My Stansberry Research Pro Trader subscribers made a lot of money last week.   We closed a call-option trade on pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (PFE) for a 214% gain in just one week in my Direct Line service.   In the official Pro Trader portfolio, we booked profits of 18.3% in one month on biotech juggernaut Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) and 22% in one day on Pfizer (PFE).   We also recorded a loss of about 15% on a put-option trade on Brazil's stock market with the iShares MSCI Brazil Capped Fund (EWZ). But I consider that a small victory, since the position traded at a loss of almost 90% one week before that.   And we could have done even better. If we had held these positions just one day longer, they all would have been even more profitable.   That's not necessarily true today, though. Some of the trades are better off. Most are worse off. And that got me thinking about how to describe my profit-taking philosophy.

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2019: ArQule Inc.(ARQL)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

  But Blink and our other penny stocks to watch are unlikely to continue to lock in such spectacular gains in June. After looking at our 10 top penny stocks to watch this month, we’ll show you a small-cap stock with great profit potential in its future…

  Penny Stock Current Share Price Law Month’s Gain
   Blink Charging Co. (Nasdaq: BLNK) $7.07 439.85%
  Senes Tech Inc. (Nasdaq: SNES) $1.27 175.40%
  Vivis Inc. (Nasdaq: VVUS) $0.77 150.41%
  Adomani Inc. (Nasdaq: ADOM) $1.49 137.68%
  NF Energy Saving Co. (Nasdaq: NFEC) $2.34 134.88%
  Vaalco Energy Inc. (NYSE: EGY) $2.15 109.06%
  Heat Biologics Inc. (Nasdaq: HTBX) $2.35 99.12%
  ArQule Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQL) $4.88 90.74%
  LiqTech International Inc. (NYSE: LIQT) $0.66 85.60%
  Transenterix Inc. (NYSE: TRXC) $3.46 77.84%

  While last month’s gains are tremendous, they also illustrate the inherent dangers that come with investing in penny stocks.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by equities researchers at Needham & Company LLC in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a $6.00 price target on the biotechnology company’s stock, up from their prior price target of $5.00. Needham & Company LLC’s price target suggests a potential upside of 134.38% from the company’s previous close.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Thursday was another down day for the stock market, with new pressure coming from international moves on the macroeconomic front. The European Central Bank signaled that it was ready to provide more accommodative monetary policy, reversing a previous tightening stance and showing its concerns about the prospects for economic growth in the region. Yet favorable earnings reports continued lifting shares of certain individual companies. Rosetta Stone (NYSE:RST), ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL), and Fly Leasing (NYSE:FLY) were among the top performers. Here’s why they did so well.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQL) insider Value Fund L. P. Biotechnology sold 1,035,939 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.00, for a total value of $5,179,695.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Saturday.

  A number of other research firms have also issued reports on ARQL. Roth Capital upped their price target on ArQule from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. Leerink Swann upgraded ArQule from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Zacks Investment Research lowered ArQule from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 4th. ValuEngine upgraded ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Finally, B. Riley set a $4.00 price target on ArQule and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, March 26th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, The stock currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $4.69.

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2019: Amgen Inc.(AMGN)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) shares made a slight gain on Tuesday after it was announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in men and women at high risk of fracture. Specifically, the agency approved Prolia (denosumab), driven by positive late-stage results.

• [By ]

  Even though ABBV has more than 100 patents covering Humira, and despite its 2017 patent win over Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) requiring AMGN to wait until 2023 before issuing its own copy of Humira, the battle for generic Humira isn’t over.

• [By ]

  This week we get our first look at quarterly numbers from major drug and biotech giants such as AbbVie (ABBV)  , Amgen (AMGN)  , Biogen (BIIB) , Biomarin Pharmaceuticals (BMRN)  and Action Alerts PLUS holding Eli Lilly (LLY) , which all provide the market a glimpse of how the first quarter was for the industry over the next few days,” according to Real Money Pro columnist Bret Jensen.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) saw its short interest fall to 10.24 million shares from the previous level of 10.63 million. Shares were last seen trading at $206.00, in a 52-week trading range of $163.31 to $210.19.

• [By Keith Speights]

  The way to determine where a puck is going to be requires evaluating its direction and speed. I used a similar approach to identify five stocks with fast-growing dividends: Boeing (NYSE:BA), Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN), CVS Health (NYSE:CVS), Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN), and AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV). Here’s why these stocks could be great picks for dividend-seeking investors.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  South Dakota Investment Council lowered its stake in Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 59.4% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 77,041 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 112,589 shares during the quarter. South Dakota Investment Council’s holdings in Amgen were worth $13,134,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2019: Biogen Idec Inc(BIIB)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Benzinga News Desk]

  A distillery in a small Spanish town has claimed it invented the original Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) recipe and now wants recognition: Link

  ECONOMIC DATA
  Initial Jobless Claims For Week Ended May 25 221K vs 225K Economist Estimate, Down From 234K In Prior Week
  Personal Income Apr. Up 0.3%, Personal Spending Up 0.6%
  The Chicago PMI for May is schedule for release at 9:45 a.m. ET.
  The pending home sales index for April will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET.
  The Energy Information Administration’s weekly report on natural gas stocks in underground storage is schedule for release at 10:30 a.m. ET.
  The Energy Information Administration’s weekly report on petroleum inventories will be released at 11:00 a.m. ET.
  Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic is set to speak at 12:30 p.m. ET.
  Fed Governor Lael Brainard will speak at 1:00 p.m. ET.
  Data on money supply for the recent week will be released at 4:30 p.m. ET.
  Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan is set to speak at 8:30 p.m. ET.
  ANALYST RATINGS
  Canaccord upgrades Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB) from Hold to Buy
  Morgan Stanley upgrades Corning (NYSE: GLW) from Equal-Weight to Overweight
  Morgan Stanley downgrades Micron (NASDAQ: MU) from Overweight to Equal-Weight
  Cantor downgrades HealthEquity (NASDAQ: HQY) from Overweight to Neutral

  This is a tool used by the Benzinga News Desk each trading day — it's a look at everything happening in the market, in five minutes. To get the full version of this note every morning, click here.

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell
  United Technologies Corporation (NYSE: UTX) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.51 per share on revenue of $14.62 billion.
  The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.46 per share on revenue of $7.31 billion.
  Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $2.07 per share on revenue of $11.93 billion.
  Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.11 per share on revenue of $31.22 billion.
  Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $3.42 per share on revenue of $11.28 billion.
  The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE: SHW) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $3.15 per share on revenue of $3.94 billion.
  Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $5.92 per share on revenue of $3.15 billion.
  3M Company (NYSE: MMM) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $2.52 per share on revenue of $8.26 billion.
  JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ: JBLU) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.2 per share on revenue of $1.75 billion.
  Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.13 per share on revenue of $5.49 billion.
  Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HOG) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.88 per share on revenue of $1.25 billion.
  Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.3 per share on revenue of $2.50 billion.
  Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.88 per share on revenue of $13.28 billion.
  The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $2.77 per share on revenue of $6.75 billion.
  Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.07 per share on revenue of $2.16 billion.
  PACCAR Inc (NASDAQ: PCAR) is projected to
• [By Brian Orelli]

  Data source: Ionis Pharmaceuticals.

  What happened with Ionis Pharmaceuticals this quarter?
  Revenue increased thanks to $41 million in royalties from Biogen’s (NASDAQ:BIIB) sales of Spinraza, up from just $5 million in the year-ago quarter. Because the tiered royalty rates reset each year, the royalties as a percentage of sales will end up being higher in the quarters to come this year. Despite the higher revenue, earnings turned negative on a GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) basis: Ionis and Akcea Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKCA) increased spending in preparation for the launch of Tegsedi for hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR), and Waylivra for familial chylomicronemia syndrome, a rare disease that causes the buildup of lipids. Ionis is still the majority owner of Akcea, so its financials are incorporated into Ionis’ financials. The Food and Drug Administration pushed back its goal for making a decision on the marketing application for Tegsedi (the new brand name for inotersen) to Oct. 6, 2018. Ionis provided additional data analysis that the FDA needs additional time to review. In April, Ionis signed another deal with Biogen to develop antisense drugs for neurological disorders. In the deal, Ionis gets $1 billion up front, including an equity investment, in exchange for Biogen having first choice of neurology targets on which to exclusively collaborate with Ionis. Biogen is paying for everything beyond the initial discovery stage, with Ionis eligible for royalties and milestone payments as the drugs advance.

  Image source: Getty Images.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Traders bought shares of Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) on weakness during trading on Tuesday. $119.44 million flowed into the stock on the tick-up and $86.88 million flowed out of the stock on the tick-down, for a money net flow of $32.56 million into the stock. Of all companies tracked, Biogen had the 26th highest net in-flow for the day. Biogen traded down ($7.15) for the day and closed at $345.41

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB lifted its holdings in shares of Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) by 130.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,000 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,000 shares during the quarter. Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB’s holdings in Biogen were worth $10,599,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Chris Hill]

  In this episode of Motley Fool Money, host Chris Hill and analysts Emily Flippen, Jim Mueller, and Jason Moser hit on some of the biggest recent news in the market. Disney (NYSE:DIS) finishes up its merger with Fox, and it’s ready to take on a crowded streaming space. CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) diversifies into CBD lotion. Levi Strauss (NYSE:LEVI) enters the public markets with a bafflingly high market cap, while Nike (NYSE:NKE) sells off on higher-than-expected revenue and profits. Biogen’s (NASDAQ:BIIB) biggest trial bombs, and the stock tanks along with it. Papa John’s (NASDAQ:PZZA) welcomes Shaq into its board of directors. And, as always, the analysts share some stocks on their radar. Plus, stay tuned for an interview with Lake House Capital’s Joe Magyer about investing in Australia — the biggest trends, biggest worries, and some Aussie picks to add to your watch list.

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2019: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ALNY)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  Speaking of competition, Ionis should have its hands full battling rivals for Tegsedi assuming the drug wins approval. Alnylam (NASDAQ:ALNY) anticipates winning FDA approval for its hATTR drug patisiran within a few weeks. Because the FDA delayed its decision on Tegsedi, Alnylam appears to be in position to reach the market first. In addition to its first-mover advantage, patisiran appears to have an edge over Tegsedi in efficacy and safety based on clinical data for the two drugs. 

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) was downgraded by stock analysts at ValuEngine from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Tuesday.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a hold rating to a sell rating. According to Zacks, “Although we are pleased with Alnylam’s broad and promising pipeline, we note that most candidates are in their early or mid stages of development. These candidates still have a long way to go before hitting the market. Currently, Alnylam depends heavily on Onpattro for growth. We also note that gaining approval for pipeline candidates has become more difficult now.  However,  In August, Alnylam got a significant boost with the approval of Onpattro (patisiran), a first-of-its-kind RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic, both in the United States and in Europe, for the treatment of the polyneuropathy of hereditary transthyretin-mediated (hATTR) amyloidosis in adults. This is the first approved candidate for the company and hence should drive revenues. Loss estimates have remained stable ahead of the Q3 earnings release.”

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Following the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Onpattro, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals’ (NASDAQ:ALNY) first drug to treat hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (hATTR), the biotech held a conference call to go over the plan for launch. Here are three things management wants investors to know:

There are two words that no biotech likes to hear: clinical hold.

Unfortunately, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) and CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) were on the receiving end of those words last week. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) placed a clinical hold on the Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for experimental gene-editing therapy CTX001 in treating sickle cell disease.

Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics stocks fell on the news of the FDA’s action. However, I think the delay presents a great opportunity for long-term investors to scoop up shares of both biotech stocks on the cheap.

What’s The Problem?
All we know so far is that the FDA has some questions related to the IND for CTX001 in treating sickle cell disease. CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex submitted the IND for CTX001 in April with the hopes of soon beginning a phase 1/2 clinical study in the U.S.

Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Own Right Now: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ALNY)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Cory Renauer]

  Taking a medical breakthrough from concept through commercial success is like ascending a mountain that grows taller and more treacherous with every setback. It’s taken Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALNY) 16 years to launch its first drug, so challenges have had plenty of time to take up positions along this company’s path to a successful first launch.

• [By Jim Crumly]

  Commercial success for Tegsedi is not a done deal even if it’s approved worldwide; Alnylam Pharmaceuticals’ (NASDAQ:ALNY) competing drug patisiran was approved by the FDA on Aug. 10. Alnylam’s clinical testing showed cardiac benefits for patients whose cardiovascular systems have been affected by the disease, and Alnylam believes that will give patisiran an advantage over Tegsedi. But in the conference call, Akcea executives brushed off that concern and pointed to the advantage Tegsedi has in being an injection that can be delivered at home, versus patisiran, which is administered intravenously in a clinic. We shall see.

• [By Todd Campbell]

  Spark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ONCE) reported its hemophilia A drug significantly reduced bleeding events and the need for prophylactic factor VIII infusions, but investors sold shares on worry that the gene therapy’s safety could be a problem. Investors similarly headed for the exits with Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) after the former scuttled an attempt to sell itself and the latter secured a first-in-class FDA approval. Are these falling stocks worth buying?

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

• [By Sean Williams, Chuck Saletta, and Brian Feroldi]

  So, which biotech stocks should you consider buying in June? That’s a question we posed to three of our healthcare-focused investors. Interestingly enough, mid-cap biotech stocks are the clear flavor of the month. If biotech is on your radar in June, our investors suggest you consider Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS), Spark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ONCE), and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY).

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Following the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Onpattro, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals’ (NASDAQ:ALNY) first drug to treat hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (hATTR), the biotech held a conference call to go over the plan for launch. Here are three things management wants investors to know:

Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Own Right Now: Biogen Idec Inc(BIIB)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Todd Campbell]

  Many companies could see share prices pop or drop based on fast-approaching news in these indications, but six companies could be particularly exciting for investors to keep tabs on from here. In this episode of The Motley Fool’s Industry Focus Healthcare, host Shannon Jones is joined by Motley Fool contributor Todd Campbell to discuss:

  The imminent results for Biogen’s (NASDAQ:BIIB) Alzheimer’s disease moonshot; Why European regulators could make this a big year for bluebird bio (NASDAQ:BLUE); How targeting the cause of sickle-cell disease could pan out for Global Blood Therapeutics (NASDAQ:GBT); A new treatment for peanut allergy is around the corner thanks to Aimmune Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AIMT); Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ (NASDAQ:VRTX) big opportunity to significantly boost its addressable market; and The news that could transform Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy treatment and send Sarepta Therapeutics’ (NASDAQ:SRPT) revenue soaring.

  A full transcript follows the video.

• [By Cory Renauer]

  There’s a lot for investors to like about Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB). Both of these biotech stocks have produced tremendous returns over the past couple of decades, and the businesses they represent still generate enormous profits. 

• [By Jim Crumly]

  As for individual stocks, Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) made headlines with positive results from a trial of an Alzheimer’s drug, and PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT) fell after reporting earnings.

• [By Benzinga News Desk]

  A distillery in a small Spanish town has claimed it invented the original Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) recipe and now wants recognition: Link

  ECONOMIC DATA
  Initial Jobless Claims For Week Ended May 25 221K vs 225K Economist Estimate, Down From 234K In Prior Week
  Personal Income Apr. Up 0.3%, Personal Spending Up 0.6%
  The Chicago PMI for May is schedule for release at 9:45 a.m. ET.
  The pending home sales index for April will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET.
  The Energy Information Administration’s weekly report on natural gas stocks in underground storage is schedule for release at 10:30 a.m. ET.
  The Energy Information Administration’s weekly report on petroleum inventories will be released at 11:00 a.m. ET.
  Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic is set to speak at 12:30 p.m. ET.
  Fed Governor Lael Brainard will speak at 1:00 p.m. ET.
  Data on money supply for the recent week will be released at 4:30 p.m. ET.
  Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan is set to speak at 8:30 p.m. ET.
  ANALYST RATINGS
  Canaccord upgrades Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB) from Hold to Buy
  Morgan Stanley upgrades Corning (NYSE: GLW) from Equal-Weight to Overweight
  Morgan Stanley downgrades Micron (NASDAQ: MU) from Overweight to Equal-Weight
  Cantor downgrades HealthEquity (NASDAQ: HQY) from Overweight to Neutral

  This is a tool used by the Benzinga News Desk each trading day — it's a look at everything happening in the market, in five minutes. To get the full version of this note every morning, click here.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Biogen Inc.’s (NASDAQ: BIIB) second-quarter report is scheduled for Tuesday before the markets open. The consensus estimates are $5.24 in earnings per share (EPS) on $3.26 billion in revenue. The shares ended the week trading at $357.56. The consensus price target is $367.08, and the 52-week trading range is $249.17 to $370.57.

Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Own Right Now: Amgen Inc.(AMGN)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) shareholders have to be pretty happy right now. The biotech stock is up nearly 14% so far in 2018, almost twice has much as the S&P 500 index. The company reported 17% year-over-year earnings growth in its second-quarter results announced in July.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) saw its short interest rise to 11.32 million shares from the previous level of 10.78 million. Shares were last seen trading at $142.15, in a 52-week trading range of $141.09 to $217.00.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Wedbush Securities Inc. decreased its holdings in Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 20,159 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 1,174 shares during the quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in Amgen were worth $3,721,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By ]

  In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on The Blackstone Group (BX) , Nvidia  (NVDA) , Amgen (AMGN) , Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) , Hasbro (HAS) and Waste Management (WM) .

• [By Keith Speights]

  Amgen’s (NASDAQ:AMGN) past is filled with excitement. The company rose to become one of the biggest biotechs in the world. It grew a product lineup with multiple blockbuster drugs. Over the last decade, Amgen’s share price has more than tripled. But the excitement appears likely to diminish considerably for Amgen — at least for the next few years.

Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Own Right Now: ArQule Inc.(ARQL)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Tuesday.

  Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on ARQL. Zacks Investment Research upgraded ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $2.50 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 20th. BidaskClub upgraded ArQule from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, March 24th. B. Riley set a $4.00 price objective on ArQule and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, March 26th. Leerink Swann upgraded ArQule from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Finally, Roth Capital boosted their price objective on ArQule from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. The company has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $5.35.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Saturday.

  A number of other research firms have also issued reports on ARQL. Roth Capital upped their price target on ArQule from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. Leerink Swann upgraded ArQule from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Zacks Investment Research lowered ArQule from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 4th. ValuEngine upgraded ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Finally, B. Riley set a $4.00 price target on ArQule and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, March 26th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, The stock currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $4.69.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers
  Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL) rose 15.3 percent to $53.50 in pre-market trading after the company reported better-than-expected results for its first quarter.
  Evofem Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVFM) rose 10.4 percent to $4.58 in pre-market trading. Evofem Biosciences reported closing of public offering of common stock and warrants.
  Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) rose 7.3 percent to $4.88 in pre-market trading after declining 1.94 percent on Thursday.
  SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEDG) shares rose 5.7 percent to $59.65 in pre-market trading after falling 8.43 percent on Thursday.
  Yirendai Ltd. (NYSE: YRD) rose 5 percent to $30.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results.
  Deckers Outdoor Corp (NYSE: DECK) rose 4.9 percent to $108.75 in pre-market trading after reporteingd better-than-expected results for its fiscal fourth quarter.
  Blue Apron Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: APRN) rose 4.2 percent to $3.21 in pre-market trading after gaining 3.70 percent on Thursday.
  Recro Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: REPH) rose 4 percent to $5.85 in pre-market trading after dropping 54.67 percent on Thursday.
  ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQL) rose 3.8 percent to $4.70 in pre-market trading after gaining 4.86 percent on Thursday.
  Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: BW) shares rose 2.9 percent to $2.85 in pre-market trading after climbing 7.78 percent on Thursday.
  Bilibili Inc. (NASDAQ: BILI) shares rose 2.5 percent to $14.20 in pre-market trading after surging 11.33 percent on Thursday.

  Find out what's going on in today's market and bring any questions you have to Benzinga's PreMarket Prep.

Welcome to Biotech Analysis Central Daily News, a daily news report and analysis about what has happened lately in the biotech industry.

Novartis Ends Up With Positive Trend In Late-Stage Breast Cancer Study

News: Recently, Novartis (NYSE:NVS) announced that it had met the primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) for a study treating patients with breast cancer. More specifically, these are patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer with PIK3CA mutations who progressed on or following treatment with an aromatase inhibitor with or without CDK4/6 inhibitors. This was a phase 3 study known as SOLAR-1 which was looking to see if BY719, also known as alpelisib, could achieve the primary endpoint of PFS. That is, to see if the combination of alpelisib and fulvestrant could improve in PFS over fulvestrant alone. The study achieved its endpoint as noted above, but the actual numbers for it won’t be released until a later time at a medical presentation.

Analysis: With these results on hand, Novartis anticipates that it will meet with regulatory authorities worldwide to get alpelisib in combination with fulvestrant approved to treat these advanced breast cancer patients. There are two items that are highly noteworthy about this study. The first being that this could end up being the first approved PI3K drug used to treat HR+ advanced breast cancer. Secondly, it is the first PI3K inhibitor to show an increased benefit and acceptable tolerability for patients. Why is the tolerabilty issue an important finding for this study? That’s because a majority of PI3K inhibitor drugs in the past have shown positive results but with a weak safety profile. Still, some believe that alpelisib could reach peak sales of $1.9 billion.

Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ALNY)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) was downgraded by stock analysts at ValuEngine from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Tuesday.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) looked to be in a two-horse race to develop TTR amyloidosis (ATTR) drugs. Alnylam recently got its drug Onpattro approved, while Ionis Pharmaceuticals and its marketing partner Akcea Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKCA) should hear about Tegsedi by Oct. 6. Tegsedi was approved in the EU last month.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Following the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Onpattro, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals’ (NASDAQ:ALNY) first drug to treat hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (hATTR), the biotech held a conference call to go over the plan for launch. Here are three things management wants investors to know:

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Alnylam’s (NASDAQ:ALNY) Onpattro is the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved RNAi therapy. However, competition is fast approaching and could make it difficult for Alnylam to pocket profits. Can Onpattro carve out significant sales as a treatment for polyneuropathy in hereditary transthyretin-mediated (hATTR) amyloidosis?

Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Biogen Idec Inc(BIIB)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Benzinga News Desk]

  A distillery in a small Spanish town has claimed it invented the original Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) recipe and now wants recognition: Link

  ECONOMIC DATA
  Initial Jobless Claims For Week Ended May 25 221K vs 225K Economist Estimate, Down From 234K In Prior Week
  Personal Income Apr. Up 0.3%, Personal Spending Up 0.6%
  The Chicago PMI for May is schedule for release at 9:45 a.m. ET.
  The pending home sales index for April will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET.
  The Energy Information Administration’s weekly report on natural gas stocks in underground storage is schedule for release at 10:30 a.m. ET.
  The Energy Information Administration’s weekly report on petroleum inventories will be released at 11:00 a.m. ET.
  Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic is set to speak at 12:30 p.m. ET.
  Fed Governor Lael Brainard will speak at 1:00 p.m. ET.
  Data on money supply for the recent week will be released at 4:30 p.m. ET.
  Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan is set to speak at 8:30 p.m. ET.
  ANALYST RATINGS
  Canaccord upgrades Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB) from Hold to Buy
  Morgan Stanley upgrades Corning (NYSE: GLW) from Equal-Weight to Overweight
  Morgan Stanley downgrades Micron (NASDAQ: MU) from Overweight to Equal-Weight
  Cantor downgrades HealthEquity (NASDAQ: HQY) from Overweight to Neutral

  This is a tool used by the Benzinga News Desk each trading day — it's a look at everything happening in the market, in five minutes. To get the full version of this note every morning, click here.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. cut its stake in shares of Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) by 16.9% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 8,962 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after selling 1,817 shares during the period. Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Biogen were worth $2,453,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Short interest in Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) decreased slightly to 3.09 million shares from the previous 3.15 million. The stock recently traded at $344.57, within a 52-week range of $249.17 to $388.67.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB lifted its holdings in shares of Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) by 130.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,000 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,000 shares during the quarter. Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB’s holdings in Biogen were worth $10,599,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Short interest in Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) decreased to 3.35 million shares from the previous 4.00 million. The stock recently traded at $342.33, within a 52-week range of $249.17 to $388.67.

Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Amgen Inc.(AMGN)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Amgen (AMGN)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

• [By Max Byerly]

  Hammer Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 16,988 shares of the medical research company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,136,000. Amgen makes up 2.7% of Hammer Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 13th largest holding.

• [By Cory Renauer]

  The market for complex therapies that train living cells to attack cancer is taking baby steps, but there’s still a lot of enthusiasm for experimental drugs coming through the pipeline from bluebird bio (NASDAQ:BLUE) and it’s big biotech partner Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG). That enthusiasm fell a notch after Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) released exciting data from a handful of patients that suggests it’s found a much easier way to achieve the same goal. 

• [By Keith Speights]

  The way to determine where a puck is going to be requires evaluating its direction and speed. I used a similar approach to identify five stocks with fast-growing dividends: Boeing (NYSE:BA), Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN), CVS Health (NYSE:CVS), Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN), and AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV). Here’s why these stocks could be great picks for dividend-seeking investors.

• [By Cory Renauer]

  There’s a lot for investors to like about Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB). Both of these biotech stocks have produced tremendous returns over the past couple of decades, and the businesses they represent still generate enormous profits. 

Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: ArQule Inc.(ARQL)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Motley Fool Transcribers]

  Arqule Inc  (NASDAQ:ARQL)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallMarch 07, 2019, 9:00 a.m. ET

  Contents:
  Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants
  Prepared Remarks:

  Operator

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on ArQule (ARQL)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Shares of ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQL) were down 5.4% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $4.71 and last traded at $4.73. Approximately 3,358,864 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 289% from the average daily volume of 863,008 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.00.

Several analysts have recently updated their ratings and price targets for Concert Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CNCE):

8/3/2018 – Concert Pharmaceuticals had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by analysts at HC Wainwright. 8/2/2018 – Concert Pharmaceuticals had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by analysts at Mizuho. They now have a $27.00 price target on the stock. They wrote, “We do not see earnings as the most meaningful indicator of value for a development-stage biotech. More importantly, Concert continues its steady progress on the clinical development front. A key catalyst is expected in 4Q18 with top-line readouts from the phase 2a trial of CTP-543 in alopecia areata at the 4 mg and 8 mg doses. A protocol amendment is also planned to evaluate the highest 12 mg dose. We anticipate data from the high-dose cohort will likely read out in 4Q19.”” 7/30/2018 – Concert Pharmaceuticals was upgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating. 7/24/2018 – Concert Pharmaceuticals was downgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating. 7/17/2018 – Concert Pharmaceuticals was downgraded by analysts at BidaskClub from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating. 6/26/2018 – Concert Pharmaceuticals was downgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating.

Concert Pharmaceuticals opened at $16.60 on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The stock has a market cap of $396.42 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.07 and a beta of 1.03. Concert Pharmaceuticals Inc has a 52-week low of $13.57 and a 52-week high of $30.71.

Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2019: Biogen Idec Inc(BIIB)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  ADAMCAPITAL Gestao de Recursos Ltda. lowered its holdings in Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) by 30.5% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 125,856 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after selling 55,267 shares during the quarter. Biogen comprises approximately 1.8% of ADAMCAPITAL Gestao de Recursos Ltda.’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. ADAMCAPITAL Gestao de Recursos Ltda.’s holdings in Biogen were worth $36,528,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  This large-cap biotech will partner with Samsung Bioepis in the biosimilar world. Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) discovers, develops and delivers to patients worldwide innovative therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, hematologic conditions and autoimmune disorders. Founded in 1978, Biogen is one of the world’s oldest independent biotech companies, and patients worldwide benefit from its leading multiple sclerosis (MS) and innovative hemophilia therapies.

• [By Todd Campbell]

  PTC Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PTCT) shares took off after updated data from a trial evaluating risdiplam suggested it could mount a stiff challenge to Biogen’s (NASDAQ:BIIB) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals’ (NASDAQ:IONS) Spinraza for the treatment of  spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare and life-threatening genetic disease. The data is solid, but a one-and-done SMA treatment is already in late-stage studies at Novartis’ (NYSE:NVS), and that therapy could become available as soon as 2019. 

Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2019: Amgen Inc.(AMGN)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Wedbush Securities Inc. decreased its holdings in Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 20,159 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 1,174 shares during the quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in Amgen were worth $3,721,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) and aTyr Pharma (NASDAQ:LIFE) are both medical companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, dividends, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

• [By Keith Speights]

  It’s not too hard to find biotech stocks that are bargains right now. Two of the most attractively priced biotech stocks on the market are Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD). Both stocks also provide nice dividend yields for income-seeking investors.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Philadelphia Trust Co. decreased its holdings in Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 8.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 74,676 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 6,501 shares during the quarter. Amgen makes up 1.2% of Philadelphia Trust Co.’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Philadelphia Trust Co.’s holdings in Amgen were worth $13,784,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By ]

  Amgen’s (NASDAQ:AMGN) past is filled with excitement. The company rose to become one of the biggest biotechs in the world. It grew a product lineup with multiple blockbuster drugs. Over the last decade, Amgen’s share price has more than tripled. But the excitement appears likely to diminish considerably for Amgen — at least for the next few years.

• [By Cory Renauer]

  Lilly investors can also look forward to growing sales of the third new treatment for the prevention of migraine headaches. Emgality launched in October months after competing treatments from Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Teva Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:TEVA) late last year.

Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2019: ArQule Inc.(ARQL)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Saturday.

  A number of other research firms have also issued reports on ARQL. Roth Capital upped their price target on ArQule from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. Leerink Swann upgraded ArQule from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Zacks Investment Research lowered ArQule from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 4th. ValuEngine upgraded ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Finally, B. Riley set a $4.00 price target on ArQule and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, March 26th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, The stock currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $4.69.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers
  Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL) rose 15.3 percent to $53.50 in pre-market trading after the company reported better-than-expected results for its first quarter.
  Evofem Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVFM) rose 10.4 percent to $4.58 in pre-market trading. Evofem Biosciences reported closing of public offering of common stock and warrants.
  Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) rose 7.3 percent to $4.88 in pre-market trading after declining 1.94 percent on Thursday.
  SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEDG) shares rose 5.7 percent to $59.65 in pre-market trading after falling 8.43 percent on Thursday.
  Yirendai Ltd. (NYSE: YRD) rose 5 percent to $30.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results.
  Deckers Outdoor Corp (NYSE: DECK) rose 4.9 percent to $108.75 in pre-market trading after reporteingd better-than-expected results for its fiscal fourth quarter.
  Blue Apron Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: APRN) rose 4.2 percent to $3.21 in pre-market trading after gaining 3.70 percent on Thursday.
  Recro Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: REPH) rose 4 percent to $5.85 in pre-market trading after dropping 54.67 percent on Thursday.
  ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQL) rose 3.8 percent to $4.70 in pre-market trading after gaining 4.86 percent on Thursday.
  Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: BW) shares rose 2.9 percent to $2.85 in pre-market trading after climbing 7.78 percent on Thursday.
  Bilibili Inc. (NASDAQ: BILI) shares rose 2.5 percent to $14.20 in pre-market trading after surging 11.33 percent on Thursday.

  Find out what's going on in today's market and bring any questions you have to Benzinga's PreMarket Prep.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Shares of development-stage biopharma ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) rose nearly 17% today after the company announced two appointments to its management team in two newly created positions. Dr. Marc Schegerin will serve as senior vice president, corporate strategy, communication, and finance. Dr. Shirish Hirani will serve as senior vice president, program management and product planning. 

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQL) Director Ronald M. Lindsay acquired 23,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $2.67 per share, for a total transaction of $63,813.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 43,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $117,213. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by equities researchers at Needham & Company LLC in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a $6.00 price target on the biotechnology company’s stock, up from their prior price target of $5.00. Needham & Company LLC’s price target suggests a potential upside of 134.38% from the company’s previous close.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  ValuEngine downgraded shares of ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday.

  Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on ARQL. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $2.75 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 8th. B. Riley set a $4.00 target price on shares of ArQule and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, March 26th. Roth Capital raised their target price on shares of ArQule from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 17th. BidaskClub upgraded shares of ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, May 19th. Finally, Leerink Swann upgraded shares of ArQule from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The company has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $5.35.

Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2019: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ALNY)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Jim Crumly]

  Commercial success for Tegsedi is not a done deal even if it’s approved worldwide; Alnylam Pharmaceuticals’ (NASDAQ:ALNY) competing drug patisiran was approved by the FDA on Aug. 10. Alnylam’s clinical testing showed cardiac benefits for patients whose cardiovascular systems have been affected by the disease, and Alnylam believes that will give patisiran an advantage over Tegsedi. But in the conference call, Akcea executives brushed off that concern and pointed to the advantage Tegsedi has in being an injection that can be delivered at home, versus patisiran, which is administered intravenously in a clinic. We shall see.

• [By Keith Speights]

  It’s not exactly David vs. Goliath. However, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:BLCM) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) are definitely in different leagues right now. Both are clinical-stage biotechs, but Bellicum’s market cap is less than $350 million while Alnylam’s market cap is close to $10 billion.

• [By Motley Fool Transcription]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALNY)Q4 2019 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 7, 2017, 4:30 p.m. ET

  Contents:
  Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants
  Prepared Remarks:

  Operator

• [By Brian Orelli]

  The delay in an FDA decision for Tegsedi puts it behind competitor Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY), which expects to hear from the FDA by Aug. 11 for its hATTR drug patisiran. But Sarah Boyce, the president at Akcea Therapeutics, doesn’t think a few months will really matter: “We don’t really feel that’s going to have any impact and the drugs will be close enough together from a launch perspective. So not really [going] to make any adjustments, and we’re very well prepared to be ready to launch following approval.”

Conatus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:CNAT) had its price objective reduced by HC Wainwright from $14.00 to $8.00 in a report published on Monday, The Fly reports. They currently have a buy rating on the biotechnology company’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Zacks Investment Research lowered Conatus Pharmaceuticals from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Monday, March 4th. Roth Capital reiterated a buy rating on shares of Conatus Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, February 13th. ValuEngine upgraded Conatus Pharmaceuticals from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, January 2nd. SunTrust Banks reduced their target price on Conatus Pharmaceuticals to $12.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 6th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered Conatus Pharmaceuticals from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $4.00 target price for the company. in a report on Thursday, December 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Conatus Pharmaceuticals presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $7.10.

Hot Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2019: ArQule Inc.(ARQL)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by equities researchers at Needham & Company LLC in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a $6.00 price target on the biotechnology company’s stock, up from their prior price target of $5.00. Needham & Company LLC’s price target suggests a potential upside of 134.38% from the company’s previous close.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  ValuEngine downgraded shares of ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday.

  Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on ARQL. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $2.75 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 8th. B. Riley set a $4.00 target price on shares of ArQule and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, March 26th. Roth Capital raised their target price on shares of ArQule from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 17th. BidaskClub upgraded shares of ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, May 19th. Finally, Leerink Swann upgraded shares of ArQule from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The company has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $5.35.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQL) insider Value Fund L. P. Biotechnology sold 1,035,939 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.00, for a total value of $5,179,695.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

• [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

  But Blink and our other penny stocks to watch are unlikely to continue to lock in such spectacular gains in June. After looking at our 10 top penny stocks to watch this month, we’ll show you a small-cap stock with great profit potential in its future…

  Penny Stock Current Share Price Law Month’s Gain
   Blink Charging Co. (Nasdaq: BLNK) $7.07 439.85%
  Senes Tech Inc. (Nasdaq: SNES) $1.27 175.40%
  Vivis Inc. (Nasdaq: VVUS) $0.77 150.41%
  Adomani Inc. (Nasdaq: ADOM) $1.49 137.68%
  NF Energy Saving Co. (Nasdaq: NFEC) $2.34 134.88%
  Vaalco Energy Inc. (NYSE: EGY) $2.15 109.06%
  Heat Biologics Inc. (Nasdaq: HTBX) $2.35 99.12%
  ArQule Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQL) $4.88 90.74%
  LiqTech International Inc. (NYSE: LIQT) $0.66 85.60%
  Transenterix Inc. (NYSE: TRXC) $3.46 77.84%

  While last month’s gains are tremendous, they also illustrate the inherent dangers that come with investing in penny stocks.

Hot Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2019: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ALNY)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Cory Renauer]

  Anyone who likes a good underdog story will want to keep their eye on Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALNY) and GW Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ:GWPH) through this year and next as they launch their first products in the U.S. Smaller biotechs have a terrible track record when it comes to launching new drugs on their own, but most analysts expect these companies to buck the trend and propel their recently approved drugs to blockbuster status within a few years.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.41) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.06. The business had revenue of $21.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.23 million. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 36.81% and a negative net margin of 565.20%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 15.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($1.25) earnings per share. equities analysts anticipate that Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -6.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Speaking of competition, Ionis should have its hands full battling rivals for Tegsedi assuming the drug wins approval. Alnylam (NASDAQ:ALNY) anticipates winning FDA approval for its hATTR drug patisiran within a few weeks. Because the FDA delayed its decision on Tegsedi, Alnylam appears to be in position to reach the market first. In addition to its first-mover advantage, patisiran appears to have an edge over Tegsedi in efficacy and safety based on clinical data for the two drugs. 

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) had its price target lowered by equities research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $107.00 to $99.00 in a report released on Friday. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 3.97% from the stock’s current price.

Hot Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2019: Amgen Inc.(AMGN)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The iShares biotech ETF has a structure that’s familiar to anyone who invests regularly in exchange-traded funds. The ETF tracks an index of nearly 200 biotech and pharmaceutical stocks, with roughly 80% of assets dedicated to true biotechs and the rest split evenly between pharma and life sciences equipment and services providers. Top ETF holdings Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB), Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN), and Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) make up a total of roughly 25% of the fund’s assets.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Investors sold shares of Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) on strength during trading hours on Thursday. $63.15 million flowed into the stock on the tick-up and $134.51 million flowed out of the stock on the tick-down, for a money net flow of $71.36 million out of the stock. Of all stocks tracked, Amgen had the 0th highest net out-flow for the day. Amgen traded up $2.11 for the day and closed at $185.79

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  In other news, SVP Cynthia M. Patton sold 1,777 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $202.88, for a total transaction of $360,517.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 23,090 shares in the company, valued at $4,684,499.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Tyler Jacks sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.41, for a total value of $3,908,200.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 28,979 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,662,786.39. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 23,777 shares of company stock valued at $4,648,718. Insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

  COPYRIGHT VIOLATION WARNING: “Boston Financial Mangement LLC Has $3.86 Million Stake in Amgen, Inc. (AMGN)” was originally reported by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are accessing this article on another website, it was illegally stolen and republished in violation of U.S. and international copyright law. The legal version of this article can be viewed at www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4162787/boston-financial-mangement-llc-has-3-86-million-stake-in-amgen-inc-amgn.html.

  Amgen Profile

• [By Keith Speights]

  Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD), Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN), and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) rank as the three top biopharmaceutical companies when it comes to cash stockpiles. Here’s what these drugmakers are most likely to do with all that money — and whether or not you should consider investing some of your hard-earned cash to buy their stocks.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Eqis Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 3.3% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 42,769 shares of the medical research company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,361 shares during the period. Amgen accounts for approximately 0.5% of Eqis Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Eqis Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Amgen were worth $7,895,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) ranks No. 1 among all biotech stocks when it comes to market cap. It’s one of the most profitable biotechs and claims one of the largest cash stockpiles in the industry.

Hot Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2019: Biogen Idec Inc(BIIB)

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By ]

  What should investors do with shares of Celgene (CELG) , Biogen Idec (BIIB) , Gilead Science (GILD) and Regeneron (REGN) ? Cramer once proclaimed these high-fliers his “four horsemen of biotech,” but lately they’ve lost all of their traction, with Celgene down 21%, Biogen off 14%, Gilead down 9% and Regeneron off 23% so far this year.

• [By Jim Crumly]

  As for individual stocks, Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) announced it’s buying Nightstar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NITE), and Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF) is launching an effort to enter the U.S. hemp market.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) ended the day down 10.6% after an earnings report from partner Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) started the day on a sour note. Then shares dropped even further midday after data was released for IONIS-HTTRx, a treatment for Huntington’s disease. Biogen managed to end the day in the green, up 1.1%.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB lifted its holdings in shares of Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) by 130.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,000 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,000 shares during the quarter. Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB’s holdings in Biogen were worth $10,599,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Surprising only begins to describe the latest clinical study results announced by Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) and its partner, Japanese drugmaker Eisai (NASDAQOTH:ESALY). On July 5, the two companies reported positive topline results from a phase 2 clinical study of experimental Alzheimer’s disease drug BAN2401 at 18 months.