ABBV’s forward EV/EBITDA of 10.39x is 22.8% lower than the industry average of 13.46x. Its forward P/S of 4.38x is 5% lower than the industry average of 4.61x.

Analysts expect ABBV’s revenue to increase 6.2% year-over-year to $59.61 billion in 2022. Its EPS is expected to increase 9.8% year-over-year to $13.94 in 2022. It surpassed EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. Over the past year, the stock has gained 26.3% to close the last trading session at $147.75.

It’s no surprise that ABBV has an overall A rating, equating to a Strong Buy in the POWR Ratings system. In addition, it has an A grade for Quality and a B for Growth and Value.

ABBV is ranked #9 out of the 167 stocks in the Medical – Pharmaceuticals industry. Click here to learn more about POWR Ratings.

Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO)

CSCO designs, manufactures, and sells Internet Protocol-based networking and other products related to the communications and information technology industry in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, Japan, and China.

On July 21, 2022, CSCO launched a new Webex Wholesale Route-to-Market for Service Provider partners to address the evolving needs of SMBs. This new model is expected to offer greater customer satisfaction for CSCO and its partners.

In June, CSCO launched AppDynamics Cloud, which delivers power and usability in a single, intuitive interface. AppDynamics Cloud supports cloud-native, managed Kubernetes environments on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and is expected to expand to Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and other cloud providers in the future.

CSCO’s total revenue increased marginally year-over-year to $12.84 billion for the third quarter ended April 30, 2022. Its net income came in at $3.04 billion, up 6.3% year-over-year, while its EPS came in at $0.73, up 7.4% year-over-year.

CSCO’s forward EV/EBITDA of 8.96x is 28.7% lower than the industry average of 12.55x. Its forward EV/EBIT of 10.01x is 35.5% lower than the industry average of 15.54x.

CSCO’s revenue is expected to increase 3.3% year-over-year to $52.86 billion in 2023. Its EPS is expected to grow 5.4% year-over-year to $3.53 in 2023. Also, it surpassed EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. The stock has gained marginally over the past month to close the last trading session at $44.58.

CSCO’s overall B rating equates to a Buy in the POWR Ratings system. Also, it has an A grade for Quality.

CSCO is ranked #8 out of 53 stocks in the Technology – Communication/Networking industry. Click here to learn more about POWR Ratings.

About the Author

Riddhima Chakraborty is a financial journalist with a passion for analyzing financial instruments. With a master's degree in economics, she helps investors make informed investment decisions through her insightful commentaries. Riddhima is a regular contributor for StockNews.com.