Latest news with #LeonWang
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Forget the Correction: This Stock Is Defying the Sell-Off, and There Might Be More Upside Ahead
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index recently entered correction territory. Though it was able to climb out of it, equities broadly remain down for the year. Still, some companies are performing well amid the volatility. AstraZeneca (NASDAQ: AZN), a U.K.-based pharmaceutical giant, is one of them; its stock is up by an impressive 16% since January. This performance so far in 2025 is not a fluke. And the stock may deliver strong returns, if not in the next few weeks, but for investors willing to hold onto its shares for years. AstraZeneca's shares fell off a cliff late last year when it announced the arrest of some of its executives in China, including Leon Wang, the drugmaker's president in the country. That's on top of an insurance fraud investigation in China it had been dealing with, and allegations that the company imported illegal pharmaceutical drugs into the country. Though these problems are worth monitoring, AstraZeneca's financial results certainly aren't an issue. Last year, its revenue jumped by 18% year over year to $54.1 billion, an excellent performance for a pharmaceutical giant. Adjusted earnings per share were $8.21, 13% higher than the previous fiscal year. AstraZeneca operates several segments focused on various therapeutic areas, and every one except "other medicines" saw sales move in the right direction in 2024. Even with the challenges that AstraZeneca is dealing with now, last year's decline in its share price may have been overdone, given the company's strong financial results. That's likely why the stock has performed well since December, and has kept that momentum through market volatility this year. If it's found liable for illegal drug importation in China, AstraZeneca could incur a fine. The potential fine in China could amount to 100% to 500% of the unpaid importation taxes of $0.9 million. At worst, AstraZeneca will pay $4.5 million if it's found guilty -- a drop in the bucket for a company that generates tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue. The company will also face two patent cliffs in the U.S. this year. The first is for Soliris, a medicine for a rare blood disease called paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. The second is for Brilinta, a treatment used to reduce the risk of heart attacks. Neither of these patent expirations should be a game changer for AstraZeneca. Soliris' sales in 2024 totaled $2.6 billion, but declined 18% year over year due to patients switching to AstraZeneca's newer Ultomiris. Brilinta's revenue in 2024 came in at $1.3 billion, up 1% year over year -- it was already facing generic competition in other countries. Because Soliris and Brilinta contributed little (if anything at all) to the pharmaceutical giant's top-line growth last year, the loss of exclusivity for these medicines won't harm its prospects. AstraZeneca has a lot to offer investors: a vast and diversified lineup of medicines, a deep pipeline, and steady revenue and earnings growth. Its lineup featured 14 medicines that each generated over $1 billion in sales last year. Yes, some will lose patent exclusivity, but others will fill the gap. Breztri, a treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), came short of blockbuster status for AstraZeneca last year with sales of $978 million, but they were up by 44% compared to 2023. Several other drugs should also continue to help drive strong top-line growth for the pharmaceutical leader, including the newer cancer therapy Truqap. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca's pipeline will likely unearth more gems. Like other drugmakers, it's now seeking to join the promising weight loss area. The company's investigational oral GLP-1 therapy, AZD5004, is undergoing phase 1 and 2 clinical trials across diabetes, weight management, and several other potential indications. (All currently approved GLP-1 medicines are administered subcutaneously, so there could be a reasonable demand for an oral option.) The company's AZD9550 is another potential GLP-1 medicine in early-stage studies. Beyond that, AstraZeneca is running many clinical trials across various therapeutic areas. The company had over a dozen regulatory approvals or clinical trial readouts in the fourth quarter. You can expect more of the same every period, which should allow its financial results to remain strong over the long run, even as it faces patent cliffs. Investors should see past the headwinds -- many already are, since the stock is performing well right now. But it's still time to think about purchasing shares of AstraZeneca. The drugmaker could deliver excellent returns. Before you buy stock in AstraZeneca Plc, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and AstraZeneca Plc wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $721,394!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 839% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 164% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of March 18, 2025 Prosper Junior Bakiny has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends AstraZeneca Plc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Forget the Correction: This Stock Is Defying the Sell-Off, and There Might Be More Upside Ahead was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
The Guardian
21-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
AstraZeneca to invest $2.5bn in drugs research and manfacturing in Beijing
AstraZeneca will invest $2.5bn in research and manufacturing in Beijing, as the pharmaceutical company tries to move past recent controversies including ditching plans for the expansion of a UK vaccine plant and the detentions of top executives in China. The investment will be staggered over the next five years as part of a 'strategic partnership' with the city's authorities and also includes agreements with three local biotech companies. Britain's biggest drug maker said it hopes the deal will 'advance early-stage research and clinical development and will be enabled by a new state-of-the-art AI and data science laboratory'. The announcement was made six months after it emerged that eight current and former AstraZeneca employees had been detained by Chinese police as part of an investigation into possible breaches related to data privacy and importing unlicensed medications. The following month, the company's president in China, Leon Wang, was detained as part of a separate investigation and was said to be 'cooperating with [the] Chinese authorities'. The drugs group then found itself at the centre of a political debate over Labour's growth agenda after it axed plans in February for the £450m expansion of its factory in the Liverpool suburb of Speke, citing factors 'including the timing and reduction of the final offer' compared with a proposal by the previous, Conservative government. The new investment in Beijing is part of a move by AstraZeneca to increase its presence in China. It has spent almost $10bn on 12 acquisitions in the country, including the Shanghai-based Gracell Biotechnologies, which develops cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune disease, for $1.2bn last year. Pascal Soriot, the chief executive of AstraZeneca, said: 'This $2.5bn investment reflects our belief in the world-class life sciences ecosystem in Beijing, the extensive opportunities that exist for collaboration and access to talent, and our continued commitment to China.' He added that the group's 'sixth strategic R&D centre will partner with the cutting-edge biology and AI science in Beijing and be a critical part of our global efforts to bring innovative medicines to patients worldwide.' AstraZeneca's five existing centres include two in the US, in Boston and Gaithersburg, near Washington DC; as well a two further European centres, in Cambridge, England, and Gothenburg in Sweden. The Beijing site will be the second in China, with an existing facility in Shanghai. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion AstraZeneca, which is the UK's most valuable listed company, said the case concerning Wang involved suspected unpaid importation taxes of $900,000, which could lead to a fine of up to five times that amount if the company was found liable. A decade ago, AstraZeneca's UK rival, GSK, had to pay a fine of 3bn yuan (£297m) to the government in Beijing, after being found guilty of bribery by a Chinese court.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Huawei Unveils the AI WAN Solution, Accelerating Transition to the Net5.5G Intelligent Network Era
BARCELONA, Spain, March 3, 2025 /CNW/ -- At MWC Barcelona 2025, Leon Wang, President of Huawei's Data Communication Product Line, unveiled the AI WAN Solution during the product and solution launch event. He noted that carriers are accelerating the convergence of networks and AI. AI WAN comprehensively empowers IP networks in the Net5.5G era using AI. By leveraging AI routers, AI new connections, and AI new brain, AI WAN enables carriers to build networks with optimal TCO and achieve new growth across all services. Three-Layer AI WAN Architecture: Enabling New Network Capabilities The AI WAN Solution features a three-layer architecture consisting of AI routers, AI new connections, and AI new brain. This innovative architecture elevates network performance and intelligence to new heights. With embedded AI capabilities, AI routers support precise flow reporting and behavior identification, while also providing intrinsic security protection, building an AI WAN capability foundation. AI new connections enable flow-level scheduling to meet the diverse network requirements of various applications, allowing carriers to offer a wide array of value-added services and develop new services. By harnessing Network Digital Map and foundation models, the AI new brain creates network AI agents to assist carriers in fault diagnosis and handling, ultimately improving O&M efficiency. Three Key Benefits with AI WAN: Addressing Multi-Scenario Needs Accelerated ROI in consumer scenarios: To meet carriers' requirements for managing base station traffic, AI WAN enables accurate identification of sites with suppressed traffic and facilitates targeted capacity expansion through real-time traffic collection and predictive operations. Furthermore, it releases suppressed traffic through precise path optimization, thereby improving ROI. New revenue from experience monetization in home scenarios: To meet the essential needs of home users, who now demand coverage for a wider range of terminals and applications beyond basic connectivity, AI WAN drives application innovation, optimizes user experience, and expands service offerings for home users, accelerating carriers' revenue growth from new services. New service offerings with security protection and computing-network integration in enterprise scenarios: To address the security and service expansion needs of enterprise users, AI WAN offers value-added intelligent flash defense services that can accurately identify attack flows, safeguarding carriers' ToB private line services. AI WAN improves network transmission capacity, enabling carriers to develop new integrated computing-network services. Looking ahead, Huawei will remain at the forefront of network intelligence innovation, developing industry-leading products and solutions. It will partner with world-leading carriers to unlock new market opportunities in the intelligent era, drive carriers' service growth, and jointly move toward the Net5.5G intelligent network era. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Huawei View original content to download multimedia: Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
21-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
FINAL DEADLINE ALERT: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Investigates Claims on Behalf of Investors of AstraZeneca
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against AstraZeneca PLC ('AstraZeneca' or the 'Company') (NASDAQ: AZN) and reminds investors of the Feb. 21, 2025 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company. Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that (1) AstraZeneca engaged in insurance fraud in China; (2) as a result, AstraZeneca faced heightened legal exposure in China, which eventually resulted in the AstraZeneca China President being detained by Chinese law enforcement authorities; (3) as a result, AstraZeneca understated its legal risks; (4) the foregoing, once revealed, could materially harm AstraZeneca's business activities in China; and (5) as a result, Defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. On October 30, 2024, AstraZeneca announced that Leon Wang, Executive Vice President International and AstraZeneca China President, was 'cooperating with an ongoing investigation by Chinese authorities.' On this news, AstraZeneca American Depositary Shares ('ADS') fell 3.1% on October 30, 2024. Then, on November 5, 2024, Yicai Global published an article entitled 'AstraZeneca Insurance Fraud Involves Dozens of Senior Executives in China, Source Says.' This article stated that "[d]ozens of senior executives at AstraZeneca China have been implicated in an ongoing insurance fraud case as of last week, according to a person familiar with the matter.' Further, it stated that "[o]ver the past three years, insurance fraud cases involving AstraZeneca have surfaced in Shenzhen as well as the provinces of Fujian and Jiangxi. [. . .] These cases amount to the largest insurance fraud in the nation's pharmaceutical sector for years, a person familiar with the matter pointed out.' On this news, AstraZeneca ADSs fell a further 7.2% on November 5, 2024. The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not. Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding AstraZeneca's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others. To learn more about the AstraZeneca class action, go to or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310). Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP ( Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner. Josh Wilson 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310) SOURCE: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 02/21/2025 09:46 AM/DISC: 02/21/2025 09:46 AM
Globe and Mail
16-02-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
2 Healthcare Stocks That Tumbled in 2024...but Could See an Impressive Comeback in 2025
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) and AstraZeneca (NASDAQ: AZN), two of the world's leading drugmakers, missed last year's strong market rally. Both finished 2024 slightly in the red. They're already doing better in 2025, though. And there are good reasons to think both could maintain a strong performance throughout the year. Here's why. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » VRTX data by YCharts. 1. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Vertex Pharmaceuticals performed well for much of 2024. The stock slid during the year's final months, culminating in a massive one-day drop prompted by a clinical setback. In a phase 2 study, the company's medication suzetrigine barely performed better than a placebo in treating painful lumbosacral radiculopathy (LSR), a condition that causes pain in patients' lower backs, hips, and legs. While Vertex will advance the medicine to phase 3 studies in this indication, the market isn't convinced it will be successful. However, Vertex remains an attractive stock. Since that setback, the biotech has earned approval for Alyftrek, a next-generation medicine in its core area of expertise, cystic fibrosis (CF). Furthermore, suzetrigine earned its first indication in treating moderate to severe acute pain -- where it is marketed as Journavx -- becoming the first of a new class of oral non-opioid pain inhibitors on the market. These regulatory wins (especially the second) are lifting Vertex's stock, a rally that could continue for much of the year. Alyftrek should start making some noise, as will Journavx. Vertex's Casgevy, a gene-editing treatment for two rare blood-related diseases that has been on the market for a little over a year, could also contribute to the company's financial results. Vertex should see more pipeline progress, too. The company has a duo of novel medicines in phase 3 studies and several more in earlier stages of development. So, after a subpar 2024, Vertex Pharmaceuticals could perform much better in 2025. What's more important, though, are the company's long-term prospects. And on that front, investors have little to worry about today. Vertex's strategy of developing medicines in areas with large unmet needs has proven to work. The company's dominance in CF in the past decade -- which led to excellent financial results and stock-market performances -- proves as much: VRTX Revenue (Annual) data by YCharts. Vertex's approvals in areas beyond CF and its exciting pipeline make it a great biotech stock to buy. 2. AstraZeneca AstraZeneca's financial results were strong for most of 2024, as was its stock performance. However, the company faced legal issues in the last few months of the year. Some of its executives in China, including its former president in the country, Leon Wang, have been the subject of investigation by the authorities there. That's on top of an insurance fraud investigation and allegations of smuggling of unapproved drugs, also in China. These issues have weighed on AstraZeneca's stock, and certainly add some degree of uncertainty to the company's prospects. However, AstraZeneca's legal problems stem from its operations in China, which strongly suggests wrongdoing by specific people affiliated with the company there. These issues will somewhat affect AstraZeneca's performance in the country, and the company will have to pay back unpaid importation taxes related to the smuggling of unapproved drugs in China. But as AstraZeneca starts moving beyond this issue, its stock price will bounce back. The drugmaker once again proved the strength of its underlying operations in the fourth quarter. The company's revenue of $14.9 billion grew by 24% year over year, a very strong performance by a pharmaceutical giant. AstraZeneca's earnings per share (EPS) soared by 44% year over year to $2.09. Its shares jumped following its earnings release. Even with the China-related issues, AstraZeneca expects its revenue in 2025 to grow by a healthy high-single-digit percentage and its EPS by low double digits. Elsewhere, it expects well over a dozen clinical trial readouts this year, including for AZD6234, a potential anti-obesity medicine. Between AstraZeneca's current lineup, which is still producing excellent results, and its deep pipeline that will lead to plenty of approvals and label expansions, the drugmaker has strong long-term prospects. If not for its issues in China, AstraZeneca's shares would almost certainly be in the green over the trailing-12-month period, so that headwind is already factored into its stock price. If it can deal with that problem, AstraZeneca could perform much better this year. And the stock could also deliver outsized returns to long-term investors. Don't miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you'll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a 'Double Down' stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you're worried you've already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it's too late. 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