Thursday, February 08, 2007

Paperstand (TEVA, INFA)

Barron’s Online discusses Teva Pharma (TEVA), saying that despite challenges in ‘07, the co could win back its crown. Skeptics have reason to pan the co's ADRs, which fell 28% last year despite the co's skyrocketing profits, says Thomson Financial. After all, top-selling drugs responsible for last year's windfall face competition, fueling an earnings slump. Falling generic prices and fewer expiring drug patents has slowed growth in the US generic mkt this year. Meanwhile, Teva's decision to replace retiring CEO Israel Makov this month with an industry outsider has raised eyebrows. Yet with its multiple near a 5-year low and profits climbing in ‘08, Teva looks compelling. "For the highest reward, you have to be willing to buy Teva in ‘07, when earnings are likely to fall from last year's high levels," says Peter Schofield, of Knott Capital. "But once the mkt looks ahead to ‘08, it will start to reward Teva."

“Inside Scoop” section reports that Chmn and CEO Sohaib Abbasi, of Informatica (INFA), spent $510K on 40K shares of the co. Abbasi's latest purchase is notable for two reasons. It is only his second purchase of shares since joining Informatica and the stock has nearly doubled since Abbasi made his first purchase shortly after joining the company, says Ben Silverman, of InsiderScore.com.

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