Joining us now is Wendy Cutler, vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute. She's a former acting deputy at the US Trade Representatives Office and worked on negotiations including on the TPP deal and high level China talks. And Wendy, it's great to have you on the show.Welcome. Thank you. Um so, so let's start right there because we did see these deadlines for the cipal tariffs at least in terms of u the the companies for which these letters have gone out extended to August 1st.How much can get do ...

M Global Insight May 20, 2025 06:37 PM GMT Global Strategy Mid-Year Outlook All Eyes on US US risky and risk-free assets are attractive versus the RoW against a backdrop of a slowing but still expanding global economy despite policy uncertainty, along with deregulation and more rate cuts than priced in the markets. We are OW US equities, OW core fixed income, and expect a weaker dollar. Morgan Stanley does and seeks to do business with companies covered in Morgan Stanley Research. As a result, investors sho ...

Core Insights - The current global trade environment is marked by rising tariffs and tensions, prompting investors to seek stability in defensive sectors that are less impacted by economic fluctuations [1][2] - Large-cap biotech companies with a strong domestic focus, such as Gilead Sciences, Amgen, and AbbVie, are gaining attention as potential defensive investments due to their reliance on the U.S. market [2][3] Biotech Companies Overview - Gilead Sciences derives approximately 70.0% of its Q1 2025 product revenue from the U.S., Amgen generates about 74.7% of its Q4 2024 product sales domestically, and AbbVie obtains roughly 74.8% of its Q1 2025 net revenue from the United States [3][4] - The significant concentration of domestic sales provides a buffer against retaliatory tariffs and economic downturns, as demand for essential medicines tends to be inelastic [4][5] Financial Performance and Stability - Gilead Sciences has a market capitalization of around $132.66 billion, with a year-to-date stock gain of 15.3% and a low Beta of approximately 0.32, indicating defensive characteristics [11][13] - Amgen, valued at approximately $156.41 billion, reported a positive year-to-date performance of +11.6% and a Beta of 0.59, suggesting lower volatility [15][16] - AbbVie has a market capitalization of roughly $345.22 billion, achieving a 9.8% operational revenue increase in Q1 2025, with a forward P/E ratio of about 15.85 [18][19] Policy Environment - Recent U.S. government policy shifts are creating a supportive environment for domestic biotech companies, focusing on onshoring and reshoring manufacturing to enhance supply chain resilience [6][8] - Strategies include financial incentives, direct government investments, and prioritizing domestically produced medicines through 'Buy American' initiatives [7][8] Investment Appeal - The combination of strong cash flows, healthy dividends, and low Beta scores makes U.S.-focused biotech companies appealing during uncertain times [21][20] - Analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus on Gilead and AbbVie, while Amgen is rated as a Hold, reflecting confidence in their defensive qualities amidst market volatility [11][19][15]