Illumina Inc. (ILMN): Today's Featured Drugs Winner

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Illumina (ILMN) pushed the Drugs industry higher today making it today's featured drugs winner. The industry as a whole was unchanged today. By the end of trading, Illumina rose 82 cents (1.6%) to $51.82 on average volume. Throughout the day, 1.3 million shares of Illumina exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 1.6 million shares. The stock ranged in a price between $50.55-$52.29 after having opened the day at $50.63 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $51. Other companies within the Drugs industry that increased today were: Acura Pharmaceuticals (ACUR), up 25.7%, ARCA biopharma (ABIO), up 13%, China Pharma (CPHI), up 10.2%, and Dendreon (DNDN), up 8%.

• EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Jim Cramer's Protégé, Dave Peltier, only buys Stocks Under $10 that he thinks could potentially double. See what he's trading today with a 14-day FREE pass.

Illumina, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets life science tools and integrated systems for the analysis of genetic variation and biological function in North America, Europe, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and South Africa. Illumina has a market cap of $6.24 billion and is part of the health care sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 31.8, above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 9% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday. Currently there are seven analysts that rate Illumina a buy, one analyst rates it a sell, and eight rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Illumina as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, increase in net income, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, solid stock price performance and growth in earnings per share. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had somewhat disappointing return on equity.

• You can view the full Illumina Ratings Report.

On the negative front, Elan (ELN), down 10.1%, Oxygen Biotherapeutics (OXBT), down 8.6%, Opexa Therapeutics (OPXA), down 6.7%, and Repros Therapeutics (RPRX), down 6.4%, were all laggards within the drugs industry with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) being today's drugs industry laggard.

• Use our drugs section to find industry-relevant news.
• Or find some new ideas from our top rated stocks lists.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the drugs industry could consider SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals ETF (XPH) while those bearish on the drugs industry could consider ProShares UltraShort Nasdaq Biotech (BIS).

• Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.

It's Official: Action Alerts PLUS beats the S&P 500 with Dividends Reinvested! Cramer and Link were up 16.72% in 2012. Were you? See what they are trading for 14-days FREE.

 

For more information on Illumina Inc. click any of the following:

• Illumina Inc. Stock Price

• Illumina Inc. Analyst Ratings

• Illumina Inc. Key Stats & Profile

• Illumina Inc. Earnings

• Illumina Inc. Ratio Comparison

• Illumina Inc. Growth Rates

• Illumina Inc. Balance Sheet

• Illumina Inc. Cash Flow

• Illumina Inc. Income Statement