Today's Health Winners and Losers
Shares of
Per-Se Technologies
(PSTI) - Get Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. Report
were among the worst-performing health-related stocks Tuesday, sliding 8% after the company posted weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter results.
The company, which provides management services to physicians and hospitals, earned $11.9 million, or 34 cents a share. Excluding a tax benefit, the company earned $9.3 million, or 27 cents a share. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call expected earnings of 29 cents a share, before items. Per-Se recorded sales of $93.4 million, shy of analysts' mean estimate of $95.4 million. During the year-earlier period, the company earned $36 million, or $1.11 a share, on sales of $89.4 million. Excluding items, the company earned $7.7 million, or 24 cents a share, during a year earlier.
Per-Se Technologies now sees 2006 earnings, excluding items, of $1.30 to $1.40 a share. Previously, the company predicted earnings of $1.28 to $1.38 a share. The company predicts sales of $625 million to $635 million. Analysts project earnings of $1.39 a share and sales of $525.5 million. Shares were trading down $2.03 to $22.94.
LifeCell
(LIFC)
fell 9% after the company posted in-line fourth-quarter earnings. The company, which develops products made from human tissue for use in surgical procedures, earned $3.8 million, or 11 cents a share, on revenue of $27.3 million. Analysts expected earnings of 11 cents a share and revenue of $26.8 million. During the year-earlier period, the company earned $4.1 million, or 13 cents a share, on revenue of $16.7 million. Excluding a tax benefit, the company earned $1.3 million, or 4 cents a share, a year earlier.
Looking ahead, LifeCell sees 2006 earnings, excluding stock-based compensation costs, of 59 cents to 63 cents a share. The company predicts product revenue of $124 million to $130 million. Analysts project earnings, excluding stock-based compensation costs, of 62 cents a share. LifeCell shares were down $2.08 to $21.85.
Shares of
Noven Pharmaceuticals
(NOVN) - Get Novan, Inc. Report
rose 2% after the maker of drug skin patches posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. The company earned $6.1 million, or 25 cents a share, for the fourth quarter. Excluding items, the company earned $2.7 million, or 11 cents a share, beating analysts' mean estimate by a penny. Revenue totaled $16.8 million, compared with Wall Street's estimate of $11.5 million. During the year-earlier period, the company earned $2.8 million, or 11 cents a share, on revenue of $12.7 million. Shares traded up 28 cents to $15.17.
Genta
(GNTA)
TheStreet Recommends
fell 9% after the biopharmaceutical company laid out plans to sell some 19 million shares of stock to institutional investors for gross proceeds of about $40.8 million. The sale, which is being done as a registered direct offering, is expected to close on March 10. Shares were trading down 21 cents to $2.22.
Shares of
Decode Genetics
(DCGN)
fell 6% after the biotech company posted fourth-quarter results that were below expectations. The company reported a loss of $21.1 million, or 39 cents a share, on revenue of $9.8 million. Analysts expected a loss of 30 cents a share and revenue of $11.5 million. The company's year-earlier loss totaled $19.4 million, or 36 cents a share, on revenue of $11.2 million. Shares were trading down 56 cents to $8.87.
Other health care volume movers included
Pfizer
(PFE) - Get Pfizer Inc. Report
, down 9 cents to $25.89;
Generex Biotech
(GNBT)
, down 16 cents to $2.08;
Boston Scientific
(BSX) - Get Boston Scientific Corporation Report
, down 10 cents to $23.50;
Schering-Plough
(SGP)
, down 15 cents to $17.97;
Johnson & Johnson
(JNJ) - Get Johnson & Johnson Report
, up 27 cents to $58.12;
Novavax
(NVAX) - Get Novavax, Inc. Report
, down 23 cents to $5.54;
Amgen
(AMGN) - Get Amgen Inc. Report
, up 1 cent to $73.56;
Merck
(MRK) - Get Merck & Co., Inc. Report
, down 12 cents to $34.84; and
Bristol-Myers Squibb
(BMY) - Get Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Report
, down 21 cents to $22.60.
