We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Performing Biotech Stocks in 2024. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) stands against the other biotech stocks.
The Booming Biotechnology Sector
The biotechnology sector is expanding quickly due to rising demand for novel therapies, advancement in technology, and government assistance. New techniques are being made possible by advancements in fields like gene editing, sequencing, personalized medicine, and artificial intelligence, while the aging population and growing healthcare demands are driving a robust market for new treatments. Venture capital firms made approximately $52 billion in global investments in therapeutic-focused biotech companies between 2019 and 2021. Two-thirds of this sum was given to platform-tech start-up companies.
The worldwide biotechnology market was estimated to be valued at $1.38 trillion in 2023 and is projected to reach a valuation of approximately $4.25 trillion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8% from 2024 to 2024.
The U.S. biotechnology sector, in particular, was estimated to be worth $246.18 billion last year and is projected to reach about $830.31 billion at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6% from 2024 to 2034, according to previous research. The revenue proportion for Asia Pacific was 23.99%, whilst the revenue share for North America was 37.79%. The bioindustry application segment accounted for 24.33% of total revenue in 2023, while the biopharmacy segment held a 41.73% revenue share by application. For 2023, the tissue engineering and regeneration market is expected to account for 19.26% of total revenue.
Despite its potential, there are many risks associated with investing in biotech companies. With 90% of initiatives failing and drug development lasting more than ten years, the industry has a high failure rate. Businesses frequently face bankruptcy if they miss clinical trial endpoints or don’t have enough money before launching a product. As a result of its significant risks and growth potential, biotech is commonly considered a “high-risk, high-reward” investment.
Challenges and Opportunities Shaping the Future of Biotechnology
Biotech businesses have been further challenged by volatile market conditions, which have led several of them to reduce programs and lay off huge numbers of employees to save money. Although recent rate cuts may assist in resurrecting scientific initiatives, analysts like Jared Holz point out that it is still challenging to forecast their consequences. Holz also points out that the performance of biotech companies is increasingly matching that of small-cap stocks, indicating a change in market dynamics. Biotech may increase if small-cap stocks trade well, but stagnation could result from momentum loss. Interest rates and biotech success have a relatively recent relationship that emerged after the pandemic when enterprises with a therapeutic focus received a lot of investment.
Biotech companies are addressing significant unmet medical needs by developing novel therapies that are transforming healthcare. A major advancement is the creation of the National Bioeconomy Board as part of Biden’s Investing in America plan. It aims to optimize the economic potential of biotechnology in the US.
Additionally, the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology is developing policy recommendations to speed up the approval process for biotechnology products. Reducing barriers to entrance will enable more scholars to apply biotechnology to agriculture, which will help American farmers and improve food security. These projects are expected to create new markets.
Our Methodology
We selected biotech companies with the best year-to-date (YTD) performance and a market cap of at least $10 billion. This ensured our focus on larger, established firms. The companies were then ranked by their YTD performance as of December 21st to highlight the top performers.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
A microbiologist in protective gear studying samples in a laboratory.
Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX)
Total YTD Return: 131%
Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in innovative therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. The company is developing key compounds, including VK2735, a dual agonist targeting GLP-1 and GIP receptors for obesity; VK2809, a selective thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist for conditions like NASH and fibrosis; and VK0214, another thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist for treating X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD). The corporation aims to improve patients’ lives through cutting-edge metabolic research and development.
Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) recorded a net loss of $24.9 million, or $0.22 per share, in the third quarter of 2024, which was higher than in 2023. Higher R&D and general and administrative (G&A) costs were the primary causes of this loss increase. Due to comparable factors, the net loss for the nine months that ended on September 30, 2024, was $74.5 million, or $0.69 million per share.
The company’s R&D expenditures rose from $18.4 million in Q3 2023 to $22.8 million in Q3 2024 as a result of increasing costs for regulatory services, salaries, benefits, and drug manufacturing. Due in major part to stock-based compensation, legal and patent services, and third-party consulting, G&A expenses increased from $8.9 million to $13.8 million.
Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) greatly strengthened its financial position despite these increased costs. As of September 2024, its cash holdings were $930 million, up from $362 million at the end of 2023. Future and ongoing clinical trials will be supported by this increase in monetary reserves.
As of Q3 2024, 41 hedge funds held shares in the company, as tracked by the Insider Monkey database. The largest shareholder in the company was Artia Global Partners with shares worth $33.7 million. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) has received a consensus Strong Buy rating from analysts.
Overall VKTX ranks 3rd on our list of the best performing biotech stocks in 2024. While we acknowledge the potential of VKTX as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than VKTX but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
