Amgen Stock Sinks As Market Eyes MariTide's Next Move

Core Viewpoint - Amgen Inc. reported strong second-quarter results, surpassing analyst expectations, but its shares are trading lower due to ongoing investor concerns about its experimental weight-loss drug, MariTide [1][4]. Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings for the second quarter were $6.02 per share, a 21% increase year over year, exceeding the consensus estimate of $5.24 [1]. - Quarterly sales reached $9.18 billion, up 9%, also beating Wall Street's estimate of $8.87 billion [1]. - Product sales grew by 9%, driven by a 13% increase in volume, partially offset by a 3% decrease in net selling price [2]. Future Outlook - Amgen raised its fiscal year 2025 adjusted earnings guidance from a range of $20.00-$21.20 per share to $20.20-$21.30, compared to the consensus of $20.89 [3]. - The sales outlook was increased from $34.30 billion-$35.70 billion to $35 billion-$36 billion, against a consensus of $35.29 billion [3]. Product Focus - Investor attention is heavily focused on MariTide, an experimental weight-loss drug, with ongoing Phase 2 studies for chronic weight management and type 2 diabetes [4][5]. - Data readout for the studies is expected in the fourth quarter of 2025 [4][5]. - Analysts express concerns about the trial's ability to address tolerability issues that investors are debating [5]. Competitive Landscape - Amgen has seen clinical and commercial success with several products, including Repatha and Evenity, which support long-term growth prospects [6]. - The company faces near-term challenges from legacy products and competition from biosimilars, but upcoming clinical catalysts are expected to generate investor interest [6]. Stock Performance - As of the latest check, Amgen's stock is trading lower by 5.10% at $284.97 [7].