Pharmacuticals

[payneg01]

Hi
Just food for thought, if the Nasdaq falls in the near term the Pharma sector might be worth looking at.
Views for and against please.
Good luck
Greg

this only my opinion

 

[darth trader]

That's an interesting thought.

My instinct told me that pharms correlate with the nasdaq but my memory said that biotechs did well after the nas started to fall.

I ran a query to test the correlation of pharms with the nasdaq index and it came out with zero correlation on the ft350 index.

There is a lot of diversity within the pharm sector but with a good selection you may be right.

DYOR.

 

[troyresearch]

Pharmas

You might want to consider implications of the pharma litigation currently underway in S Africa (for those not following the story, the rainbow government is contesting US pharma companies' legal defence of patents... has to do with attempts to offer drugs at realistic prices to African countries and, in particular, HIV-stricken SA). I agree with Darth, biotechs are probably worth a look at the NAS heads south for the summer (the NASDAQ listing of SkyePharma - not strictly a biotech play - listed as 'SKYE' in the US as a case in point. Broadly speaking tends to drift down during any advance and appreciate as investors seek the safety of more defensive plays.

 

[Burney]

Pharmas

Ref Pharmas-I work in the industry and at the moment the big two in the UK (AZ and GSK) are a bit out of favour in fundamentals -although GSK posted good results this morning there is a view that the big co's are suffering with regard to their near term pipelines-GSK having lost prods like Lotronex and AZ dealing with the patent expiries of Losec.In the short term however you can play the swings GSK seems to be trending in a range between low 17's and mid 18's.In fact one analyst remarked today" that if the first numbers is 17 buy if it is 19 sell ". As for it being a defensive play v Nasdaq-I guess my own view is that unless you are talking big bucks then it shifts too quickly and costs are likely to eat up much of your profits.Smaller Co's might be worth a look -Shire(when it settles down),Celltech,Pharmagene etc.


No Advice Intended

 

[Uncle]

The sector is a money maker for the wise ones who are patient and pick the stocks as opportunities arise, and get out pronto with the profit.

John