Kingel
12 Feb 2015
Which biotechs are fund managers buying Almost 250 years ago, the English physician Dr Edward Jenner's vaccine for smallpox paved the way vaccinations against disease around the world. A century ago, the Scottish biologist Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the world's first antibiotic. Sixty years ago, Francis Crick and James Watson, two Cambridge University academics, announced they had discovered the structure of DNA.Do you see a pattern here? The most important advances in modern healthcare have repeatedly been made by British researchers and in British laboratories - and this is a trend that Steve Bates, chief executive of the UK's BioIndustry Association, insists continues to this day."The UK is one of the best places in the world for life sciences, on a par with premier life science destinations such as Boston, San Francisco, San Diego and Singapore," Bates argues. "We have four of the top 10 universities in the world, 19 of the top 100 universities, one of the world’s three major financial centres, a stable of quality service providers, world-class charitable supporters of the industry and a rich heritage of globally recognised medical research."Nevertheless, investors in healthcare and life sciences, have a global outlook. While the most successful healthcare funds do have exposure to British businesses, their portfolios tend to be dominated by US companies. This reflects a fact of life: there are vastly more publicly listed US businesses, particularly in the biotech space, but also in the pharmaceutical sector.There are good reasons why the US investable universe is so much bigger. The US is a bigger marketplace for healthcare, with a population six times as large as the UK's. Also, it has a better developed funding environment - fledgling businesses pursing speculative but potentially lucrative ideas find it easier to attract growth capital in the US than anywhere else.However, Bates's flag-waving is not misplaced. Britain does have a life sciences sector that is generating tremendous excitement about both the healthcare advances it is making and its commercial potential. Moreover, British companies are benefitting from the same global trends in healthcare as their American cousins.Above all, says Sven Borho, a partner in OrbiMed Healthcare Fund Management, the pharmaceutical sector is currently benefitting from a more exciting pipeline of new drugs and treatments than at any time in living memory. US-based OrbiMed manages the portfolios of two UK-based closed-ended funds, the Biotech Growth Trust (BIOG) and Worldwide Healthcare Trust (WWH), and both have just enjoyed a stellar year, posting returns of around 40% over 2014 thanks to that pipeline.Last year was the year of the biotech blockbuster drug launch," says Borho. "We are now seeing the innovation we’ve always known of in this sector really coming through - eight out of the top 10 selling drugs in the world next year will be derived from biotechnology".At Polar Capital, whose top-performing funds include Polar Capital Healthcare and Polar Capital Biotechnology, fund manager David Pinniger is also thrilled by the recent breakthroughs seen in healthcare - and the potential for new advances in the months and years ahead. "The quantity and the quality of the new medicines coming through in several different areas is incredibly exciting," Pinniger says. "When the human genome was mapped 15 years ago, it prompted a huge wave of investment in health and biotech and that is now beginning to pay off."Pinniger points to advances in immunotherapy as especially rewarding - this new technology has seen the development of new drugs to combat cancer that target the disease specifically, a huge advance on the chemotherapy that is standard treatment today, which kills healthy cells and cancer cells alike. He is also impressed by developments in the area of fibrosis, where new drugs for patients with problems in both the lungs and the liver look promising, and with a number
stressboy
11 Feb 2015
Correction nearly over? I'd sold out at 750p. Now it's looking the MACD, RSI and stochastics are all oversold.The price is at the lower Bollinger and 50MA which could/should provide support.What's this gibberish mean? I've bought back in (704) on this basis this is oversold and provided the uptrend continues this is a good price. 5% stop loss in case I'm full of nonsense and this is the begin of a more serious correction.
Moonsurfer
05 Feb 2015
Re: Some recovery I should clarify my growth rate. I calculated it from the rise over 3.5 months at a time when sp was 780 and did not updated it to todays price of 730p. Even so my approx. figure for 12 month rate was a bit high. 780-500 /500 x4/3.5 is ~64 . x 3/pa =192 . OK, it's very approx. but it illustrates a massive increase in growth rate.Moon
Moonsurfer
05 Feb 2015
Re: Some recovery There is no story there which is why former ACTA holders use it as a general discussion board. If anything stirs on ACTA it will get mentioned.It is possible for one to open a private members board for this type of general discussion but contributors have to be "invited" to join. A bit of a fag.I note that BIOG sp is now rising at a rate of around 225% pa based on last 4 months cf with a rate of ~ 50% previously. IBT is similar and WWH is not too far behind.All three are at the lower end of their recent trading pattern (lower tramline if you like) so where the sp goes next might be very important. The rates don't seem sustainable but maybe underlying profit growth of their holdings can support them. Moonsurfer.
Rusty Jock
31 Jan 2015
Biogen up 10% Biogen , listed in the US , rose 10% late last week on results which revealed a doubling of profits from 12 months ago , due largely to the success of its multiple scleroscis treatment .Biogen represents 8.6% of the Biotech Growth IT , and is the 3rd largest holding .The Nasdaq Biotech index is also holding steady against more wobbly and volatile US Indices , at least for now .All very supportive , but who knows what's coming next ?
sage in the hills
30 Jan 2015
Re: Some recovery MSacta has 400k T/O and mkt cap of 1.3Mwhat is the story there ?SAGE
sage in the hills
30 Jan 2015
Re: Some recovery hhmmm ... why do they ? / why should they ?There is a strong biotech global move at mo, and for some time......... is that the reason ?SAGE
Moonsurfer
29 Jan 2015
Re: Some recovery Might find posts on the ACTA board interesting. We discuss all shares and funds there. BIOG/LG feature somewhat !Moon
Chip_Scashtin
14 Jan 2015
Re: Some recovery She said sell around £7 and await the fall to £5.50. Hmm.
Willow67
09 Jan 2015
Re: Some recovery lambrini girl, I still don't understand your post, forgive me. Are you saying its a sell at 550p, or that its a sell now and will fall to 550p, or that at 5.50pm we should all sell (which begs the question of whether you are saying it is also a sell at another time such as noon or 3:45pm for example). Please be clear.
stabilo10
16 Dec 2014
Queen of derampers Please ignore anything lambrini girl says as she comments on so many stocks on the BB site and she only ever says sell.
lambrini girl
16 Dec 2014
Re: Some recovery OK so I try to SPELL it out(jeez!!)>>>I am sorry but I don't quite see your point. You said on 21/11 that we were rapidly approaching a sell at 550. <<<READ AGAIN.....>>>rapidly approaching a SELL.. target 550..<<<...that was a warning that it would soon drop...expecting it to drop to 550...surely u both just tryin to wind me up??
skunkmeister
16 Dec 2014
Re: Some recovery LambriniI am sorry but I don't quite see your point. You said on 21/11 that we were rapidly approaching a sell at 550. Since then (and that was not just a" few days ago" it was over 3 weeks), the share price has been consistently higher, before in the past 3 days returning to 630s again, where it was earlier in November.All I am asking is where this approaching 550 sell message comes from against that background. I am sure it will all fall into place BANG! once you explain it to me.CheersSkunk
Chip_Scashtin
16 Dec 2014
Re: Some recovery Some folk can't write anything that other folk can make sense of, more like. You put a weak Sell up on 21st Nov, and seemed to suggest the price was approaching 550. Now it turns out you meant something quite different. And of course you were right again. Anyway, my question is answered, I will Buy at 550 BANG ON!
lambrini girl
16 Dec 2014
Re: Some recovery some folk cant read..on 21st Nov..I ses ''it rapidly approaching a SELL''...not SELL that day!..a few days later..BANG!!...BANG ON!!
