Core Insights - Kirin Holdings Co. is a significant player in the beverage industry, competing with major companies like Anheuser-Busch InBev and Asahi Group Holdings, and is seen as an attractive investment option due to its recent financial performance and growth potential [1] Financial Performance - On February 13, 2026, Kirin reported earnings per share of $0.36, surpassing the estimated $0.30, indicating a positive earnings surprise [2][6] - The company's revenue reached approximately $4.44 billion, exceeding the estimated $4.22 billion, showcasing robust financial health [2][6] Growth Potential - Kirin's growth potential is highlighted by its favorable Growth Score and a top Zacks Rank, indicating it as a standout growth stock with the potential for exceptional returns [3] - The company's positive earnings outlook is reflected in its upgrade to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), driven by growing optimism about its earnings prospects [4] Valuation Metrics - Kirin's valuation metrics suggest it is a potential value investment, with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of approximately 24.92 and a price-to-sales ratio of about 0.86 [5] - The company's debt-to-equity ratio of approximately 0.84 and current ratio of around 1.35 indicate a balanced financial structure, further supporting its investment appeal [5]

Core Viewpoint - Growth stocks are appealing due to their potential for above-average financial growth, but identifying strong candidates is challenging due to inherent risks and volatility [1] Group 1: Company Overview - Kirin Holdings Co. (KNBWY) is recommended as a strong growth stock based on its favorable Growth Score and top Zacks Rank [2] Group 2: Earnings Growth - Kirin's historical EPS growth rate is 3.3%, but projected EPS growth for this year is 7.4%, significantly higher than the industry average of 2.3% [5] Group 3: Asset Utilization - Kirin has an asset utilization ratio (sales-to-total-assets) of 0.72, indicating it generates $0.72 in sales for every dollar in assets, outperforming the industry average of 0.52 [6] Group 4: Sales Growth - The company's sales are expected to grow by 2.2% this year, compared to the industry average of 1.3% [7] Group 5: Earnings Estimate Revisions - Current-year earnings estimates for Kirin have been revised upward, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate increasing by 1.6% over the past month [9] Group 6: Conclusion - Kirin has achieved a Growth Score of A and holds a Zacks Rank 2, positioning it well for potential outperformance in the growth stock category [10]

Core Insights - Kyowa Kirin has appointed Abdul Mullick, Ph.D., as the new President and CEO, effective March 2026, while current CEO Masashi Miyamoto will remain as Chairman [1][2][3] Leadership Transition - The company approved a dual CEO/COO model in March 2025, allowing Mullick to gain insights as the first non-Japanese CEO [2] - The transition back to a single leader model aims to create a more agile management structure to respond to global business changes [3] Strategic Focus - As CEO, Mullick will drive the execution of the company's Vision for 2030, focusing on Bone/Mineral, Intractable Haematological Diseases/Haemato-Oncology, and Rare Diseases [3][4] Mullick's Background - Mullick joined Kyowa Kirin in 2017 and has held various leadership roles, including President of the Europe/Middle East/Africa region and COO [4][5] - He has a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Bristol and a BSc from Kingston University, both in the UK [5] Company Mission - Kyowa Kirin aims to discover and deliver novel medicines and treatments with life-changing value, focusing on high unmet medical needs [6]

Core Insights - The combination of ziftomenib with venetoclax and azacitidine shows promising clinical activity in treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with NPM1 mutations, achieving an 86% composite complete remission (CRc) rate in newly diagnosed patients and a 65% overall response rate (ORR) in relapsed/refractory cases [1][2][5] - Ziftomenib has a favorable safety profile, with low rates of myelosuppression and manageable side effects, supporting its potential integration into treatment regimens for AML [4][7][8] - Ongoing registrational trials for ziftomenib are expected to further establish its role in both front-line and relapsed/refractory settings for AML [2][8][13] Summary by Category Clinical Efficacy - In newly diagnosed NPM1-m AML, 86% of patients achieved CRc, with 68% of responders attaining molecular minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity [1][3] - In relapsed/refractory NPM1-m AML, the ORR was 65%, and in venetoclax-naïve patients, it increased to 83% [2][11] - For KMT2A-r AML, the ORR was 41%, with 70% in venetoclax-naïve patients [1][11] Safety Profile - The triplet combination of ziftomenib, venetoclax, and azacitidine was well tolerated, with low rates of ziftomenib-related myelosuppression [4][7] - Adverse events included one case of grade 2 differentiation syndrome and one case of grade 3 QTc prolongation, both managed without treatment discontinuation [4][7] Ongoing Development - Kura Oncology is conducting registrational trials for ziftomenib in both intensive chemotherapy-eligible and -ineligible patients [1][2] - The company is also activating sites for pivotal trials, indicating confidence in the drug's potential as a foundational treatment for AML [8][13]

Core Insights - Kyowa Kirin, Inc. announced new clinical study data on mogamulizumab for treating relapsed or refractory mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome, which will be presented at the ASH 2025 annual meeting [1][3] Clinical Study Findings - The presentations will cover mogamulizumab's therapeutic benefits, safety, pharmacodynamic profile, alternative dosing strategies, real-world treatment patterns, and biomarker-associated outcomes [2][3] - A Phase 2 study will assess a 4-weekly dosing schedule for mogamulizumab in patients with mycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome [4] - An integrated analysis will investigate longitudinal effects between responders and non-responders in mogamulizumab trials for mature T-cell lymphomas [4] - Real-world usage of mogamulizumab as monotherapy and in combination among patients with mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome in the U.S. will also be presented [4] Company Overview - Kyowa Kirin is a Japan-based Global Specialty Pharmaceutical Company focused on drug discovery and biotechnology innovation for over 70 years, aiming to develop novel medicines for high unmet medical needs [12]

Group 1 - Kirin Holdings Co. is a notable stock in the Consumer Staples sector, currently ranked 14 in the Zacks Sector Rank, which evaluates 16 different groups based on the average Zacks Rank of individual stocks [2] - The Zacks Rank model, which focuses on earnings estimates and revisions, currently assigns Kirin Holdings Co. a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook for the stock [3] - Year-to-date, Kirin Holdings Co. has achieved a return of approximately 13.3%, significantly outperforming the average return of -0.3% for the Consumer Staples sector [4] Group 2 - Kirin Holdings Co. operates within the Beverages - Alcohol industry, which consists of 16 stocks and is currently ranked 199 in the Zacks Industry Rank, with the industry showing a loss of about 0.7% year-to-date [6] - In comparison, another stock in the Consumer Staples sector, Service Corp. (SCI), has a year-to-date return of 1.2% and is ranked 2 (Buy) as well [5] - The Funeral Services industry, where Service Corp. operates, has three stocks and is ranked 29, with a year-to-date performance of -0.2% [6]

Core Insights - Kura Oncology has received a $30 million milestone payment from Kyowa Kirin for the dosing of the first patient in the second Phase 3 trial of ziftomenib, bringing total milestone payments received to $105 million, with expectations of up to $315 million in additional near-term milestones [1][2]. Group 1: Company Overview - Kura Oncology is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on precision medicines for cancer treatment, with a pipeline targeting cancer signaling pathways and addressing hematologic malignancies and solid tumors [3]. - The company is developing ziftomenib, a menin inhibitor aimed at specific genetic drivers of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and is pioneering advancements in menin inhibition for both acute leukemias and solid tumors [3]. Group 2: Clinical Trials - The KOMET-017 trial consists of two independent, global, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 trials evaluating ziftomenib in combination with intensive and non-intensive chemotherapy regimens for patients with newly diagnosed NPM1-mutated or KMT2A-rearranged AML [2]. - Kura believes that KOMET-017 is the only menin inhibitor program actively pursuing registrational trials across both intensive and non-intensive chemotherapy settings [2].

Core Points - Kyowa Kirin International has appointed Julie Dehaene-Puype as President for the Region, effective November 1, 2025 [1] - Julie Dehaene-Puype succeeds Jeremy Morgan, who has been serving as President for the International Region since 2023 [1] - Jeremy Morgan will transition to an advisory role within the business following his tenure [1]

Core Insights - Boehringer Ingelheim has licensed a pre-clinical program from Kyowa Kirin to develop a potential first-in-class small molecule for autoimmune diseases [1][3] - Autoimmune diseases affect approximately one in ten people globally, highlighting a significant unmet medical need for effective treatments [2][6] - The agreement allows Boehringer Ingelheim exclusive worldwide rights to develop the small molecule, with Kyowa Kirin eligible to receive up to €640 million in various payments and royalties [3] Company Overview - Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company focused on human and animal health, emphasizing innovative therapies for high unmet medical needs [4] - Kyowa Kirin is a Japan-based Global Specialty Pharmaceutical Company with over 70 years of experience in drug discovery and biotechnology innovation [5]

Core Insights - Kura Oncology has received a $30 million milestone payment following the dosing of the first patient in the KOMET-017 Phase 3 clinical trials for ziftomenib, an investigational oral menin inhibitor [1] - The KOMET-017 trials are designed to evaluate ziftomenib in combination with both intensive and non-intensive chemotherapy regimens for patients with newly diagnosed NPM1-mutated or KMT2A-rearranged acute myeloid leukemia [2] - Kura Oncology is focused on precision medicines for cancer treatment, with a pipeline targeting cancer signaling pathways and addressing hematologic malignancies and solid tumors [3] Company Overview - Kura Oncology is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing precision medicines for cancer treatment [3] - The company is advancing ziftomenib, a menin inhibitor aimed at specific genetic drivers of acute myeloid leukemias, and is also exploring farnesyl transferase inhibition for solid tumors [3]