Amrutanjan, Pfizer, Merck, Novartis hit new highs

Amrutanjan Health Care, Pfizer, Merck and Novartis India have rallied up to 18% on the BSE in intra-day trade.

Shares of selected pharmaceutical companies were in focus with Amrutanjan Health Care, Pfizer, Merck and Novartis India rallying up to 18% on the BSE in otherwise subdued market. All these stocks were trading at their respective all-time highs.

Pfizer has surged 16% to Rs 3,385 on the BSE. Thus far in month of August, the stock has rallied 27% after the company reported 60% year on year (YoY) growth in net profit at Rs 918 million in June quarter. Operational revenue grew 18% at Rs 5,123 million on YoY basis. The sales growth and profit growth for the quarter is due to low base of the previous year quarter on account of pre-GST transition.

Pfizer had delivered 13% growth (excluding impact of Corex Cough Syrup discontinuation, divested brands and excise duty component up to June 2017) for the last financial year 2017-18, while the industry has grown at 6.3%.

Amrutanjan Health Care has rallied 18% to Rs 347 on Friday, extending its Thursday’s 20% surged on back of heavy volumes. Till 01:50 pm; a combined 1.68 million equity shares changed hands against an average sub 20,000 shares were traded daily in past two weeks on the NSE and BSE.

Novartis India has soared 9% to Rs 850, surging 38% in past one month. The company posted 42% YoY growth in net profit at Rs 100 million in June quarter. Operational revenue rose 20% at Rs 1,381 million over the previous year quarter.

Novartis India in annual report said that it would like to begin by exploring partnerships with the government for Ayushman Bharat through the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), announced as part of the annual budgetary exercise of the government in February 2018.

NHPS is government-sponsored insurance, which aims to cover around 40% of India’s population at roughly 500 million people. While this has been positioned to be a game-changer for healthcare in the country, we hope that NHPS will eventually extend to domiciliary out-patient expenses in addition to hospitalization charges, which is currently a limitation.

A large and growing population, low healthcare penetration, Government’s commitment to increase healthcare spend, emerging digital technologies in the healthcare sector, growing preference towards private care, all present a growth opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry, the company said.

COMPANY	LATEST	PREV CLOSE	GAIN(%)
AMRUTANJAN HEALT	346.00	294.50	17.5
PFIZER	3315.25	2914.40	13.8
NOVARTIS INDIA	843.35	780.45	8.1
MERCK	3210.95	3070.20	4.6