STOCKCHASE

(Top Pick Feb 17/11, Up 21.55%) Still likes it.

2012-02-09

DON'T BUY

38.400

Still relatively inexpensive. They are in restrained growth at this point. Has come off recently because all of the pharmas had a pretty strong year last year and people are shifting into the more resource stocks. It's a defensive stock so there is slower growth.

2012-02-06

BUY

38.630

Mike S. Newton, CIM FCSI

Pharma: The trend is really looking quite good. Hasn’t looked at Merck in a while. There was a time when it was 0% return for 10 years. Now, it is in the right sector and it is moving.

2012-02-01

PAST TOP PICK

38.340

(A TOP PICK Feb 17/11. Up 21.17%.) Still likes but doesn't see as much upside this year.

2012-01-04

BUY

31.200

Barry Schwartz

An attractive buy. He prefers Abbott Labs (ABT-N), which has growing earnings and is diversified into other products such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals and nutritionals. Terrific dividend. Starting to get attention from value investors.

2011-08-11

DON'T BUY

34.930

Gordon Reid

Bit of a poster boy for the whole pharma industry. Something like a leaky boat in that you are rowing and making progress, but constantly bailing. Because of patent expiration, it is very difficult for these companies to create a growth profile.

2011-07-28

Comment

35.180

David Baskin

Has started buying into this sector on the ones that are trading at 10X multiples.

2011-06-16

TOP PICK

36.390

Model price is $50.75, a 40% upside. Came up 8%-10% in the last couple of weeks, but still has a long ways to go. 4.2% dividend.

2011-05-06

TOP PICK

33.100

Market was very disappointed in their earnings. Trading at less than 9X earnings. Yield of 4.61%. The model price is $50.15, a 52% upside. It is now all about cost control with these companies. There is huge consolidation in the industry.

2011-02-17

WAIT

33.910

Recently dropped because they dropped trials of a blood thinner, one of the biggest products in their pipeline. He doesn’t know if this means there will be no sales from this product. He would look seriously at it if it based out at this level. He likes this one and it is reasonable at these levels. He has a small position and is looking to accumulate.

2011-01-19

DON'T BUY

35.400

Don Lato

Trades at a good multiple but prefers Abbott Labs (ABT-N) because of their pipeline. Growth estimates are only 6%-7% a year.

2010-12-08

DON'T BUY

37.150

Don Lato

Fine company and reasonably valued but not as cheap as others that he owns. Decent dividend but not anything he would rush into. Still a little uncertainty over the healthcare sector and particularly with this one's pipeline area. Consider Abbott Labs (ABT-N), which has more growth potential.

2010-10-14

Comment

36.430

Stan Wong

Took over Schering-Plough in 2009, which expanded their pipeline of pharmaceuticals, drugs, etc. Pays about 4% yield so likes it from an income standpoint. With a 40% payout ratio dividend is relatively safe. Might not give you growth that you would like. If you think economy is going to grind higher, health care is not a sector to be in.

2010-09-16

PAST TOP PICK

36.510

(A Top Pick Aug 19/09. Up 15.9%.) Merged with Schering-Plough and the combination produced a pipeline that is incomparable in the Pharma sector. Will have sustainable growth for many years to come.

2010-09-15

PAST TOP PICK

35.420

(A Top Pick May 15/09. Up 46.13%.) (Think this should be Aug 19 and up 12.2%, not May 15 as BNN shows. Bill) Starting to trim out of this one.

2010-06-23

DON'T BUY

35.860

Stan Wong

3rd largest pharmaceutical behind Johnson & Johnson (JNJ-N) and Pfizer (PFE-N). We are in an economic recovery and if this continues and there is no double dip, health-care stocks and consumer staples won't necessarily be your best performers.

2010-06-17

DON'T BUY

38.500

Don Lato

Pfizer (PFE-N) and Merck (MRK-N) are pretty fully priced at current levels. Growth prospects are not that great, especially with a lot of drugs coming off patent. Multiple looks attractive and dividend looks okay but there are better places to go in pharmaceuticals. Prefers Abbott Labs (ABT-N).

2010-03-23

BUY

39.540

Mike S. Newton, CIM FCSI

Large-cap pharmaceuticals are probably the best valuation out there. Their recent merger is all done. An excellent buy at this level.

2010-02-02

DON'T BUY

38.930

Gordon Reid

Patent expirations is a problem with all Pharma plays and pure pharmaceuticals are in a difficult position.

2010-01-13

Comment

31.650

Steven Conville

Dividend of around 5%. Cash rich so not concerned about a short-term cash burn. The rate of drugs that big pharma can bring to market is slowing down. Could be $36 in 12 months but if you're not happy with that you should look elsewhere.

2009-10-02

SELL

31.630

Charles Lannon

Finalizing the merger with Schering-Plough (SGP-N). Good dividend yield and low PE ratio, which is a value trap because of huge headwinds ahead of them as drugs go off patent protection. Growth will be difficult. Prefers Johnson & Johnson (JNJ-N) because of the medical devices and consumer healthcare. Also Abbott Labs (ABT-N) would be another consideration.

2009-09-30

Comment

30.700

Andrew Guy, CFA

Pharmaceutical. More disciplined approach so they've been generating very strong free cash flow. A couple of their strong drugs will be coming off patent in a couple of years. In the process of merging with Schering-Plough (SGP-N). If you were going to pick a name, he would prefer Abbott (ABT-N). 5% dividend yield.

2009-09-04

TOP PICK

31.480

Merging with Schering-Plough (SGP-N). Combination will create a very strong pipeline of products, which for many years will have a good growth profile. It will merge short to mid cycle products with longer-term type products and thinks there are significant synergy type benefits. You could also own Schering-Plough, which is a discounted way of playing this. (See also SGP-N.)

2009-08-19

DON'T BUY

23.450

Michael Yoshikami

Has opportunities as a defensive stock. There is significant government regulation coming. There will likely be price controls. There is some risk. Might buy for the dividend.

2009-04-24

BUY

26.550

Prefers Pfizer (PFE-N) even though in the near term this company has outperformed them. If you are looking to own a pharmaceutical, this is a fine name.

2009-03-30

DON'T BUY

50.120

Model price is $48.07, a negative 7.5% differential.

2007-07-27

PAST TOP PICK

44.290

(A Top Pick Sept 13/06. Up 7.3%.) Pharmaceutical stocks fit in the theme of large cap capital growth. Expect this to be a good stock this year without a lot of risk.

2007-01-08

TOP PICK

44.490

The company went through a lot of bad news over the last four months but in the last 3 quarters there has been a re-acceleration in their growth rate. Trades at a very reasonable multiple.

2006-10-19

WEAK BUY

43.760

Likes the sector. The names have been incredibly punished in the last few years. They still look cheap. This one had additional problems with Viox, but is recovering nicely. Wouldn't be his first pick.

2006-10-16

BUY

39.270

All the major drug stocks are starting to act better. In this type of market, money moves from risky stocks to defensive stocks. A good place to be.

2006-07-25

BUY

33.490

Great dividend yield. Probably one of the worst performing sectors in the S&P. Lots of cost cutting opportunities. Trading at around 8/9 X earnings. Pristine balance sheet.

2006-06-14

DON'T BUY

34.600

Prefers Pfizer which has been doing more things correctly.

2006-04-27

HOLD

36.200

This is a sector that he has avoided as they have had three years of poor experience. In the last 3/4 months, pharmaceuticals have started to wake up. This will not be the fastest growing area and this one will plod along.

2006-03-23

BUY

33.820

Jim O'Shaughnessy

Big pharmas have had a really tough go. He can now see them coming back. A good selection for a conservative, patient investor.

2006-02-02

DON'T BUY

32.780

Bruce Campbell

Has a lot of lawsuits overhanging it. Would not own it at this point.

2006-01-24

PAST TOP PICK

31.990

(A Top Pick Aug 29/05. Up 14%.) Loves this name. An absolute steal. Facing class action lawsuits. This is what a value manager wants. A great company with a ton of free cash flow, strong dividend, pristine balance sheet and everybody hates.

2005-12-20

DON'T BUY

28.900

Ross Healy

Too early, particularly if the US has a recession. If we get into a recession, it will be a consumer led recession, there’s going to be humongous pressures by consumers and seniors on drugs for some of the egregious profits they have been making.

2005-12-13

DON'T BUY

27.600

James Cole, BA, CFA

Drug stars such as Pfizer (PFE-N) Merck (MRK-N), etc. are attractively valued but are clearly out of favour. They have great long term track records and are in strong financial positions, however, there is a lack of predictability regarding the science. Doesn't like the cash flow dynamics where they spend billions up front with no sure win ahead. Litigation risks.

2005-09-22

BUY

29.190

Pays a 5.5% dividend. If you have good fundamentals plus a dividend yield, you should do OK.

2005-09-07

DON'T BUY

28.230

Has a pretty decent pipeline of new products. Current dividend yield is very high. You have to be prepared to ride out the storm of litigations, but could come out nicely. Very risky.

2005-08-31

TOP PICK

28.290

Up to their necks in litigation. They've lost $30 billion in market cap because an anti-inflammatory has been pulled off the shelf due to heart attack risks. Just lost a $230 million lawsuit which will be reversed on appeal. Only trading at 9 X earnings. Have a ton of cash and generate a ton of free cash flow. 5.5% dividend yield. Very cheap.

2005-08-29

DON'T BUY

34.420

Pharmaceutical sector did very poorly over the last 2 years, but deceleration in revenue growth has slowed and profitability has started to improve. Look for the strongest perfoming stock in the sector. As Eli Lilly (LLY-N) is performing better, that would be the better of the 2, but would suggest you look at Sanofi-Aventis (SNY-N) which is close to new highs and Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA-Q) in generics.

2005-05-03

BUY

33.920

Pharmaceutical stocks in the US have been absolutely decimated. Dirt cheap. Generates a ton of free cash flow.

2005-04-25

BUY

31.760

Paul Harris, CFA

An equally good stock as Pfizer (PFE-N) at these levels. 4.5% yield. Always have good products. Going through a difficult spell right now.

2005-03-28

BUY

31.210

Great valuation and a good entry point.

2005-02-22

DON'T BUY

32.610

Andrew McCreath

Would prefer Pfizer (PFE-N) which has a far superior pipeline.

2005-02-18

BUY

29.850

Paul Harris, CFA

Big issue has been VIOXX. Very convoluted over the near term as to what will happen. Don't know what the legal issues will be. There could be more bad news from previous users of the drug. Have lots of money. Trades at almost 20% discount to the peer group. Nearly 5% yield. Has room for upside. Won't be an easy road.

2005-01-24

WEAK BUY

31.300

Thinks it's going to be very tough to legally get this company with VIOXX. They have it as the 11th position in their portfolio. Model price is $38. Prefers Pfizer which has a bigger upside.

2005-01-18

WEAK BUY

31.790

Paul Harris, CFA

Feels they should have re-labelled rather than pulling Vioxx so that people would know how to use them properly. A huge number of lawsuits they could face down the road. Didn't grow by acquisition, so their pipeline looks a bit murky. A great company and will be around for a long time.

2004-12-16

DON'T BUY

28.740

Companies like Pfizer and Merck have been coming apart for quite awhile. Growth rate has gone from 30% to low single digits. When this happens, the P/E has to contract. There are more sellers than buyers. One of the few that is doing better is Schering AG. Growth rate is accelerating and have a good line up of drugs.

2004-12-10

DON'T BUY

27.720

Ross Healy

Facing a large number of large and messy law suits.

2004-12-01

WEAK BUY

27.720

Mispriced. Expects that down the road Vioxx will come back.

2004-11-30

DON'T BUY

27.670

A cockroach company with one problem after another coming out of the woodwork.

2004-11-29

DON'T BUY

27.480

Ron Meisels

In 2002, 2003 and early 2004 the chart looked like it was going to hold, but then collapsed. A broken down stock. Usually takes a significant amount of time for the news to be absorbed.

2004-11-16

DON'T BUY

26.150

Bob Stodgell

More aggressive than what they would want. A number of outstanding issues regarding litigation would keep the top executives eyes off running the business. Prefers Pfizer.

2004-11-11

DON'T BUY

26.410

Market is pricing in $20/25 million for class action law suits, but it could be more. Would need a tremendous amount of earnings growth to reach what people are expecting and this is unlikeley. High dividend yield. No longer a safe story.

2004-11-10

PAST TOP PICK

27.870

Ray Steele

(A Top Pick July 12/04. Down 40%.) Sold out before the big drop.

2004-11-03

BUY

31.220

Pharmaceuticals are cheaper than he has ever seen them. Cheap. Trading at low multiples.

2004-10-27

DON'T BUY

30.190

Took a tremendous hit with their withdrawal of Vioxx. Buying it now would be bottom fishing. A lot of issues going on in the pharma sector now. Weak pipeline.

2004-10-14

DON'T BUY

33.430

Don Reed

Has declined because of a recall of one of their drugs. Will probably have a bounce.

2004-10-05

PAST TOP PICK

45.770

Bill Carrigan

(A Top Pick Apr 28/04. Down 4%.) Had bought for the wrong reasons. Bought at the top of a cycle as a defensive play. Don't buy.

2004-09-14

TOP PICK

45.410

Ray Steele

Dividend yield is very attractive. You pay very little for the upside.

2004-07-12

TOP PICK

48.360

Francis Gannon

Yield is over 3%. Trading around 15 X next year's earnings.

2004-06-18

TOP PICK

47.440

Bill Carrigan

This late in the cycle, look for stocks that are large, overlooked and underowned. Had a low in 2002 and a higher low at the end of 2003 in a downtrend, still expects to see money going to this group.

2004-04-28

WEAK BUY

46.740

Have more patent issues than the majority of the big pharmas. Not a lot of catalysts. If you are a real long-term, patient investor, not a bad buy.

2004-04-22

BUY

46.500

Big pharma stocks should do well in this market. Historically, they do well when rates start to move up.

2004-04-21

DON'T BUY

44.390

Ron Meisels

Still under a major downtrend line. Trying to find a base.

2004-03-17

TOP PICK

48.080

Francis Gannon

A quiet stock in that not many people are expecting much from them, 7/8% growth this year but you do get a nice 3%+ dividend yield while you wait. Trades at about 15 X earnings. Has a new cholesterol drug coming out this year.

2004-02-27

BUY

47.770

Gavin Graham

Has had problems with patent expiry's and drugs in its channel. Gives a 3% dividend yield. Continues to like.

2004-01-06

TOP PICK

44.770

trading at significantly less than fair value. Bad news on drug development. Dividends at 3.3%

2003-12-23

DON'T BUY

43.070

Have had tremendous issues. They had to stop production on a couple of drugs that were being tested. Virtually no revenue or earnings coming.

2003-12-05

DON'T BUY

43.630

When the stock is not participating in a bull market, steer clear. A strong Company and well financed with good products but there is no real excitement. If the market rolls over, it would get hit hard.

2003-12-03

BUY

45.800

Likes some of the major pharmaceuticals at these levels. Very cheap. Buy and hold.

2003-11-13

STRONG BUY

43.870

A fantastic time to be buying this stock. If the pharmaceutical industry reverts to anything near normal, this is a huge screaming buy.

2003-11-11

BUY

43.600

Gavin Graham

Missed its numbers. Demographics for drugs looks great. At a great price.

2003-11-06

DON'T BUY

50.680

Not a fan. They don't have a very strong pipeline of promising drugs. Present drugs are facing competition from generics.

2003-09-03

TOP PICK

53.510

Trading at a significant discount.Has been getting left behind.

2003-08-05

PAST TOP PICK

57.890

Laura Wallace

(Was a top pick on May 21/03. Up 4.4%.) Still likes. Offers good value.

2003-07-23

TOP PICK

55.730

2.5% dividend. Big name products. Only 14/15 X next years earnings. Recent studies suggest that some of their drugs may also be useful in preventing cancer.

2003-06-02

TOP PICK

55.380

Laura Wallace

Trading at 16 X earnings, yielding 2.6%. Great pipeline of new drugs. Great balance sheet.

2003-05-21

BUY

54.650

Good price. Good earnings price momentum.

2003-03-24

TOP PICK

54.850

Health care sector is a good sector. 15/16 PE. Good price.

2003-02-04

WEAK BUY

58.250

Some of their drugs have come off patent and they are having difficulty with Research /Development productivity. Prefers Pfizer.

2003-01-02

TOP PICK

46.950

Pharmaceuticals look good in any upturn. 3% dividend. Trading at 15 X earnings. Had no earnings growth this year.

2002-10-02

BUY

47.700

Laura Wallace

Demographics for pharmaceuticals is good. Could be volatile during their election period. Good long term.

2002-09-25

BUY

49.130

Likes the valuations. Good balance sheet and good earnings.

2002-09-04

BUY

50.640

Ray Steele

Outlook for drug companies is good. A bit expensve, but long term is good.

2002-08-20

BUY

53.200

Sector has been hit hard. At a good level. Prefers Pfizer.

2002-06-06

PAST TOP PICK

55.760

(Was a top pick on Apr 4 up 1.5%) Still likes.

2002-05-09

DON'T BUY

56.520

Michelle Calpin

Very reasonable valuation. Patents are coming off. Prefers Pfizer.

2002-04-22

DON'T BUY

56.940

Fairly cheap. Dividend. Several drugs coming off patent.

2002-04-19

BUY

54.530

Neil Murdock

At a 5 year low. Have some good products. At a good price.

2002-04-15

WEAK BUY

54.000

David Baskin

Expiring patents have created problems. Pipeline is not as strong as other pharmaceuticals, but the price is very cheap.

2002-04-12

TOP PICK

58.800

One of the cheapest in the drug sctor.

2002-04-04

DON'T BUY

62.500

David Driscoll

Losing a lot of their patents with nothing new in the pipeline.

2002-03-08

WEAK BUY

61.420

No earnings growth this year. Should be some in 2003. At a good price. Prefers J&J or Pfizer.

2002-02-22

DON'T BUY

58.840

Broke through a technical base. Generics are giving some tough competition.

2002-01-30

DON'T BUY

58.100

Neil Murdock

A lot of their drugs have come off patent without adequate replacement. Prefers Pfizer.

2002-01-07

WAIT

58.500

Competition. Pipeline is weak now. OK long term.

2001-12-18

DON'T BUY

66.990