Pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts (ESRX), which I first wrote about on June 9, 2009, at a 2-for-1 split-adjusted price of $31.82, zipped through major, psychological resistance at $50 this winter. It pushed $59, before pulling back slightly, but I obviously still like the business model at this juncture.

Look for the company's 2011 revenue to rise 3% to 5% on new accounts and the NextRx PBM purchase, after a nearly doubling of revenue in 2010.

Continue reading Has the Express Scripts Pullback Created an Opportunity?

Has the Express Scripts Pullback Created an Opportunity? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Verizon (VZ) to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• CSX (CSX) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• AK Steel (AKS) to overweight from neutral, as well as Lorillard (LO) and Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) to neutral from underweight, at JPMorgan.
• Marathon Oil (MRO) to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Corning (GLW) to buy from outperform at CLSA.
• Quest Diagnostics (DGX) to buy from hold at Jefferies and to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Salesforce.com (CRM) to buy from neutral at Roth Capital.
• Baker Hughes (BHI) to buy from hold at Weeden and to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Western Digital (WDC) and Seagate (STX) to buy from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AKS, CIEN, CRM, CSX, DGX, GLW, LO, MRO, OXY, STX, VZ ...

Analyst Calls: AKS, CIEN, CRM, CSX, DGX, GLW, LO, MRO, OXY, STX, VZ ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The positive story continues with pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts Inc. (ESRX), which I first wrote about on June 9, 2009, at a 2-for-1, split-adjusted price of $31.82.

In fact, the uptrend has been so impressive, Express traded near $56 on Friday, those in since June 2009 may wish to consider taking some profits off the table, to say the least. It never hurts a portfolio to take a portion of a roughly 80% gain.

Continue reading Express Scripts Keeps Rolling Along

Express Scripts Keeps Rolling Along originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The shares of pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts (ESRX), which I first wrote about on June 9, 2009, at a 2-for-1 split-adjusted price of $31.82, remains a play with promise.

Express's 2010 revenue will likely vault more than 80% on new accounts and the NextRx PBM purchase. Express is in a "prescription sweetspot" of sorts: an aging populace, plus a likely renewed emphasis on health and wellness in the United States, and the possibility of federal, health care reform legislation, bodes well for many health care players, and pharmacy benefits managers.

Continue reading Express Scripts: Well-Positioned for Earnings Growth

Express Scripts: Well-Positioned for Earnings Growth originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) are the main distributors of drugs to retail pharmacies and directly to consumers; in our view, the PBM sector is a must-have health care area for investors," says Stephen Leeb.

The editor of The Complete Investor explains, "Express Scripts (ESRX) is a leading and fast-growing pure-play PBM that has been generating impressive results and is undervalued relative to the industry.

"One striking health care trend in recent years has been a dramatic rise in prescriptions. For the 10 years ended in 2009, according to a government study, the number of prescription drugs dispensed in the U.S. rose 39 percent, while U.S. population growth was just 9 percent.

Continue reading Express Scripts (ESRX): Prescription for Profits

Express Scripts (ESRX): Prescription for Profits originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Express Scripts Rises Ahead of 2:1 Split

Express Scripts Rises Ahead of 2:1 Split originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Now that health care reform is a done deal, with the ink from President Obama's signature yesterday still drying, it's time to talk about how to profit from the new legislation.

I know many parts of the legislation may not sit well with some of you -- whether it be the taxes on dividends used to pay for reforms or the general idea of Uncle Sam getting deeper into entitlement spending even as businesses are generally reducing their debt loads. But what's done is done and there's no use grousing about it. As investors, it's not our job to judge how good or bad the news is but only to judge how to cash in.

Continue reading The Top Investing Mistake After Health Care Reform

The Top Investing Mistake After Health Care Reform originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Express Scripts' Shares Are Headed North

Express Scripts' Shares Are Headed North originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Express Scripts' train is leaving the station

Express Scripts' train is leaving the station originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Consider Express Scripts, unless you think health care reform will lead to fewer Americans with insurance

Consider Express Scripts, unless you think health care reform will lead to fewer Americans with insurance originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Consider Express Scripts, because the spoils go to the pharmacy benefits managers

Consider Express Scripts, because the spoils go to the pharmacy benefits managers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

An active pharmacy benefits manager should smooth the path between patients and their prescription medications. There is an outfit in St Louis that handles the job well. It was the recipient of Fortune's first-ever "Streetie Award" for the best overall performance by any company.

Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) is one of the largest pharmacy benefit management companies in North America, serving over 50 million members through managed-care organizations, insurance carriers, employers and workers compensation groups. Services include network-pharmacy claims processing, formulary management, home delivery services, drug-utilization review, disease management and medical-data analysis services. The company also distributes a full range of injectable and infusion biopharmaceutical products directly to patients.

Continue reading Express Scripts (ESRX) shares advancing through a positive trading channel

Express Scripts (ESRX) shares advancing through a positive trading channel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Express Scripts (ESRX) hurt by Walgreen (WAG) earnings miss originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Deutsche Bank upgraded GlaxoSmithKline plc (NYSE: GSK) to Buy from Hold.

• Express Scripts Inc (NASDAQ: ESRX) was upgraded to Strong Buy from Buy with a $113 target at First Albany, following the stronger-than-expected first quarter results.

• SanDisk Corp (NASDAQ: SNDK) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.

• Halliburton Co (NASDAQ: HAL) was added to AG Edwards Focus Portfolio. The firm believes Halliburton trades at a great discount to its largest peer, Schlumberger Ltd (SLB), despite an improved earnings outlook and progress on several issues.

• Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Gabelli to reflect strong first quarter results and valuation. Piper Jaffray upgraded shares of Texas Instruments to Outperform from Market Perform...
  

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded shares of BancFirst Corp (NASDAQ: BANF) to Market Perform from Underperform following its first quarter report.

• Raymond James raised Cardinal Health, Inc (NYSE: CAH) to Outperform from Market Perform.

• Matrix USA raised H.B. Fuller Co (NYSE: FUL) to Hold from Sell based on the company's sales growth.

• Baird raised Snap-on Inc (NYSE: SNA) rating to Outperform from Neutral with a $55 target.

• Bear Stearns upgraded shares of Cummins Inc (NYSE: CMI) to Peer Perform from Underperform.

Analyst upgrades 4-24-07: CAH, HAL, SNDK and TXN upgraded today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 24 Apr 2007 11:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• CIBC is positive on the pharmacy benefit managers group given increasing generic utilization, continued growth in specialty pharmacy, improving mail-order penetration and share repurchases. CIBC initiated Express Scripts, Inc (NASDAQ: ESRX) with a Sector Outperformer and $104 target as the firm expects continued strong performance as the company benefits from positive secular industry trends, and initiated Medco Health Solutions (NYSE: MHS) with a Sector Performer and $82 target on valuation.
• BMO capital started E*Trade Financial Corp (NASDAQ: ETFC) and TD Ameritrade Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: AMTD) with Outperform ratings.
• Cathay Financial started J.B. Hunt Transport (NASDAQ: JBHT) and Knight Transportation (NYSE: KNX) with Neutral ratings.

• BMO started Charles Schwab Corp (NASDAQ: SCHW) with a Market Perform rating
• Citigroup started NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) with a Buy rating and $113 target.
• AG Edwards initiated shares of La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co (NASDAQ: LJPC) with a Buy rating and $11 price objective.

Analyst initiations 4-10-07: ESRX, JBHT and NYX were initiated today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Citigroup upgraded ABN Amro Holding NV (NYSE: ABN) to Hold from Sell as the firm believes value can be realized by breaking the company up and selling units to top bidders.

• UBS upgraded both Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ: WERN) and Affiliated Computer Services to Neutral from Reduce, based on valuation.

• Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Leerink Swann.

• JP Morgan upgraded Clorox Co (NYSE: CLX) to Overweight from Neutral.

• Bank of America upgraded shares of Tiffany & Co (NYSE: TIF) to Buy from Neutral with a $52 target. The firm believes Tiffany can improve profitability through better operations, efficiency and downside protection from the strong luxury cycle.

• Credit Suisse added Office Depot, Inc (NYSE: ODP) to its U.S. Focus List. The firm believes that Office Depot has the most attractive risk/reward profile in the industry and sees limited downside risk given recent weakness and reduced investor expectations.

• Kaufman upgraded Best Buy Co, Inc (NYSE: BBY) to Buy from Hold with a $59 target.

• Goldman Sachs upgraded Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) to Buy from Neutral with a $33 target, citing valuation.

• Lehman Brothers upgraded Cadbury Schweppes plc (NYSE: CSG) to Overweight from Equal Weight.

Analyst upgrades 3-21-07: Tiffany & Co, Best Buy & Office Depot all upgraded today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• CIBC upgraded shares of SanDisk Corp (NASDAQ: SNDK) to Sector Outperformer from Sector Performer with a $50 target. The firm finds the risk/reward compelling due to a rebounding NAND outlook for Q4 and 2008 and the probability of Hynix signing a watershed licensing deal.

• Matrix USA upgraded Cabela's Inc (NYSE: CAB) Inc to Hold from Sell as retail operations have improved, providing a boost to fundamental trends.

• JP Morgan upgraded shares of Knightsbridge Tankers (NASDAQ: VLCCF) Ltd to Neutral from Underweight based on valuation and increased time-charter contract coverage.

• Merrill Lynch upgraded Gilead Sciences, Inc (NASDAQ: GILD) to Buy from Neutral to reflect improved prospects for long-term growth of the company's HIV-franchise.

• UBS resumed coverage of Express Scripts, Inc (NASDAQ: ESRX) with a Buy rating, up from its previous Neutral rating.

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Valspar Corp (NYSE: VAL) with a Buy from Hold and $34 target.

• HSBC upgraded Dow Chemical Co (NYSE: DOW) to Overweight from Neutral as the firm believes a joint venture with Reliance could trigger a valuation re-rating with a higher multiple, offsetting any EPS dilution.

• Caris upgraded Seagate Technology (NYSE: STX) to Above Average from Average as the firm believes Seagate has too many structural advantages over the competition.

• Buckingham upgraded TJX Cos (NYSE: TJX) to Strong Buy from Accumulate with a $33 target.

• Lehman Brothers upgraded Volkswagen ADS (OTC: VLKAY) to Equal-Weight from Underweight.

Analyst upgrades 3-20-07: Gilead Sciences & Express Scripts upgraded today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

At long last, the CVS (NYSE: CVS), Caremark Rx (NYSE: CMX), Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) menage-a-trois has been settled. CVS will acquire Caremark Rx for $26.5 billion. Bidding for Caremark Rx by both Express Scripts and CVS has been going on in public for several months. Due to pressure from Express Scripts, which had sought to acquire Caremark Rx to form a huge pharmacy-benefits management company, CVS will pay a hefty premium after sweetening the deal on three separate occasions to beat back acquisition overtures from Express Scripts. Up to the proverbial last minute, Express Scripts insisted it would meet or exceed any CVS offer if only Caremark Rx would be more forthcoming with company information. According to Dinah Brin of The Wall Street Journal, Express Scripts had offered 0.426 of its own shares plus $29.95 in cash for each Caremark share. It also agreed to a penny per share daily fee during the closing period. Federal antitrust regulators had concerns about this deal, which again opened the door for another offer by CVS.

CVS will pay 1.67 of its own shares plus $7.50 in cash for each Caremark share. CVS shareholders will own 54.5% of the new company, while Caremark Rx shareholders will own 45.5 %. CVS had argued in print that the Express Scripts' proposal would create a company that was so highly leveraged it would rate a "junk" credit rating. Also, the combined Express Scripts-Caremark company would be many times larger than any deal Express Scripts had previously negotiated. It would be very difficult for Express Scripts to integrate Caremark into a combined company.

Express Scripts management had argued that both Express Scripts and Caremark are pharmacy-benefits management companies, whereas CVS is a drug retailer trying to acquire a pharmacy-benefits company it does not understand and will not know how to run.

CVS and Caremark management estimated half a billion dollars in cost savings annually from the combined company, with annual revenues closing in on close to $1 billion by some optimistic estimates. The combined company hopes to use its size to increase bargaining power against Walgreen Company (NYSE: WAG), Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS), the nation's largest pharmacy-benefits management company.

CVS finally acquires Caremark originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Mar 2007 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• CVS Corp (NYSE: CVS) was reinstated at Credit Suisse with an Outperform and at JP Morgan with Neutral ratings.

• Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) was reinstated at Credit Suisse with an Outperform rating, up from its Neutral rating, and resumed at Bank of America with a Buy rating. JP Morgan reinstated Express Scripts share with an Overweight rating.

• Goodrich Petroleum (NYSE: GDP) was initiated with an Overweight rating at JP Morgan.

• Jefferies initiated Cellcom Israel Ltd (NYSE: CEL) with a Buy rating and $21 target.

• CIBC initiated 3SBio Inc (NASDAQ: SSRX) with a Sector Outperformer rating and $17 target; the firm said 3SBio Inc offers the broadest range of BioGenerics in the Chinese market and views the company as an execution story and country play.

• Cowen started G-III Apparel Group, Ltd (NASDAQ: GIII) with an Outperform rating based on expectations of market share growth to be driven by new brands and products.

• BMO Capital Markets expects Riverbed Technology, Inc (NASDAQ: RVBD) with a Market Perform rating.

• Lazard started Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp (NASDAQ: SNTA) with a Buy rating; Bear Stearns initiated shares of Synta with an Outperform rating.

Analyst initiations 3-19-07: CVS Corp reinstated at JP Morgan & Credit Suisse originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Mar 2007 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The battle for Caremark continues originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Mar 2007 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.