The bull market is nearing six years old. It turns out that the biotech sector again managed a huge outperforming year in 2014 as well. The gains of the key biotech exchange traded funds (ETFs) were up in the 40% range, with the NYSE Arca Biotech index up over 45% year-to-date. The equal-weight biotech ETF performed better than the key larger ETFs, which signals that the small-cap and mid-cap biotechs were where the big gains were.

Amazingly, some 28 biotech stocks with market capitalization rates north of $300 million were up 100% or more so far in 2014. It was also amazing to see that seven of those 28 stocks were up 300% or more. 24/7 Wall St. wanted to highlight the top seven biotechs of this group, and only one of these top gainers was due to a buyout.

We have included the performance of each biotech, ranked in order by performance year-to-date in 2014. Included was the share price, general trading range, analyst price targets and the driving force behind each of these gains. Again, these are those biotechs screened with $300 million market caps and higher. Additional color has been added if there were recent capital raises.

OvaScience, up 394%

OvaScience Inc. (NASDAQ: OVAS) was trading at $45.56 at Monday’s close, against a 52-week range of $5.51 to $50.44. Its market cap is $1.07 billion, and the consensus analyst price target is at $62.00.

OvaScience spent the first half of 2014 as a stock under $10, and the rally took it up to $30 by the start of December, before it really flew higher. The big driver here is the company’s fertility studies, and OvaTure is said potentially to be the first hormone-free fertility in vitro. In December, OvaScience announced that it had advanced all three fertility treatment options. Revenue is expected to pick up in 2015 to almost $23 million from effectively zero previously, but one analyst sees revenues above $50 million.

Agios, up 378%

Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AGIO) closed trading Monday at $115.60, and its consensus analyst price target is $102.83. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $21.70 to $124.39. The market cap is $4 billion.

Agios nearly doubled from the start of 2014 through the end of September, but things really launched since then. Agios recently took advantage of its move by raising around $250 million in a stock sale. Its focus is cancer metabolism and genetic disorders, and the company recently reported positive Phase 1 data in healthy volunteers for its AG-348 — what would be a first-in-class investigational medicine to target the underlying cause of pyruvate kinase deficiency.

ALSO READ: Is Gilead Already Coming Back in Favor?

Radius, up 376%

Radius Health Inc. (NASDAQ: RDUS) ended Monday at $39.00. The company had its initial public offering (IPO) in June, and since then has had a range of $7.46 to $42.57. The consensus analyst price target is $45.67, and the market cap is $1.2 billion.

Radius Health is a fresh IPO in 2014, having come public this summer at $8.00 per share. Its stock rose to $25 by December, but it has since risen to nearly challenge $40.00. Jefferies even recently raised its target to $45, and Cantor Fitzgerald doubled its price target to $52. Shortly before Christmas, Radius reported positive top-line Phase 3 results evaluating the investigational drug abaloparatide-SC for potential use in the reduction of fractures in postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Receptos, up 334%

Receptos Inc. (NASDAQ: RCPT) traded at $126.80 as of Monday’s close, nearer the high end of its 52-week trading range of $24.53 to $139.40. The consensus analyst price target is $144.50, and the market cap is $3.4 billion.

Receptos joined the $100+ stock price biotech club in 2014, but the bulk of its move has taken place since the end of October, when shares were under $70. The big driver of late was the company showing promising results for its ulcerative colitis drug, RPC1063. Then in November the company raised some $360 million to fund ongoing studies for that candidate for multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s, as well as to fund other programs.

Bluebird, up 329%

Bluebird Bio Inc. (NASDAQ: BLUE) ended trading at $93.66 on Monday, compared to its consensus analyst price target of $102.80. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $17.40 to $94.49, and the company has a market cap of $2.6 billion.

Shares nearly doubled over the summer, rising from $20 to $40, and then they went parabolic in December when the stock rose from around $40 to $90. The company took advantage of this share strength by raising some $225 million in an equity sale in December. Bluebird’s last big pop was due to positive study results from its hemoglobin drug product.

ALSO READ: Flex Pharma Files for IPO

TG Therapeutics, up 315%

TG Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: TGTX) was trading at $16.01 at Monday’s closing bell, against its 52-week trading range of $3.69 to $18.88. The consensus analyst price target is $23.20, and the market cap is $705 million.

TG Therapeutics had a series of gains, followed by light pullbacks and larger gains, throughout 2014. Amazingly, Roth Capital Partners assigned a new $33 price target in December, so one analyst sees it potentially doubling yet again. Prior to that upgrade, the company announced that its preliminary data from ongoing Phase 1/2 dose escalation study of TG-1101 (Ublituximab) was encouraging in safety and efficacy in combination with TGR-1202 in heavily pre-treated relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies.

Prosensa, up 303%

Prosensa Holding N.V. (NASDAQ: RNA) traded at $18.75 at the close on Monday, well above its consensus analyst price target of $14.89. The 52-week trading range is $4.12 to $22.80, on a market cap of $677 million.

Prosensa came public in 2013, and 2014 has been a year of recapturing its losses of last year. This gain is tied to a buyout by BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN), so no further analysis is needed.

ALSO READ: Analyst Picks Top 5 Pharma Stocks for 2015

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.