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.
Novo Nordisk A/S (
NVO) pushed the Drugs industry higher today making it today's featured drugs winner. The industry as a whole closed the day down 0.4%. By the end of trading, Novo Nordisk A/S rose $2.35 (1.5%) to $161.02 on light volume. Throughout the day, 242,443 shares of Novo Nordisk A/S exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 441,800 shares. The stock ranged in a price between $160.23-$161.68 after having opened the day at $160.45 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $158.67. Other companies within the Drugs industry that increased today were:
Neuralstem (
CUR), up 19.2%,
Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals (
CYCC), up 18.3%,
Idera Pharmaceuticals (
IDRA), up 13.5%, and
MEI Pharma (
MEIP), up 12.3%.
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Novo Nordisk A/S, a healthcare company, engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products in Denmark and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Diabetes Care and Biopharmaceuticals. Novo Nordisk A/S has a market cap of $92.89 billion and is part of the health care sector. The company has a P/E ratio of four, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 39% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday. Currently there are two analysts that rate Novo Nordisk A/S a buy, one analyst rates it a sell, and one rates it a hold.
TheStreet Ratings rates Novo Nordisk A/S as a
buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, notable return on equity, expanding profit margins and good cash flow from operations. Although no company is perfect, currently we do not see any significant weaknesses which are likely to detract from the generally positive outlook.
On the negative front,
Oxygen Biotherapeutics (
OXBT), down 13.6%,
Biocryst Pharmaceuticals (
BCRX), down 12.2%,
Delcath Systems (
DCTH), down 9.3%, and
Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc. A (
SCMP), down 8%, were all laggards within the drugs industry with
Abbott Laboratories (
ABT) being today's drugs industry laggard.
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).
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