Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AUXL), Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (NASDAQ: CTSH), Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: NBIX) and Coca-Cola FEMSA S.A. de C.V. (NYSE: KOF).
Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=4579
Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:
Auxilium a Buy at $20
Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AUXL) reported financial results for the first quarter 2009 on May 6, 2009. Total revenues for the first quarter were $34.7 million, an increase of 28% over the first quarter in 2008.
Revenues consisted of approximately $32.5 million in U.S. sales of Testim, up 20% year-over-year, $1.3 million in milestone recognition from Ferring International S.A. on ex-U.S. Testim activities, and $0.9 million in amortization from the previous upfront payment from Pfizer (NYSE: PFE). This was slightly lower than expected by about $2.0 million based on lower sales of Testim.
Cognizant - Bearish Trend Over?
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (NASDAQ: CTSH, Hold) reported its fiscal Q1 results yesterday. Q1 revenues of $746 million were ahead of our $734 million estimate, although down 1% q/q (but flat assuming constant currency). Non-GAAP gross margin of 20.2% were in-line with guidance, while GAAP EPS of $0.38 were ahead of our and consensus estimates by a penny.
Overall, the company posted solid results across all verticals, although the banking vertical (with nearly 30% of revenues) saw a 2% sequential decline in revenues.
An Update on NBIX's Elagolix
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: NBIX) has recently completed the entire twelve months of the Petal-602 study, which includes six months of treatment and six months follow-up.
Post-treatment reviews looking to determine the impact of elagolix on bone mineral density (BMD) by dual energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) show consistent results with the six month data, whereas there was no apparent effect from baseline in the elagolix treatment arms. After the twelve months, patients taking 150mg elagolix showed a mean change in BMD of +0.19% for the spine and -0.28% for the femur.
Coca-Cola FEMSA Inexpensive
Coca-Cola FEMSA S.A. de C.V. (NYSE: KOF) is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in Mexico and Argentina, and is one of Coke's two anchor bottlers in Latin America.
The company posted positive operating results for the first quarter of 2009, mainly considering the difficult economic situation. Moreover, the results in the Mercosur and Latincentro division were particularly impressive. The recent acquisitions will enhance company’s topline growth in the medium term.
Want more from Zacks Equity Research? Subscribe to the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=2649.
About Zacks Equity Research
Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.
Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.
Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=2677
About Zacks
Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=4580.
Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
Contacts:
Mark Vickery
Web Content Editor
312-265-9380
Visit:
www.zacks.com
