GSK Stock Up Almost 19% in 3 Months: Should You Buy, Hold or Sell?

Core Insights - GSK's stock has increased by 18.6% over the past three months, driven by strong Q3 results that exceeded earnings and sales estimates, along with raised sales and profit guidance for the year [1][9] - The drug and biotech sector has seen a recovery, with major companies like Pfizer and AstraZeneca entering drug pricing agreements with the Trump administration [2] - GSK's Specialty Medicines unit is a key growth driver, with sales rising 16% in the first nine months of 2025, supported by successful launches in Oncology and long-acting HIV medicines [4][6] Specialty Medicines Growth - The Specialty Medicines unit's sales growth is attributed to strong demand for new long-acting HIV medicines and oncology drugs, with key products like Nucala and Dovato contributing significantly [5][6] - GSK expects Specialty Medicines sales to grow at a mid-teens compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in 2025, up from previous low-teens expectations, and anticipates this segment will account for over 50% of total revenues by 2031 [6][26] Promising Pipeline - GSK is increasing R&D investments in long-acting and specialty medicines, with several recent drug approvals, including Penmenvy and Blujepa, expected to drive growth in the coming years [7][8] - The company plans to launch five new products/line extensions in 2025, with several already approved in the U.S. [12] Vaccine Sales Decline - GSK's vaccine sales in the U.S. have declined by 11% at constant exchange rates (CER) in 2025, primarily due to lower demand for its shingles and RSV vaccines [13][15] - Despite the decline in the U.S., sales of these vaccines have risen in Europe, indicating a mixed performance across regions [15] Stock Performance and Valuation - GSK's stock has outperformed the industry and the S&P 500, rising 43.1% year-to-date compared to an industry increase of 11.7% [17] - The stock is trading at a price/earnings ratio of 10.02, which is lower than the industry average of 16.31, indicating an attractive valuation [20] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GSK's earnings has increased from $4.38 to $4.49 per share for 2025, reflecting analysts' optimism about profit growth [23][24] - GSK expects to achieve over 7% sales growth and more than 11% core operating profit growth on a CAGR basis through 2026 [27]