8 January 2026 | 5:01AM EST Equity Research Americas Healthcare: Biotechnology: Constructive backdrop for 2026 Following strong performance for the sector exiting 2025 (XBI +35% vs. S&P 500 +16%), driven by the convergence of a number of key factors, notably, broader market dynamics (e.g., macro/AI-trade rotations and rates), easing policy risks (e.g., Most-Favored-Nations (MFN) drug pricing deals), and improving fundamentals (e.g., stable/upward large-cap estimate revisions and SMID catalyst execution), we ...

Could the tide be turning for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN) after a surprising shift in analyst sentiment?As investors digest the latest upgrade, what factors are driving this newfound optimism for the biotech giant?Bank of America (BofA) Securities on Wednesday upgraded Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, citing several factors, including higher sales for key products.Analyst Tazeen Ahmad upgraded Regeneron from Underperform to Buy, and raised the price forecast from $627 to $860.BofA's prior Underpe ...

Core Viewpoint - BofA Securities upgraded Regeneron Pharmaceuticals from Underperform to Buy and raised its price target to $860.00 from $627.00, leading to a more than 2% increase in stock price during pre-market trading [1] Group 1: Eylea and Dupixent Outlook - BofA's previous bearish stance on Eylea SD has largely played out, with consensus expectations declining [2] - The firm is more optimistic about Eylea HD following multiple label updates, with estimates now significantly above consensus [2] - Additional growth potential is anticipated from Dupixent, which is marketed in partnership with Sanofi [2] Group 2: Pipeline and Future Catalysts - The analyst pointed out pipeline optionality for 2026, including a Phase 3 melanoma readout for fianlimab, a LAG-3 antibody, expected in the first half of the year [3] - Potential positive updates at a competitor conference in January are seen as another catalyst for Regeneron [3] - BofA expects a favorable outcome from Regeneron's MFN agreement with the White House, which may alleviate any remaining MFN-related concerns, including a likely exemption from MFN CMMI demonstration projects [3]

Tarrytown, New York-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (REGN) discovers, invents, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines for treating various diseases. Valued at $81.6 billion by market cap, the company's portfolio boasts nine marketed drugs - Eylea, Dupixent, Praluent, Kevzara, Evkeeza, Libtayo, Inmazeb, Arcalyst, and Zaltrap. The biotechnology company is expected to announce its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings for 2025 before the market opens on Friday, Jan. 30. Ahead of the event, anal ...

Core Insights - The medical sector is increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI), enhancing drug synthesis, device creation, and diagnostic accuracy [2][3] Group 1: Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY) - Eli Lilly focuses on cardiometabolic health, neuroscience, oncology, and immunology, which are high-growth areas with significant commercial potential [5] - Demand for LLY's GLP-1 drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound, remains strong, contributing to robust sales in 2025 [6] - LLY is advancing its pipeline with an oral GLP-1 obesity pill, orforglipron, expected to launch next year [7] - Eli Lilly is collaborating with OpenAI for novel medicine discovery and invested $409 million in Genetic Leap for AI-driven drug discovery [7] - The company is building a supercomputer with NVIDIA to enhance its AI capabilities, with expected revenue and earnings growth rates of 22.3% and 41.3% respectively for the current year [8] - LLY has a return on equity (ROE) of 109.5%, significantly higher than the industry average of 37% [9] Group 2: Medtronic plc (MDT) - Medtronic is integrating AI into its solutions to improve patient care and operational efficiency, including an AI-powered surgical video management platform [10] - The GI Genius project enhances colorectal cancer detection, increasing survival rates by identifying polyps that may be missed [11] - Medtronic's partnerships leverage AI to optimize cardiac procedures and improve diagnostic precision, driving growth in the medtech sector [12] - The company has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 7.5% and 2.7% respectively for the current year [14] - MDT has a ROE of 14.9%, outperforming the industry average of -2.5% [14] Group 3: Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG) - Intuitive Surgical is embedding AI into its robotic systems, providing objective performance indicators for surgeons [15] - The company is piloting telecollaboration for remote surgical support, enhancing training and decision-making [16] - ISRG's revenue and earnings growth rates are expected to be 14.3% and 11.1% respectively for the current year [19] - ISRG has a ROE of 15.1%, compared to the industry's ROE of -18.7% [19] Group 4: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (REGN) - Regeneron utilizes AI and machine learning for drug target identification, clinical trial optimization, and precision medicine [20] - The company has seen revenue growth driven by strong performance from Dupixent and Libtayo, despite declining sales of Eylea [21] - REGN's expected revenue and earnings growth rates are 4.9% and -0.4% respectively for the current year [23] - REGN has a ROE of 13.8%, significantly higher than the industry's ROE of -65.41% [23] Group 5: Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) - Johnson & Johnson's MedTech division is focused on AI technologies for surgical robotics and digital surgery analytics [24] - The company has developed the Ottava robotic surgery platform and the Caresurgical/VELYS digital surgery systems, enhancing procedure planning [25] - JNJ has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 5% and 5.7% respectively for the current year [26] - JNJ has a ROE of 32.7%, compared to the industry's ROE of 37% [26]

Core Insights - The medical sector is rapidly adopting artificial intelligence (AI), significantly transforming diagnostics, treatment, and operational efficiency in 2024 [1] - AI-powered diagnostics have become central to enhancing accuracy and speed in medical practices [1] Group 1: AI Adoption in Healthcare - The healthcare sector is typically defensive, characterized by low-beta and dividend-paying stocks, but AI has turned several stocks into potential high-growth providers [2] - Key stocks benefiting from AI integration include Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY), Medtronic plc (MDT), Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (REGN), and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) [2] Group 2: Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY) - Eli Lilly focuses on cardiometabolic health, neuroscience, oncology, and immunology, which are high-growth areas with significant commercial potential [5] - Strong demand for LLY's GLP-1 drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound, is driving top-line growth, supported by international market launches and increased production [6] - LLY is advancing its pipeline in obesity and diabetes, with an oral GLP-1 obesity pill expected to launch next year [7] - The company is collaborating with OpenAI and investing in AI-driven biotech initiatives, including a $409 million investment in Genetic Leap [9] - LLY has an expected revenue growth rate of 22.3% and earnings growth rate of 41.3% for the current year, with a beta of 0.35 and a dividend yield of 0.6% [9][10] Group 3: Medtronic plc (MDT) - Medtronic is integrating AI into its surgical systems and endoscopy to enhance patient care and operational efficiency [11] - The GI Genius project uses AI algorithms to detect colorectal polyps during colonoscopies, improving cancer survival rates [12] - MDT's partnerships leverage AI to optimize cardiac procedures and improve diagnostic precision, positioning the company for growth in medtech innovation [13] - Medtronic has an expected revenue growth rate of 7.5% and earnings growth rate of 2.7% for the current year, with a beta of 0.71 and a dividend yield of 3% [15] Group 4: Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG) - Intuitive Surgical is embedding AI and digital tools into its robotic ecosystem, enhancing surgical performance metrics [16] - The company is piloting telecollaboration through Intuitive Telepresence, allowing remote surgical support [17] - ISRG has an expected revenue growth rate of 14.3% and earnings growth rate of 11.1% for the current year, with a beta of 0.39 and an ROE of 15.1% [20] Group 5: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (REGN) - Regeneron utilizes AI and machine learning for drug target identification, clinical trial optimization, and precision medicine [21] - The company has seen revenue growth driven by strong performance from drugs like Eylea HD and Dupixent, despite declining sales of its lead drug [22] - REGN has an expected revenue growth rate of 4.9% and earnings growth rate of -0.4% for the current year, with a beta of 0.39 and a dividend yield of 0.5% [24] Group 6: Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) - Johnson & Johnson's MedTech division applies AI technologies for surgical robotics and digital surgery analytics [25] - The company has developed the Ottava robotic surgery platform and the Caresurgical/VELYS digital surgery systems, enhancing procedure planning and real-time data sharing [26] - JNJ has an expected revenue growth rate of 5% and earnings growth rate of 5.7% for the current year, with a beta of 0.34 and a dividend yield of 2.5% [27]

Core Insights - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) has experienced a strong performance over the past six months, with shares rising 41%, significantly outperforming the industry growth of 22.4% [1][9] - The stock reached a 52-week high of $792.77 on December 24, 2025, indicating robust investor sentiment [1][9] Pipeline and Regulatory Developments - Positive developments in Regeneron's pipeline, particularly the FDA approval of Eylea HD for treating macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO), have bolstered investor confidence [5][9] - Eylea HD sales in the U.S. increased by 10% in Q3 2025, driven by higher volumes and demand, which is crucial as Eylea faces competition from Roche's Vabysmo [10][11] Oncology Portfolio Growth - Regeneron's oncology franchise, led by the PD-1 inhibitor Libtayo, generated $1.03 billion in sales during the first nine months of 2025, reflecting a 21% year-over-year increase [13] - Recent label expansions for Libtayo in Europe and the U.S. enhance its market position and support long-term growth in oncology [14][15] - The FDA's accelerated approval of linvoseltamab-gcpt for multiple myeloma and Ordspono for lymphoma further strengthens Regeneron's oncology portfolio [16][17] Dupixent Sales and Market Expansion - Dupixent continues to be a significant revenue driver for Regeneron, with ongoing label expansions contributing to strong sales growth [18][23] - The recent approval for Dupixent to treat chronic spontaneous urticaria in patients aged 12 and above highlights its expanding market potential [19] Financial Performance and Valuation - Regeneron's shares currently trade at a price/earnings ratio of 22.21X forward earnings, higher than its historical mean of 19X and the large-cap pharma industry's average of 19.26X [20] - The bottom-line estimate for 2025 has decreased, while the estimate for 2026 has increased by $1.97, indicating mixed expectations for future performance [21] Strategic Outlook - Regeneron is diversifying its revenue streams through its oncology portfolio and ongoing label expansions for Dupixent, which reduces reliance on any single product [23] - The company is also exploring opportunities in the obesity market, having entered into an in-licensing agreement to expand its pipeline [24] - Recent positive momentum in the pipeline and regulatory developments has improved the overall outlook for Regeneron, making it an attractive investment opportunity [25]

Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) is included among the 15 Global Dividend Stocks to Diversify Your Portfolio. Delayed MS Decision and Trial Miss Add to Sanofi’s R&D Challenges Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) said on December 15 that a US regulatory decision for its experimental multiple sclerosis drug will be delayed again. On the same day, the company also disclosed weaker-than-expected results from a late-stage clinical study, adding to a difficult stretch for its research pipeline. Analysts said the latest setbacks could we ...

Acquisition Details - Sanofi will acquire Dynavax Technologies for approximately $2.2 billion (1.9 billion euros), gaining access to an approved hepatitis B vaccine [1] - The acquisition price is set at $15.50 per share, representing a 39% premium over Dynavax's closing price of $11.13 [3] - Sanofi expects to finalize the acquisition in the first quarter of 2026 and will utilize available cash for the transaction [3] Strategic Context - This acquisition is part of Sanofi's strategy to diversify growth beyond its leading asthma drug Dupixent, following other significant acquisitions in 2023, including Vicebio for $1.5 billion and BluePrint Medicines for up to $9.5 billion [2] - The deal is aimed at expanding Sanofi's vaccine portfolio amid declining vaccination rates in the U.S. and recent policy changes affecting vaccine funding and recommendations [4][5] Market Implications - The acquisition will provide Sanofi with access to an experimental shingles vaccine currently in early-stage testing, which analysts believe could enhance the company's market position [6] - The shingles vaccine market is significant, with GSK's Shringix projected to achieve sales of 4 billion euros this year [6] Regulatory Challenges - Separately, Sanofi faced a setback as the U.S. FDA declined to approve its experimental drug tolebrutinib for multiple sclerosis, highlighting ongoing regulatory challenges for the company [7]

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:REGN).And retail traders should know.We noticed this today when the positions showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with REGN, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 13 options trades for Regene ...