
NYSE:TEVA
The 200 day, 50 day and 100 day moving averages have all fallen. The price is below those averages, so there hasn’t been a breakthrough. However, there seems to be a bit of a basing pattern over the last few months. Is it going to start the shares rebounding? It’s hard to say. It could be a bit of a value trap at this point.
Pharmaceuticals tend to do well during the summer. A bit more of a defensive play, but not during the past few years with all the political rhetoric going on. They tend to do well between May/June all the way through to October. That is the period that runs up to the cold and flu season creating increased shipments of pharmaceuticals. Looking at the past periods of seasonal strength, this company hasn’t been benefiting. It has been underperforming the market, and the trend is firmly lower. Its major moving averages are all trending lower. However, at around $32, it is trying to find a floor. If you are a nimble enough trader, you could play off the $32. The positive momentum divergence suggests that selling pressures are waning, so it could have an upside move here.
This has been a good company for a long time. A leading global generics provider. Pharma in general has been really under the gun. With so much pressure from both a Clinton and Trump, it is really a focus area and will be one of the most attractive areas once the dust settles and there is some clarity on it. Right now, there is tremendous pressure on drug prices.
A cheap, but troubled stock. It is the leading generics pharmaceutical provider globally. They overextended themselves a while ago, in trying to get into specialty Pharma areas, which has been a bit of a problem. Expected to generate a little over $5 in earnings next year, a 6X earnings multiple. The Pharma sector as a whole tends to be 3X, so this is very, very cheap. The dividend is over 4%. The negative is that the management team is in flux. Also, the Department of Justice now has an inquiry into price fixing potential by the generic providers. The balance sheet is incredibly levered at 4.8X EBITDA. This is worth taking a half position and then growing that out. If things start to normalize and they get the earnings they are projecting, it should really start seeing 20%, 30%, 40% growth from here.