The stock of Biogen (NAS:BIIB, 30-year Financials) shows every sign of being modestly undervalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line,

In my April 27 discussion, I looked at the pharmaceutical companies that are most likely to pursue acquisitions this year, with activity forecasted to pick up after a down 2020. While the pandemic contributed to the slowdown in merger and acquisitions, licensing arrangements fared far better, coming in relatively flat at a total value of about $40 billion

Licensing is attractive to members of Big Pharma who need to fill gaps in their product line or get into entirely new therapeutic areas, but don't want to buy another company to acquire its assets. It's also usually a more

Stem cell research is an arm of biotechnology that has gained a lot of momentum over recent years. Many companies are focused on developing therapies using specialized cells from within the human body which possess unique regenerative qualities to repair and restore damaged tissues and organs.

One particularly interesting company is applying this kind of research to build therapies for Alzheimer's disease, aging, frailty and certain neurological disorders: Longeveron Inc. (LGVN). While most of the company's research is at the clinical stage, and it has only been generating revenue from grants as well as contract manufacturing so far, I believe

A few months ago, GuruFocus launched the "baskets" feature, which allows users to place stocks in one of four virtual baskets based on their level of interest:

• Buying: You have invested money in the stock.
• Considering: You have done research on the stock and you are considering purchasing shares.
• Researching: You are doing research on the stock but are undecided about buying shares.
• Not Interested: You have excluded the stock from consideration. Either you think the stock is too tough to understand or the stock is not worth considering at all.

Since the time of the feature's

Biogen Inc.'s (BIIB) management and shareholders are keeping their fingers crossed that the Food and Drug Administration rules favorably on the company's controversial Alzheimer's drug. The decision on what BioPharma Dive called "the most closely watched drug in all biotech" is expected by the first week in June.

A thumb's down by the agency is likely to send shockwaves throughout the industry and Biogen stock. An OK would make aducanumab the first marketed drug meant to slow the progression of Alzheimer's and, according to analysts, generate billions in annual sales for the company.

Naysayers note that the FDA's statisticians and

The stock of Biogen (NAS:BIIB, 30-year Financials) is believed to be modestly undervalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its

Cell and gene therapy companies are quickly emerging as favorites of venture capital firms, investors and members of Big Pharma, according to a report from the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine.

The numbers are eye-catching. In 2020, biotechs working in this space garnered nearly $20 billion in funding. That's 50% higher than the previous record of $13.5 billion in 2018 and a remarkable achievement coming in the face of Covid-19.

More than $5.5 billion of last year's investments flowed from venture capital financing for startups, the biggest being the $700 million raised by cell therapy developer Sana Biotechnology Inc.(SANA). That was

It's been a long time coming, but the great value comeback appears to be underway.

The value school of investing, to which I adhere, seeks to find stocks selling for bargain prices compared to their intrinsic net worth. In the 30 years through 2009, value outperformed growth 19 times. That included a streak of seven years in a row from 2000 through 2006.

The growth school seeks stocks with rapidly rising earnings. It did great in the past decade, beating value seven times out of 10. Last year, growth stocks rose 36.9%, while value stocks gained 0.25%.

Those figures are

According to the GuruFocus All-in-One Screener, a Premium feature, the following companies have high business predictability ratings and wide margins of safety as of March 16.

HCA

HCA Healthcare Inc. (HCA) has a 4.5-star business predictability rank and, according to the discounted cash flow calculator, an 11.88% margin of safety at an average price of $189.43 per share.

The health care provider has a market cap of $64.39 billion and an enterprise value of $97.97 billion. Over the past five years, its revenue and earnings per share have increased 5.90% and 16.90%.

Over the past 12 months, the stock

According to the GuruFocus All-in-One Screener, a Premium feature, the following guru-owned health care stocks have grown their book value per share over the past decade through March 11.

Book value per share is calculated as total equity minus preferred stock, divided by shares outstanding. Theoretically, it is what shareholders will receive if a company is liquidated. Total equity is a balance sheet item and is equal to total assets minus total liabilities.

Since the book value per share may not reflect the company's true value, some investors check the tangible book value to confirm their investment ideas.

According to the GuruFocus All-in-One Screener, a Premium feature, as of March 8, the following companies are trading below their Peter Lynch fair values with wide margins of safety and have had positive performances over the past 12 months.

Intel

Intel Corp. (INTC) was trading around $59.23 per share as of March 8. The Peter Lynch fair value is $84.62, which suggests the stock is undervalued with a 30% margin of safety. The stock has registered a 52-week increase of 1.68%.

The chipmaker has a market cap of $239 billion and an enterprise value of $251 billion.