Biotech firm Biogen Idec (BIIB) has put itself on the block, another victim of shareholder activist by Carl Icahn. The company said that several firms had expressed interest. According to The Wall Street Journal, "Shares of the Cambridge, Mass., company traded at $69.43, up 3.4%, in 4 p.m. Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading Friday and after the company’s announcement jumped to $81.60 in after-hours trading."
Not a bad gain for a day. That puts the company’s market cap at over $23 billion
Mr. Icahn has suggested the best buy would me a mega-pharmaceutical company.
Biogen has forecast 2007 earnings of about $600 million. Analysts are predicting about $3.1 billion in revenue.
Biogen is growing fairly quickly, but selling biotech drugs can be a risky and competitive business. The FDA can halt trials and block sales at the drop of a hat.
The price tag, at over $82 a share, or about 8x, is, frankly, too rich. The credit environment makes the a deal even more dicey.
Mr. Icahn may want to make money, but, at these prices, a buyer won’t
Douglas A. McIntyre
The Average American Has No Idea How Much Money You Can Make Today (Sponsor)
The last few years made people forget how much banks and CD’s can pay. Meanwhile, interest rates have spiked and many can afford to pay you much more, but most are keeping yields low and hoping you won’t notice.
But there is good news. To win qualified customers, some accounts are paying almost 10x the national average! That’s an incredible way to keep your money safe and earn more at the same time. Our top pick for high yield savings accounts includes other benefits as well. You can earn up to 3.80% with a Checking & Savings Account today Sign up and get up to $300 with direct deposit. No account fees. FDIC Insured.
Click here to see how much more you could be earning on your savings today. It takes just a few minutes to open an account to make your money work for you.
Our top pick for high yield savings accounts includes other benefits as well. You can earn up to 4.00% with a Checking & Savings Account from Sofi. Sign up and get up to $300 with direct deposit. No account fees. FDIC Insured.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.