For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 22, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: US Bancorp (USB), Visa Inc. (V), Genzyme Corp (GENZ), Shire plc (SHPGY) and Protalix BioTherapeutics Inc. (PLX).
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Here are highlights from Wednesday’s AnalystBlog:
US Bancorp Exceeds Estimates
US Bancorp (USB) has reported third quarter earnings of $603 million or 30 cents per share. Results were ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 26 cents, and reflected higher revenue and an increase in fee income.
However, credit losses and nonperforming assets continued to trend higher in the quarter, reflecting continued stress in the commercial, commercial real estate, residential real estate and consumer loan portfolios. We note that the rate of deterioration has somewhat moderated in the quarter.
Quarterly results were, however, impacted by a $415 million of provision for credit losses in excess of net charge-offs, net securities losses of $76 million and a gain of $39 million associated with the company’s investment in Visa Inc. (V). These items reduced earnings by 19 cents per share.
Results for the quarter were driven by record total net revenue of $4.3 billion, representing an increase of 2.2% sequentially and 25.8% year-over-year. Results reflected a growth in interest income and fee income.
Credit metrics continued to deteriorate in the quarter, though the rate of deterioration has moderated. Net charge-offs were 227 basis points (bps) of average loans outstanding, up 24 bps sequentially and 108 bps year-over-year.
Non-performing assets as a percentage of related assets were 2.39%, up 19 bps sequentially and 151 bps year-over-year. As a result, provisions for credit losses increased to $1.5 billion from $1.4 billion reported in the prior quarter and $748 million in the year-ago period.
Genzyme Misses & Slashes
This morning, Genzyme Corp (GENZ) reported third quarter earnings of 19 cents per share, which was well below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 31 cents and the year ago earnings of 93 cents. Moreover, revenues declined 9% to $1.06 billion.
As expected, the temporary shutdown of the company’s Allston manufacturing facility earlier this year impacted overall financial results. Although the company has resumed production at this facility, the temporary shutdown led to a disruption in the supply of key products Cerezyme and Fabrazyme.
Cerezyme’s performance was highly affected with sales dropping 69.7% to $93.6 million in the reported quarter. Fabrazyme sales came in at $115.2 million, down 8% from the prior-year quarter. Genzyme expects to resume supply of new lots of Cerezyme and Fabrazyme from late November and late December, respectively. The company believes it will be in a position to meet anticipated demand for both products in the first quarter of 2010.
However, we believe Cerezyme, which is approved for the treatment of Gaucher disease, could lose some share to Shire plc’s (SHPGY) velaglucerase alfa and Protalix BioTherapeutics Inc.’s (PLX) Uplyso, both of which are currently available under the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) expanded access program.
We believe the availability of these two products, which have yet to receive FDA approval, could eat into a part of Cerezyme’s patient base. Once launched, both products will compete directly with Cerezyme. Although Genzyme holds a leading position in the treatment of Gaucher disease, the patient population for the disease is not large. As such, the entry of additional players in the market could restrict its growth opportunities in the future.
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