Best Stocks: Three healthcare names to ponder including a biotech back to levels not seen in a decade
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2 Top Stocks I Wouldn't Hesitate to Invest $1,000 in Right Now
Key Points Understand your investing interests and goals before you put cash into the market. Vertex Pharmaceuticals is in a growth phase as it launches a series of new products. Lululemon is facing some headwinds, but investors need to keep a 30,000-foot view. 10 stocks we like better than Vertex Pharmaceuticals › The stock market has been a generous vehicle for building investor wealth through the years even though ups and downs are inevitable. If you stay invested in the stock market for decades, gradually and regularly building out a diverse portfolio, you will likely encounter your share of bull as well as bear markets. However, if you have positions in great businesses primed to stand the test of time in your portfolio, you can benefit from both the peaks and valleys of the market. Investors never know when the best or worst days in the market will be. Investing consistently in businesses you know, understand, and that align with your overall financial objectives can help you build a profitable, high-performing portfolio with time. If you're looking for two magnificent growth stocks to buy and hold for years and have $1,000 ready to put to work in the market, here are two names to consider investing part or all of that amount in right now. 1. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) has been known for years for its very lucrative cystic fibrosis drug franchise. As the only company with medications that are approved to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis, the company has built an impressive track record of profitability and revenue growth over time. However, the past year has marked the beginning of a new era for the business as Vertex has expanded into other areas of the rare-disease drug market with a series of impressive drug launches. This includes Journavx, which was just approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January. The drug is currently approved to treat moderate-to-severe acute pain in adults, but it's also being studied for additional indications, including for the treatment of patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, a condition that affects roughly half of all patients with diabetes. Journavx's approval was notable for a few reasons. For starters, it's the first in a new class of medications for acute pain approved by the FDA in over two decades. Second, Journavx doesn't carry the same risks of misuse and addiction because it targets and blocks specific sodium channels on peripheral nerves to reduce pain signals before they reach the brain, unlike opioids, which act on the central nervous system. The drug has an estimated total addressable market in the billions, with some analysts projecting peak annual sales at around $3.4 billion. Alyftrek is another recent approval for Vertex. A triple combination cystic fibrosis therapy, it's the fifth drug that has been approved to treat the underlying genetic causes of the condition. Trial data suggests Alyftrek may lead to even greater reductions in sweat chloride levels (a key diagnostic marker for CF patients), while also providing a new treatment option to both untapped cohorts of CF patients and patients who previously stopped taking one of Vertex's therapies. A few late-stage drug candidates for investors to watch are Vertex's inaxaplin, a potential first-in-class treatment for APOL1-mediated kidney disease, and povetacicept, currently in phase 3 clinical trials to treat the underlying causes of a rare kidney condition known as IgA nephropathy. Investors should also keep abreast of developments with zimislecel, a stem cell therapy being studied for type 1 diabetes patients. Vertex is targeting potential regulatory filings for both inaxaplin and zimislecel in 2026. Vertex's first-quarter results were slightly underwhelming due to some short-term factors, including an expected revenue decline in Russia where the company said it is experiencing a violation of its intellectual property rights. However, U.S. revenue rose 9% in the quarter. This follows the full-year 2024 during which the company brought in revenue of $11 billion, a 12% increase from 2023. Vertex looks like a compelling healthcare stock to buy and hold for the long run. 2. Lululemon Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ: LULU) has had a tough time recently if you only look at the stock. The last few years have presented a range of challenges for companies with direct exposure to discretionary consumer spending. The athleisure market and Lululemon's loyal customer base have shown resilience, but the macroenvironment has made some consumers pull back on non-essential expenditures. The recent tariff environment and uncertainty that continue against that backdrop have made it difficult for even the most well-positioned of companies to remain agile from a supply chain perspective. Don't get me wrong. I think Lululemon is still in a strong position to grow over the next five to 10 years and bring favorable returns for investors in the process. However, it's important to understand that some of the external challenges that the company and others in its industry are facing, particularly in relation to tariffs, will take time to work through. For example, in Lululemon's recent earnings report, the company actually beat analyst expectations on both the top and bottom lines but was forced to slash its profit forecast due to tariff impacts. Lululemon manufactures its products in several countries across Asia, but key manufacturing countries include Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and China. Tariff-related headwinds are hardly exclusive to Lululemon. Company leaders across consumer product-facing industries have been signaling downgrades to earnings and margin impacts due to these headwinds. Investors will need to incorporate this new tariff reality into their overall investment thesis and risk analysis for businesses like Lululemon. The company is planning to implement modest price increases for some of its products starting later this year to help mitigate some of the impact of tariffs. Even as revenue growth has slowed for the business from a few years ago, this is still a company that is making significant headway in international markets and reporting solid financials overall. In Q1 2025, Lululemon's net revenue increased 7% year over year to $2.4 billion. That growth was driven by a 3% increase in Americas revenue (its most mature market) but a 21% increase in Mainland China revenue and a 16% increase in its revenue in the Rest of the World segment. The company also delivered a 60 basis-point increase in its gross margin, delivering a gross profit of $1.4 billion for the quarter, up 8% from one year ago. Its net income for the three-month period was down slightly from one year ago but totaled $315 million. With shares trading down roughly 40% from the beginning of the year, now could be a compelling moment to buy into a quality stock at a bargain-basement price, provided investors are patient enough and have the sufficient long-term horizon to ride out near-term volatility. Should you buy stock in Vertex Pharmaceuticals right now? Before you buy stock in Vertex Pharmaceuticals, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Vertex Pharmaceuticals wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $638,629!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,098,838!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,049% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2025 Rachel Warren has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Lululemon Athletica Inc. and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 Top Stocks I Wouldn't Hesitate to Invest $1,000 in Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
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5 hours ago
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Regeneron's Pipeline Hit By Catalent Delays, But Dupixent Shines
On Friday, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN) reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $12.89 per share, up 12% year-over-year, beating the consensus of $8.57. The company reported sales of $3.68 billion, up 4% year over year, beating the consensus of $3.29 billion. In the second quarter, U.S. net sales for Eylea HD and Eylea decreased 25% year-over-year to $1.15 billion, including $393 million from Eylea HD and $754 million from product sales of Eylea HD increased in the second quarter of 2025, compared to the second quarter of 2024, due to higher sales volumes driven by increased demand. Net product sales of EYLEA were negatively impacted by lower sales volumes due to continued competitive pressures, loss in market share to compounded bevacizumab due to patient affordability constraints, continued transition of patients to EYLEA HD, and a lower net selling price. Sanofi SA (NASDAQ:SNY) collaboration revenue increased, due to the company's share of profits from the commercialization of antibodies, which were $1.282 billion and $988 million in the second quarter of 2025 and 2024, respectively. View more earnings on REGN The change in the company's share of profits from the commercialization of antibodies was driven by higher profits associated with an increase in Dupixent sales. Pipeline Update In its earnings press release, Regeneron said it expects regulatory approvals to be delayed for its currently pending U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) applications for EYLEA HD (pre-filled syringe, every-four-week dosing, and for macular edema following retinal vein occlusion), which have PDUFA dates in August 2025. The anticipated delay concerns observations from an FDA general site inspection at the filler for EYLEA HD in these regulatory applications, Catalent Indiana LLC, recently acquired by Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO). The inspection was completed in mid-July and was not specific to EYLEA HD. Novo has communicated with the FDA and expects to submit its response next week. Based on the company's review of the observations, Novo's proposed response to the FDA, and the progress the company has made with alternate third-party fillers, the company anticipates an expeditious resolution of the filling issues for EYLEA HD. The FDA issued a Complete Response Letter (CRL) for the application for odronextamab, a bispecific antibody targeting CD20 and CD3, in relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy, which was also impacted by the Catalent site inspection. Outlook Regeneron expects a 2025 GAAP gross margin of approximately 83%, compared to the prior guidance of 83%–84%. The company expects an adjusted gross margin of approximately 86%, compared to the prior guidance of 86%–87%. Price Action: REGN stock is trading higher by 3.77% to $566 premarket at last check Friday. Read Next:Photo by Marianne Campolongo via Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS (REGN): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Regeneron's Pipeline Hit By Catalent Delays, But Dupixent Shines originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
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6 hours ago
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Moderna's Key Patent Win Overshadowed By Gloomy Outlook
Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) reported on Friday a second-quarter loss of $2.13 per share, beating the consensus of a $2.98 loss, an improvement from a loss of $3.33 a year ago. The COVID-19 vaccine maker reported quarterly sales of $142 million, beating the consensus of $116.34 million. Sales fell 41% from $241 million in the same period in 2024. The decline was primarily driven by lower COVID-19 vaccine sales, which totaled $114 million in the is expected to be concentrated in the second half of the year, aligning with the fall and winter seasons as the vaccine transitions into a seasonal respiratory product. The company reported $114 million in Spikevax sales in the second quarter of 2025, including $88 million in U.S. and $26 million in international sales. Moderna recently announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Spikevax in children 6 months through 11 years of age who are at increased risk for COVID-19 disease. The company's COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA-1273) was previously available for pediatric populations under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Additionally, the company announced it has received final approval from the European Medicines Agency for Spikevax targeting the LP.8.1 variant in individuals six months of age and older. Moderna also announced FDA approval for mNEXSPIKE (mRNA-1283), a next-generation vaccine against COVID-19, for use in all adults aged 65 and older, as well as individuals aged 12-64 years with at least one underlying risk factor. On Wednesday, the European Commission approved the updated formulation of the COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax, targeting the SARS-CoV-2 variant LP.8.1, for individuals six months of age and older. Moderna reported negligible mRESVIA (RSV vaccine) sales in the second quarter of 2025. Moderna's RSV vaccine for adults aged 60 years and older has been approved in approximately 40 countries. Additionally, Moderna recently announced that the FDA has approved mRESVIA (mRNA-1345), expanding the previous indication, for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) caused by RSV in individuals 18-59 years of age who are at increased risk for disease. View more earnings on MRNA Cost of sales for the second quarter of 2025 was $119 million, which included third-party royalties of $6 million, inventory write-downs of $38 million, and unutilized manufacturing capacity and wind-down costs of $52 million. Cost of sales was relatively flat compared to the same period in 2024. The increase in cost of sales as a percentage of net product sales, to 105% from 62% in the second quarter of 2024, was mainly driven by lower net product sales. R&D expenses were $700 million, a 43% decrease year over year. The reduction was primarily driven by lower clinical trial and manufacturing expenses, reflecting reduced production spending, program wind-downs, and the timing of trial activities across the company's respiratory vaccine portfolio. Outlook Moderna has revised its 2025 revenue outlook to $1.5 billion-$2.2 billion compared to $1.5 billion-$2.5 billion, compared to a consensus of $2.09 billion, reflecting a $300 million reduction at the high end of the range. The update is primarily driven by the timing shift of deliveries of contracted revenue for the U.K. into the first quarter of 2026. Moderna expects a revenue split of 40-50% in the third quarter for the second half of the year, with the balance in the fourth quarter of 2025. Cost of sales for 2025 is expected to be approximately $1.2 billion. Full-year 2025 research and development expenses are anticipated to be $3.6 to $3.8 billion, lowered from previous expectations of approximately $4.1 billion. Year-end cash and investments for 2025 are projected to be approximately $6 billion. Recently, Moderna announced an organizational restructuring that will reduce its global workforce by approximately 10%. The company anticipates a total headcount of under 5,000 by year-end. Legal Ruling On Friday, Moderna announced that the U.K. Court of Appeal upheld the validity of Moderna's EP'949 patent. European patent EP'949 relates to chemically modified mRNA, one of Moderna's foundational technologies. The decision affirms the High Court's initial ruling from July 2024 that the EP'949 patent is valid and infringed by Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) / BioNTech SE's (NASDAQ:BNTX) COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty. Pfizer/BioNTech subsequently appealed. With this ruling, the U.K. becomes the first jurisdiction globally to issue a second-instance decision confirming the validity of one of Moderna's core mRNA patents. In Germany, the Regional Court found that Pfizer and BioNTech infringed Moderna's modified mRNA patent and confirmed Moderna's right to seek damages. An appeal is pending. The European Patent Office upheld the validity of EP'949 in opposition proceedings. An appeal is pending. Price Action: Moderna stock is trading 7.92% lower to $27.22 premarket at last check Friday. Read Next:Photo by Lutsenko_Oleksandr via Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? MODERNA (MRNA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Moderna's Key Patent Win Overshadowed By Gloomy Outlook originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. 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