We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Ligand (LGND) Signs Deal to Acquire Crystal Bioscience
Read MoreHide Full Article
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (LGND - Free Report) inked a deal to acquire Crystal Bioscience, Inc. for $25 million in cash. The company will also pay an additional $10.5 million to the shareholders of Crystal Bioscience on success-based milestones.
Additionally, Crystal Bioscience will share revenues from existing licensees for a defined period. Crystal Bioscience's core technology, HuMab, is a chicken-based antibody platform used to generate human antibodies. Consequently, Ligands shares have outperformed the industry year to date.
The stock has surged 36.4% compared with the industry’s gain of 14.6% in the same time frame.
Pursuant to the acquisition, the HuMab technology will become a a part of Ligand’s OmniAb brand and will be called OmniChicken. Notably, OmniAb is a patent-protected transgenic animal platform used in the discovery of fully human mono- and bispecific therapeutic antibodies. The technology was added to Ligand’s portfolio in January 2016, when the company acquired OMT, Inc., (Open Monoclonal Technology) for about $178 million. OmniAb has three distinct transgenic rodent systems for generating antibodies, OmniRat, OmniMouse and OmniFlic. While OmniRat is the industry’s first human monoclonal antibody technology based on rats, OmniFlic is an engineered rat with a fixed light chain for development of bispecific, fully human antibodies. OmniMouse is a transgenic mouse.
Hence, the addition of OmniChicken platform to Ligand’s OmniAb technology adds a third species for fully-humanized antibody discovery. Going forward, it is expected that OmniChicken technology will be utilized by some of Ligand’s existing OmniAb partners and potential new partners. The deal will add four fully-funded partnerships to Ligand’s business (Boehringer Ingelheim, Alexo Therapeutics, Achaogen and an undisclosed large pharmaceutical company).
Ligand anticipates Crystal Bioscience’s acquisition to contribute up to $1 million of revenue during the fourth quarter of 2017. Also, it expects total revenues for 2017 to be at least $134 million compared with the previous guidance of $133 million.
However, the company reiterated its guidance to receive additional contract revenues of approximately $9 millionfor 2017. With revenues of $134 million, Ligand’s outlook for the adjusted earnings per share remained unchanged at $2.93 for the current year.
For 2018, Ligand expects this latest buyout to contribute at least $5 million and incremental earnings of at least 9 cents.
ACADIA’s loss per share estimates have narrowed from $2.82 to $2.53 for 2017 and from $2.07 to $1.87 for 2018 over the last 60 days. The company delivered positive earnings surprises in two of the trailing four quarters with an average beat of 7.97%. Share price of the company has climbed 35.7% year to date.
Biogen’s earnings per share estimates have moved up $21.37 to $21.42 for 2017 and from $23.11 to $23.23 for 2018 over the last 60 days. The company pulled off positive earnings surprises in all the trailing four quarters, with an average beat of 6.41%. The share price of the company has increased 11% year to date.
Aduro’s loss estimates per share have narrowed from $1.36 to $1.29 for 2017 over last 60 days. The company came up with positive earnings surprises in two of the trailing four quarters, with an average beat of 2.53%.
4 Stocks to Watch after the Massive Equifax Hack
Cybersecurity stocks spiked on recent news of a data breach affecting 143 million Americans. But which stocks are the best buy candidates right now? And what does the future hold for the cybersecurity industry?
Equifax is just the most recent victim. Computer hacking and identity theft are more common than ever. Zacks has just released Cybersecurity! An Investor’s Guide to inform Zacks.com readers about this $170 billion/year space. More importantly, it highlights 4 cybersecurity picks with strong profit potential.
Image: Bigstock
Ligand (LGND) Signs Deal to Acquire Crystal Bioscience
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (LGND - Free Report) inked a deal to acquire Crystal Bioscience, Inc. for $25 million in cash. The company will also pay an additional $10.5 million to the shareholders of Crystal Bioscience on success-based milestones.
Additionally, Crystal Bioscience will share revenues from existing licensees for a defined period. Crystal Bioscience's core technology, HuMab, is a chicken-based antibody platform used to generate human antibodies.
Consequently, Ligands shares have outperformed the industry year to date.
The stock has surged 36.4% compared with the industry’s gain of 14.6% in the same time frame.
Pursuant to the acquisition, the HuMab technology will become a a part of Ligand’s OmniAb brand and will be called OmniChicken. Notably, OmniAb is a patent-protected transgenic animal platform used in the discovery of fully human mono- and bispecific therapeutic antibodies. The technology was added to Ligand’s portfolio in January 2016, when the company acquired OMT, Inc., (Open Monoclonal Technology) for about $178 million.
OmniAb has three distinct transgenic rodent systems for generating antibodies, OmniRat, OmniMouse and OmniFlic. While OmniRat is the industry’s first human monoclonal antibody technology based on rats, OmniFlic is an engineered rat with a fixed light chain for development of bispecific, fully human antibodies. OmniMouse is a transgenic mouse.
Hence, the addition of OmniChicken platform to Ligand’s OmniAb technology adds a third species for fully-humanized antibody discovery.
Going forward, it is expected that OmniChicken technology will be utilized by some of Ligand’s existing OmniAb partners and potential new partners. The deal will add four fully-funded partnerships to Ligand’s business (Boehringer Ingelheim, Alexo Therapeutics, Achaogen and an undisclosed large pharmaceutical company).
Ligand anticipates Crystal Bioscience’s acquisition to contribute up to $1 million of revenue during the fourth quarter of 2017. Also, it expects total revenues for 2017 to be at least $134 million compared with the previous guidance of $133 million.
However, the company reiterated its guidance to receive additional contract revenues of approximately $9 millionfor 2017. With revenues of $134 million, Ligand’s outlook for the adjusted earnings per share remained unchanged at $2.93 for the current year.
For 2018, Ligand expects this latest buyout to contribute at least $5 million and incremental earnings of at least 9 cents.
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated Price
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated Price | Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated Quote
Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider
Ligand carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in health care sector include ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ACAD - Free Report) , Biogen Inc. (BIIB - Free Report) and Aduro BioTech, Inc. , each holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
ACADIA’s loss per share estimates have narrowed from $2.82 to $2.53 for 2017 and from $2.07 to $1.87 for 2018 over the last 60 days. The company delivered positive earnings surprises in two of the trailing four quarters with an average beat of 7.97%. Share price of the company has climbed 35.7% year to date.
Biogen’s earnings per share estimates have moved up $21.37 to $21.42 for 2017 and from $23.11 to $23.23 for 2018 over the last 60 days. The company pulled off positive earnings surprises in all the trailing four quarters, with an average beat of 6.41%. The share price of the company has increased 11% year to date.
Aduro’s loss estimates per share have narrowed from $1.36 to $1.29 for 2017 over last 60 days. The company came up with positive earnings surprises in two of the trailing four quarters, with an average beat of 2.53%.
4 Stocks to Watch after the Massive Equifax Hack
Cybersecurity stocks spiked on recent news of a data breach affecting 143 million Americans. But which stocks are the best buy candidates right now? And what does the future hold for the cybersecurity industry?
Equifax is just the most recent victim. Computer hacking and identity theft are more common than ever. Zacks has just released Cybersecurity! An Investor’s Guide to inform Zacks.com readers about this $170 billion/year space. More importantly, it highlights 4 cybersecurity picks with strong profit potential.
Get the new Investing Guide now>>