Four Biopharma Stocks in the Spotlight

February 19, 2013, 09:35 am ET, BY Billy- Contributor| Editor: Thomas H. Kee Jr. (Follow on LinkedIn)

This week the spotlight at Stock Traders Daily will be on the biopharma industry as several companies in the sector are slated to announce their quarterly results. A couple of names reporting are looking for a spark to turn around dismal performances from their stock prices, while others are hoping to keep upward momentum alive.

On Trial

On Thursday after the market close, Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) will announce its Q4 results. The consensus among analysts is that the company will announce a loss of $0.24 per share on $9.5 million in revenue.

Traders will be looking to see if the company hints at how Cometriq has been received in the U.S. The thyroid cancer drug became available in the U.S. last month. It is unlikely to make an immediate impact on the bottom line for Exelixis, but if the drug ultimately receives approval for a prostate cancer indication it could give the company’s stock a major boost down the road. In the meantime, the stock could face resistance.

Another biopharma name for traders to monitor heading into Thursday is InterMune (Nasdaq:ITMN). Analysts are calling for the company to check in with a $0.87 per share loss on $8.3 million in revenue.

The stock has lost more than one third of its value during the past year, but there could be light at the end of the tunnel. A positive outcome from the company’s phase 3 trials for its lung-disease drug, Esbriet, could breathe some signs of life into InterMune. In the meantime the stock is likely to trade sideways.

Heating Up

Two of the more promising biopharma stocks for traders to watch as the week unfolds are BioMarin Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ:BMRN) and Onyx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ONXX). Both companies are slated to report their earnings after the closing bell on Thursday.

BioMarin is expected to announce a loss of $0.27 per share and a 20.2% rise in revenue. The stock has put together an impressive tape as its 50-day moving average has held above its 200-day moving average during the last 12 months. Barring a surprise to the downside, this stock will continue to push higher.

Although its stock price has ticked down slightly since the start of the year, Onyx has a similarly impressive tape for traders to consider. The 50-day moving average has also held above the 200-day moving average for the last 12 months. The company has three approved therapies with additional indications in late stage trials. Onyx still has room to run.   

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