The latest Market Talks covering the Health Care sector. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.
1222 ET - A free trade agreement between the U.K. and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, a bloc which includes Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., is a win-win for both sides, says Junaid Ansari of Kuwait-based Kamco Invest. It will help strengthen trade and business ties while opening doors in technology, life sciences, pharma, logistic, AI and financial services, he notes. It could help the Gulf economies offset U.S. tariff pressure and the Middle East war-related disruptions, Ansari says. (farhan.rafid@wsj.com)
0936 ET - ConvaTec's share price fall is likely due to caution around the company's comment that its full-year performance will be second-half weighted, and inflationary pressures, Berenberg analysts write. The medical device company said year-to-date organic revenue growth, excluding InnovaMatrix, was up 4.8% and backed its full-year guidance. It said growth would increase in the second half due to customer order phasing and as product launches build. Shares are down 6.5% at 200.20 pence. "We think this [share fall] looks overdone however, given that we expect relatively little change to consensus expectations," the analysts say. (ian.walker@wsj.com)
0706 ET - AstraZeneca is due to provide updates on several key late-stage clinical trials in the second half that could unlock more than multibillion-dollar annual sales, Bank of America analysts say in a research note. The U.K. drugmaker is expected to release results of a trial for Wainua in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, a heart disease for which the commercial success of Alnylam's Amvuttra supports a large market opportunity, according to BofA. Investors are bullish on AstraZeneca's trial for camizestrant as a first-line treatment for breast cancer, the analysts say. But a recent Roche study failure suggests caution might be warranted, they add. The market is more mixed on a trial for Datroway in lung cancer, the analysts say. BofA estimates the three drugs could generate combined annual peak sales of $10.6 billion. Shares fall 0.6%. (adria.calatayud@wsj.com)
0451 ET - Sino Biopharmaceutical's asset portfolio carries significant out-licensing potential, says its bull at DBS Group Research. The analysts estimate the Chinese pharmaceutical company could unlock $7.6 billion in value from three of its assets. It has a proven track record for such transactions, including with France's Sanofi in March. The analysts expect 2026-2028 earnings to expand by a 15% compound annual growth rate. Coupled with its strong financial position, Sino Biopharmaceutical could develop more assets that can be out-licensed in the future. DBS reinstates coverage with a buy rating and HK$6.50 target price. Shares closed 2.1% higher at HK$5.28. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)Forsyth Barr identifies three focus areas in retirement village operator Ryman Healthcare's FY26 result, due for release on Tuesday. Topping the list is care profitability. Analyst Will Twiss expects this has improved on the back of rising occupancy. Forsyth Barr is also looking for Ryman to make progress on stripping costs out of the business. It intends to examine the composition of Ryman's free cash flow, which it expects to be meaningfully positive for the first full-year period in more than a decade. "However, positive self-help initiatives may be overshadowed on the day if sales trends have deteriorated since the onset of the fuel crisis," Forsyth Barr says. "The market will likely be particularly focused on resales run rates in FY27." It retains an outperform call on Ryman. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 21, 2026 16:50 ET (20:50 GMT)
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