Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 7 stocks made the list for top value stocks in the Pharmaceuticals industry. Those looking for value stocks to add to their portfolio may want to use this list as a starting point for further investment research.
Latest Pharmaceuticals Stock News
Before choosing which top Pharmaceuticals stock to buy, be sure to conduct proper due diligence: analyze various financial metrics and look at historical data, public statements and news coverage.
The outlook for the Pharmaceuticals sub-industry is positive as the world returns to normalcy and demand for electives and improved medical utilization. COVID-19 therapies, oncology and immunology are essential aspects of pharmaceutical companies. Should COVID-19 variants continue to arise getting a COVID-19 vaccine could become a seasonal phenomenon, much like the flu vaccine. If that were to happen, it would prove to be very lucrative for pharmaceutical companies, as it would generate recurring sales. Recent FDA recommendations, such as approval for a fourth booster dose for those aged 50 or older, suggests we may be moving in this direction. Generic drug makers are expected to continue to struggle due to lower-cost emerging market competition. Despite this, policy risks are on the rise. Lowering drug prices continues to be a bipartisan issue as both parties aim to offer Americans more affordable prices. While this provides uncertainty in the long-term, it is unlikely that legislation will get passed in the near future due to more pressing issues in the political agenda. Year to date through June 3, the S&P Pharmaceuticals Index was up 1.5% vs. a 13.6% decline for the S&P Composite 1500 Index. In 2021, the S&P Pharmaceuticals Index returned a gain of 21.8%, vs. a gain of 26.7% for the S&P Composite 1500.
Why Focus on Undervalued Pharmaceuticals Stocks?
Value investors seek to buy stocks at a discount to their intrinsic value. Long-term returns show that such strategies are advantageous. Value stocks, as a group, tend to outperform growth stocks over extended periods of time. Typically, value investors perform financial analysis of numerous metrics, don’t follow the herd and are long-term investors.
AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade is derived from a stock’s Value Score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.
What Goes Into AAII’s Value Grade?
Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data as well as the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movement. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors with that task.
AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A–F grades for more than just value. It is possible for a stock to appear cheap based on one valuation metric but appear expensive on another. It is also possible for one valuation ratio to be associated with outperforming stocks during certain periods of time but not others. Some stocks may even have null values for certain metrics like the price-earnings ratio or the price-to-book ratio but not others. An example of this would be a company with losses instead of profits or a negative book value because of heavy borrowing. Negative earnings or book value result in non-meaningful ratios that are left blank or null.
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7 Undervalued Pharmaceuticals Stocks
Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 7 undervalued stocks in the Pharmaceuticals industry for Friday, January 26, 2024. Let’s take a closer look at their individual scores to see how they measure up against each other and the Pharmaceuticals industry median.
| Company | Ticker | Price/Sales | Price/Earnings | EV/EBITDA | Shareholder Yield | Price/Book Value | Price/Free Cash Flow | Value Grade |
| Aurora Cannabis Inc | ACB | 0.59 | na | na | (27.8%) | 0.31 | na | B |
| Assertio Holdings Inc | ASRT | 0.43 | na | 2.2 | (69.6%) | 0.38 | 0.8 | A |
| Bausch Health Companies Inc | BHC | 0.35 | na | 9.1 | (0.8%) | na | 3.2 | A |
| Bon Natural Life Ltd | BON | 0.16 | 0.8 | 2.4 | (53.8%) | 0.14 | na | A |
| CV Sciences Inc | CVSI | 0.37 | 3.5 | 2.4 | (5.5%) | 1.69 | 2.2 | A |
| Universe Pharmaceuticals Inc | UPC | 0.19 | na | na | (34.5%) | 0.14 | na | B |
| Viatris Inc | VTRS | 0.91 | 7.8 | 5.7 | 5.2% | 0.67 | 9.3 | A |
The Value Grade is assigned based on how each stock’s composite valuation compares to all other stocks.
The process for assigning grades starts with each variable for a given stock. The percentile rankings for all valid ratios that a stock has are calculated. So, for instance, a stock could have a price-to-book ranking in the 43rd percentile, a price-earnings ranking in the 67th percentile, a price-to-sales ranking in the 23rd percentile, etc. Then, those rankings are averaged for each stock. (A minimum of two valid variables are required, though all six will be used if available.)
Once the average of the individual variables is calculated, that average is ranked against all stocks. Put another way, each stock’s composite valuation is compared to all other stocks. These ranks are then sorted into quintiles from the cheapest 20% (a grade of A) to the most expensive 20% (a grade of F).
As always, we recommend that you conduct proper due diligence and research before investing in any security. We also suggest that investors utilize numerous grades, not just value, when it comes to deciding whether a company is a good fit for their allocation needs.
Aurora Cannabis Inc’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | ACB | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 23 | 0.59 | 2.28 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 26.1 |
| EV/EBITDA | na | na | 9.7 |
| Shareholder Yield | 88 | (27.8%) | (3.8%) |
| Price/Book Value | 5 | 0.31 | 1.81 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 16.1 |
Aurora Cannabis Inc. is a Canada-based medical cannabis company. The Company's principal business lines are focused on the production, distribution, and sale of cannabis related products in Canada and internationally. The Company’s segments include Canadian Cannabis, European Cannabis and Plant Propagation. The Company's adult-use brand portfolio includes Aurora Drift, San Rafael '71, Daily Special, Whistler, Being and Greybeard, as well as CBD brands, Reliva and KG7. Its medical cannabis brands include MedReleaf, CanniMed, Aurora and Whistler Medical Marijuana Co, as well as international brands, Pedanios, Bidiol and CraftPlant. Its cannabis products are primarily cultivated and manufactured in the facilities in Bradford Ontario, Pemberton, British Columbia, and Odense, Denmark. The Company is focused on offering its cannabis products to global medical cannabis market, recreational cannabis market and global hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) markets.
Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.
Aurora Cannabis Inc has a Value Score of 67, which is considered to be undervalued.
When you look at Aurora Cannabis Inc’s price-to-sales ratio at 0.59 compared to the industry median at 2.28, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Aurora Cannabis Inc’s stock more attractive for value investors.
Shareholder yield is the sum of a stock’s dividend yield (paid over previous 12 months minus special dividends) and the percentage of net share buybacks over the previous 12 months. Aurora Cannabis Inc’s shareholder yield is lower than its industry median ratio of (3.81%). Value investors may look for an attractive shareholder yield because it can be a powerful tool for identifying if the company has a good management team.
As one of the most common value metrics, the price-to-book ratio evaluates a company’s current market price relative to its book value. Aurora Cannabis Inc’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.81. This could make Aurora Cannabis Inc more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.
Assertio Holdings Inc’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | ASRT | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 17 | 0.43 | 2.28 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 26.1 |
| EV/EBITDA | 7 | 2.2 | 9.7 |
| Shareholder Yield | 94 | (69.6%) | (3.8%) |
| Price/Book Value | 7 | 0.38 | 1.81 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 1 | 0.8 | 16.1 |
Assertio Holdings, Inc. is a commercial pharmaceutical company offering differentiated products to patients utilizing a non-personal promotional model. Its commercial portfolio of branded products focuses on three areas: neurology, rheumatology, and pain and inflammation. Its primary marketed products include INDOCIN (indomethacin) Suppositories, INDOCIN (indomethacin) Oral Suspension, Otrexup (methotrexate) injection for subcutaneous use, Sympazan (clobazam) oral film, SPRIX (ketorolac tromethamine) Nasal Spray, CAMBIA (diclofenac potassium for oral solution) and Zipso (diclofenac potassium) Liquid filled capsules. It also offers OXAYDO (oxycodone HCI, USP) tablets. INDOCIN (indomethacin) Suppositories are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), indicated for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, including acute flares of chronic diseases, moderate to severe ankylosing spondylitis and others. Its portfolio also includes ROLVEDON (eflapegrastim-xnst) Injection asset.
Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.
Assertio Holdings Inc has a Value Score of 91, which is considered to be undervalued.
Assertio Holdings Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Assertio Holdings Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.81.
You can read more about Assertio Holdings Inc’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.
Bausch Health Companies Inc’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | BHC | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 14 | 0.35 | 2.28 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 26.1 |
| EV/EBITDA | 47 | 9.1 | 9.7 |
| Shareholder Yield | 57 | (0.8%) | (3.8%) |
| Price/Book Value | na | na | 1.81 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 6 | 3.2 | 16.1 |
Bausch Health Companies Inc. is a global diversified pharmaceutical company. The Company develops, manufactures, and markets a range of products primarily in gastroenterology (GI), hepatology, neurology, dermatology, eye health, and others, through Bausch + Lomb Corporation. Its Salix segment consists of sales in the United States of GI products. Its International segment consists of sales, with the exception of sales of Bausch + Lomb products and Solta Medical aesthetic medical devices, outside the United States and Puerto Rico of branded pharmaceutical products, branded generic pharmaceutical products and other products. Its Solta Medical segment consists of global sales of Solta Medical aesthetic medical devices. Its Diversified segment consists of sales in the United States of pharmaceutical products in the areas of neurology and certain other therapeutic classes. Its Bausch + Lomb segment consists of global sales of Bausch + Lomb Vision Care, surgical and pharmaceutical products.
Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.
Bausch Health Companies Inc has a Value Score of 82, which is considered to be undervalued.
You can read more about Bausch Health Companies Inc’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.
Bon Natural Life Ltd’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | BON | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 6 | 0.16 | 2.28 |
| Price/Earnings | 1 | 0.8 | 26.1 |
| EV/EBITDA | 7 | 2.4 | 9.7 |
| Shareholder Yield | 93 | (53.8%) | (3.8%) |
| Price/Book Value | 2 | 0.14 | 1.81 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 16.1 |
Bon Natural Life Ltd is a China-based company principally engaged in the manufacturing and sales of personal care ingredients, such as plant extracted fragrance compounds to perfume and fragrance manufacturers, natural health supplements, such as powder drinks and bioactive food ingredient products mostly used as food additives and nutritional supplements. The Company's product categories include fragrance compounds, health supplements (natural, functional active ingredients for powder drinks) and bioactive food ingredients. Fragrance compounds product category includes clary sage extract products. Bioactive food ingredients include stachyose, milk thistle extracts, apple extracts, phloretin and pomegranate extract products. The Company’s products are applied in the functional food, personal care, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.
Bon Natural Life Ltd has a Value Score of 94, which is considered to be undervalued.
Bon Natural Life Ltd’s price-earnings ratio is 0.8 compared to the industry median at 26.1. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Bon Natural Life Ltd more attractive for value investors.
Bon Natural Life Ltd’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Bon Natural Life Ltd less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.81.
You can read more about Bon Natural Life Ltd’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.
CV Sciences Inc’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | CVSI | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 15 | 0.37 | 2.28 |
| Price/Earnings | 4 | 3.5 | 26.1 |
| EV/EBITDA | 7 | 2.4 | 9.7 |
| Shareholder Yield | 75 | (5.5%) | (3.8%) |
| Price/Book Value | 51 | 1.69 | 1.81 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 4 | 2.2 | 16.1 |
CV Sciences, Inc. is a consumer wellness company specializing in nutraceuticals and plant-based foods. The Company’s hemp extracts and other proven, science-backed, natural ingredients and products, which are sold through a range of sales channels from business-to-business to business-to-consumer. Its +PlusCBD branded products are sold at select retail locations throughout the United States and are brands of hemp extracts in the natural products market, according to SPINS, the provider of syndicated data and insights for the natural, organic and specialty products industry. It also operates a drug development program focused on developing and commercializing cannabidiol (CBD)-based novel therapeutics. It develops, manufactures, markets and sells herbal supplements and CBD products under the brands: PlusCBD, ProCBD, HappyLane, CV Acute, CV Defense, and PlusCBD Pet in the Health Care market sector. The Company's plant-based food products are sold under the Cultured Foods brand.
Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.
CV Sciences Inc has a Value Score of 90, which is considered to be undervalued.
CV Sciences Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 3.5 compared to the industry median at 26.1. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes CV Sciences Inc more attractive for value investors.
CV Sciences Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make CV Sciences Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.81.
You can read more about CV Sciences Inc’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.
Universe Pharmaceuticals Inc’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | UPC | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 7 | 0.19 | 2.28 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 26.1 |
| EV/EBITDA | na | na | 9.7 |
| Shareholder Yield | 90 | (34.5%) | (3.8%) |
| Price/Book Value | 2 | 0.14 | 1.81 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 16.1 |
Universe Pharmaceuticals Inc is a China-based holding company mainly engaged in the manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution of traditional Chinese medicine derivatives (TCMD) products targeting the elderly. Through its subsidiary, the Company sells TCMD products, biomedical drugs, medical instruments, Traditional Chinese Medicine Pieces (TCMPs), and dietary supplements manufactured by third-party pharmaceutical companies. Its TCMD products fall into two categories: chronic condition treatments as well as cold and flu medications, including Guben Yanling Pill, Shenrong Weisheng Pill, Fengshitong Medicinal Liquor, Isatis Root Granule and Qiangli Pipa Syrup. Its major customers are pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, clinics and drugstore chains. The Company mainly conducts its businesses within the Chinese market.
Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.
Universe Pharmaceuticals Inc has a Value Score of 78, which is considered to be undervalued.
Universe Pharmaceuticals Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Universe Pharmaceuticals Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.81.
You can read more about Universe Pharmaceuticals Inc’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.
Viatris Inc’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | VTRS | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 32 | 0.91 | 2.28 |
| Price/Earnings | 15 | 7.8 | 26.1 |
| EV/EBITDA | 25 | 5.7 | 9.7 |
| Shareholder Yield | 17 | 5.2% | (3.8%) |
| Price/Book Value | 16 | 0.67 | 1.81 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 27 | 9.3 | 16.1 |
Viatris Inc. (Viatris) is a global healthcare company. The Company's segments include Developed Markets, Greater China, JANZ, and Emerging Markets. Its Developed Markets segment comprises its operations primarily in North America and Europe. The Greater China segment includes its operations in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The JANZ segment consists of its operations in Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The Emerging Markets segment encompasses its presence in more than 125 countries with developing markets and emerging economies, as well as the Company?s ARV franchise. Its portfolio comprises over 1,400 approved molecules across a range of key therapeutic areas, including key brands and complex generics. It operates around 40 manufacturing sites worldwide, which produce oral solid doses, injectables, complex dosage forms and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Its products include Lyrica, Lipitor, Creon, Influvac, Wixela Inhub, EpiPen Auto Injector, Fraxiparine and Yupelri.
Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.
Viatris Inc has a Value Score of 94, which is considered to be undervalued.
Viatris Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 7.8 compared to the industry median at 26.1. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Viatris Inc more attractive for value investors.
Viatris Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Viatris Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.81.
You can read more about Viatris Inc’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.
Other Pharmaceuticals Stock Grades
Value is just one of the five Stock Grades included in our A+ Investor service. AAII members can see the top-graded stocks—those with grades of A or B for value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality—on the A+ Stock Grades Screener.
Also, if you want full access to all of AAII’s premium services, you can subscribe to one convenient bundled plan called AAII Platinum where you can try out A+ Investor, AAII Dividend Investing, the Stock Superstars Report, Growth Investing and VMQ Stocks. With the other premium services, you can dive deep into additional metrics, portfolios, commentary and information about Pharmaceuticals stocks as well as other industrys.
Choosing Which of the 7 Best Pharmaceuticals Stocks Is Right for You
Choosing which value stocks to invest in will ultimately depend on your individual goals and allocation; however, comparing similar value stocks in the same industry can help you analyze which might be better investments for you in the long run. So, let’s take a look at the Value Grade for all of our stocks.
- Aurora Cannabis Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
- Assertio Holdings Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
- Bausch Health Companies Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
- Bon Natural Life Ltd stock has a Value Grade of A.
- CV Sciences Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
- Universe Pharmaceuticals Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
- Viatris Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 7 undervalued stocks in the Pharmaceuticals industry as well as their overall grades, it’s time for you to conduct additional research to see if these could fit your portfolio needs based on your goals and risk tolerance. AAII can help you figure out both and identify which investments align with what works best for you.
We do so through a program of education that teaches you to invest for yourself and become an effective manager of your own wealth—no more relying on others for your financial independence. You can rely on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis that makes you a better investor.
A+ Investor adds to that qualitative teaching by giving you a powerful data suite that helps you whittle down investment decisions to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.
Additional Resources About Pharmaceuticals Stocks
Want to learn more about Pharmaceuticals stocks to see if they could be the right investment for you? Check out some additional resources and articles to help you on your financial journey.
- 7 Undervalued Pharmaceuticals Stocks for Friday, January 26
- 5 Undervalued Pharmaceuticals Stocks for Thursday, January 25
- Why Amylyx Pharmaceuticals Inc’s (AMLX) Stock Is Up 6.96%
- Why Anika Therapeutics Inc’s (ANIK) Stock Is Up 4.27%
AAII Disclaimer
We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.
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