We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
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.
SNY Stock Falls After Board Suddenly Makes Leadership Change
Read MoreHide Full Article
Key Takeaways
Sanofi removed current CEO Paul Hudson and named Belen Garijo as his successor, effective April 29, 2026.
SNY tasks Belen Garijo with boosting R&D productivity, governance and innovation, aiming for a turnaround.
SNY stock fell as investors remain skeptical about whether Garijo can lead R&D and pipeline progress.
Shares of Sanofi (SNY - Free Report) were down 4.5% on Feb. 12, after the company announced that it has chosen not to renew the mandate of its current chief executive officer (CEO), Paul Hudson. The board has appointed Belén Garijo as the new CEO, effective April 29, 2026. She will be the first woman to lead the French drugmaker.
Paul Hudson’s last day at the helm of Sanofi will be Feb. 17, 2026. Olivier Charmeil, the company’s current executive vice president, General Medicines, will serve as the interim CEO before Garijo takes over.
Garijo joined Merck KGaA in 2011 and took over as CEO in 2021, becoming the first woman to lead a German company. A Spanish national, she previously worked in a hospital before moving into pharma, holding roles at Abbott Laboratories and later at Sanofi, where she served on the executive committee.
Per some market reports, Sanofi’s sudden move to appoint Belén Garijo as its new CEO did not sit well with investors, as she lacks a proven track record to run big companies.
SNY’s Price Performance
In the past six months, shares of Sanofi have declined 4.1% against the industry’s increase of 28.4%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Why the Sudden CEO Change & What it Means for SNY
Sanofi is one of the largest and most renowned vaccine makers in the world. The company also holds a blockbuster immunology drug, Dupixent, which has been its growth engine over the years. SNY expects Dupixent to achieve around €22 billion in sales in 2030.
However, it can be inferred that under Paul Hudson, the company might have been lagging in its research and development (R&D) efforts and pipeline innovation, which in a way marked an abrupt end to his tenure as the CEO of Sanofi.
Coupled with the competition in the vaccines segment, the company also faced some major pipeline setbacks in recent times, which have clouded long-term growth visibility. The company also lagged in mergers and acquisitions compared to its peers, which could have added marketed drugs to its commercial portfolio and helped diversify. These challenges may have prompted the board to opt for a leadership reset.
Though markets remain skeptical, upon her appointment, Garijo’s priority will be to improve productivity, governance and innovation in R&D for Sanofi. It remains to be seen whether this transition leads to a turnaround or prolongs uncertainty, especially in R&D efforts, which will likely shape the company’s long-term growth prospects.
Over the past 60 days, Immunocore’s 2026 loss per share estimates have narrowed from 97 cents to 90 cents. IMCR shares have lost 3.7% over the past six months.
Immunocore earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in the remaining one, with the average earnings surprise being 53.96%.
Over the past 60 days, estimates for Alkermes’ 2026 earnings per share have increased from $1.54 to $1.91. ALKS shares have risen 16.2% over the past six months.
Alkermes’ earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in the remaining one, with the average earnings surprise being 4.58%.
Over the past 60 days, Castle Biosciences’ 2026 loss per share estimates have narrowed from $1.06 to 96 cents. CSTL shares have rallied 64.7% over the past six months.
Castle Biosciences’ earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in the remaining one, with the average surprise being 66.11%.
Zacks' 7 Best Strong Buy Stocks (New Research Report)
Valued at $99, click below to receive our just-released report
predicting the 7 stocks that will soar highest in the coming month.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
Image: Bigstock
SNY Stock Falls After Board Suddenly Makes Leadership Change
Key Takeaways
Shares of Sanofi (SNY - Free Report) were down 4.5% on Feb. 12, after the company announced that it has chosen not to renew the mandate of its current chief executive officer (CEO), Paul Hudson. The board has appointed Belén Garijo as the new CEO, effective April 29, 2026. She will be the first woman to lead the French drugmaker.
Paul Hudson’s last day at the helm of Sanofi will be Feb. 17, 2026. Olivier Charmeil, the company’s current executive vice president, General Medicines, will serve as the interim CEO before Garijo takes over.
Garijo joined Merck KGaA in 2011 and took over as CEO in 2021, becoming the first woman to lead a German company. A Spanish national, she previously worked in a hospital before moving into pharma, holding roles at Abbott Laboratories and later at Sanofi, where she served on the executive committee.
Per some market reports, Sanofi’s sudden move to appoint Belén Garijo as its new CEO did not sit well with investors, as she lacks a proven track record to run big companies.
SNY’s Price Performance
In the past six months, shares of Sanofi have declined 4.1% against the industry’s increase of 28.4%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Why the Sudden CEO Change & What it Means for SNY
Sanofi is one of the largest and most renowned vaccine makers in the world. The company also holds a blockbuster immunology drug, Dupixent, which has been its growth engine over the years. SNY expects Dupixent to achieve around €22 billion in sales in 2030.
However, it can be inferred that under Paul Hudson, the company might have been lagging in its research and development (R&D) efforts and pipeline innovation, which in a way marked an abrupt end to his tenure as the CEO of Sanofi.
Coupled with the competition in the vaccines segment, the company also faced some major pipeline setbacks in recent times, which have clouded long-term growth visibility. The company also lagged in mergers and acquisitions compared to its peers, which could have added marketed drugs to its commercial portfolio and helped diversify. These challenges may have prompted the board to opt for a leadership reset.
Though markets remain skeptical, upon her appointment, Garijo’s priority will be to improve productivity, governance and innovation in R&D for Sanofi. It remains to be seen whether this transition leads to a turnaround or prolongs uncertainty, especially in R&D efforts, which will likely shape the company’s long-term growth prospects.
Sanofi Price
Sanofi price | Sanofi Quote
SNY's Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider
Sanofi currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the biotech sector are Immunocore (IMCR - Free Report) , Alkermes (ALKS - Free Report) and Castle Biosciences (CSTL - Free Report) , each currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Over the past 60 days, Immunocore’s 2026 loss per share estimates have narrowed from 97 cents to 90 cents. IMCR shares have lost 3.7% over the past six months.
Immunocore earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in the remaining one, with the average earnings surprise being 53.96%.
Over the past 60 days, estimates for Alkermes’ 2026 earnings per share have increased from $1.54 to $1.91. ALKS shares have risen 16.2% over the past six months.
Alkermes’ earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in the remaining one, with the average earnings surprise being 4.58%.
Over the past 60 days, Castle Biosciences’ 2026 loss per share estimates have narrowed from $1.06 to 96 cents. CSTL shares have rallied 64.7% over the past six months.
Castle Biosciences’ earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in the remaining one, with the average surprise being 66.11%.