As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q2. Today, we are looking at branded pharmaceuticals stocks, starting with Pfizer (NYSE: PFE).

Looking ahead, the branded pharmaceutical industry is positioned for tailwinds from advancements in precision medicine, increasing adoption of AI to enhance drug development efficiency, and growing global demand for treatments addressing chronic and rare diseases. However, headwinds include heightened regulatory scrutiny, pricing pressures from governments and insurers, and the looming patent cliffs for key blockbuster drugs. Patent cliffs bring about competition from generics, forcing branded pharmaceutical companies back to the drawing board to find the next big thing.

The 10 branded pharmaceuticals stocks we track reported a strong Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 3.1%.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 5.6% on average since the latest earnings results.

Pfizer (NYSE: PFE)

With roots dating back to 1849 when two German immigrants opened a fine chemicals business in Brooklyn, Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) is a global biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells medicines and vaccines for a wide range of diseases and conditions.

Pfizer reported revenues of $14.65 billion, up 10.3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 7.9%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Pfizer achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 6.4% since reporting and currently trades at $25.03.

Is now the time to buy Pfizer? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q2: Supernus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SUPN)

With a diverse portfolio of eight FDA-approved medications targeting neurological conditions, Supernus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SUPN) develops and markets treatments for central nervous system disorders including epilepsy, ADHD, Parkinson's disease, and migraine.

Supernus Pharmaceuticals reported revenues of $165.5 million, down 1.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7.4%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and full-year operating income guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations.

Supernus Pharmaceuticals scored the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 20.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $45.07.

Is now the time to buy Supernus Pharmaceuticals? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Corcept (NASDAQ: CORT)

Focusing on the powerful stress hormone that affects everything from metabolism to immune function, Corcept Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CORT) develops and markets medications that modulate cortisol to treat endocrine disorders, cancer, and neurological diseases.

Corcept reported revenues of $194.4 million, up 18.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3.5%. It was a softer quarter as it posted full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Corcept delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and weakest full-year guidance update in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 4.6% since the results and currently trades at $70.10.

Read our full analysis of Corcept’s results here.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY)

With roots dating back to 1887 and a transformative merger in 1989 that gave the company its current name, Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) discovers, develops, and markets prescription medications for serious diseases including cancer, blood disorders, immunological conditions, and cardiovascular diseases.

Bristol-Myers Squibb reported revenues of $12.27 billion, flat year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 7.8%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

The stock is up 3.6% since reporting and currently trades at $47.66.

Read our full, actionable report on Bristol-Myers Squibb here, it’s free.

Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY)

Founded in 1876 by a Civil War veteran and pharmacist frustrated with the poor quality of medicines, Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) discovers, develops, and manufactures pharmaceutical products for conditions including diabetes, obesity, cancer, immunological disorders, and neurological diseases.

Eli Lilly reported revenues of $15.56 billion, up 37.6% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 5.4%. It was a very strong quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and full-year revenue guidance slightly topping analysts’ expectations.

Eli Lilly scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 1.7% since reporting and currently trades at $734.51.

Read our full, actionable report on Eli Lilly here, it’s free.

Market Update

In response to the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been gradually trending down from its post-pandemic peak, trending closer to the Fed’s 2% target. Despite higher borrowing costs, the economy has avoided flashing recessionary signals. This is the much-desired soft landing that many investors hoped for. The recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November 2024) have bolstered the stock market, making 2024 a strong year for equities. Donald Trump’s presidential win in November sparked additional market gains, sending indices to record highs in the days following his victory. However, debates continue over possible tariffs and corporate tax adjustments, raising questions about economic stability in 2025.

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