Editor’s Note: Related tickers: VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS), Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARNA), Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN), AstraZeneca plc (ADR) (NYSE:AZN)
VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS), which sells the obesity drug Qsymia, has appointed Anthony Zook to serve as its CEO. Zook formerly served as executive vice president, Global Commercial Operations for AstraZeneca plc (ADR) (NYSE:AZN) and president of MedImmune. “Obesity is a growing disaster for Americans. Aside from its obvious human costs, it creates economic costs due to associated comorbidities such as diabetes, strokes, heart attacks and depression,” Zook said in a statement. “Our mission is to ensure that at-risk patients and their physicians know about Qsymia and have the information necessary to determine whether Qsymia can help address this devastating condition.”
3 Things To Watch For With Arena Pharmaceuticals (TheStreet)
When Jefferies released a research note for Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARNA) with a target price of $12, shares subsequently fell to around $6.90 since the analysis. Similar to other pharmaceutical plays, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARNA) traded higher ahead of the release of weight-loss drug Belviq on the market. Obesity is a growing problem, and Belviq has a large market to address, but whether the value of the company will be driven upwards depends on a few key results. …In the near term, short sellers could dictate the depressed share price for Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARNA). Short float is around 28%. Bets against Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARNA) have risen steadily since April.
Will Amgen (AMGN) Beat Earnings? (Zacks)
Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) is scheduled to report its second quarter 2013 earnings after the closing bell on Jul 30, 2013. Last quarter, Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) delivered a positive earnings surprise of 11.43%. We expect the trend to continue in the second quarter. Our proven model shows that Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) is likely to beat earnings because it has the right combination of two key ingredients. …The Expected Surprise Prediction or ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate of $1.74 and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.71, is +1.75%. This is a meaningful and leading indicator of a likely positive earnings surprise for the shares.
Notable Two Hundred Day Moving Average Cross – VVUS (Forbes)
In trading on Wednesday, shares of VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS) crossed below their 200 day moving average of $13.29, changing hands as low as $13.28 per share. VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS) shares are currently trading down about 2.5% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS) shares, versus its 200 day moving average: Looking at the chart above, VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS)’s low point in its 52 week range is $9.86 per share, with $24.86 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $13.40.
Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ARNA) and Anti-Obesity Drug Belviq: The Eillie Wenker Story (MarketPlayground)
If you had the good fortune to wake up tomorrow and be whatever you wanted to be would you do it? You likely have a picture in your mind about what the perfect life would look like. …Ellie went to a regularly scheduled doctors appoint. She had no idea that one of just 200 sales reps for Belviq, an Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARNA) product, had just been there to meet the doctor and tell him about the recently launched anti-obesity drug.
Amgen Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.47 (AMGN) (Zolmax)
Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, July 26th, AnalystRatingsNetwork reports. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.47 per share on Friday, September 6th. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.72%. A number of analysts have recently weighed in on Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) shares. Analysts at TheStreet reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) in a research note to investors on Tuesday, July 23rd. On the ratings front, analysts at Ned Davis Research upgraded shares of Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note to investors on Monday, July 8th. Finally, analysts at RBC Capital reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) in a research note to investors on Wednesday, June 19th. They now have a $120.00 price target on the stock.
