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.
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, October 11, 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 |
| Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | AVIR | na | na | 2.0 | (1.0%) | 0.51 | na | A |
| Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. | HOTH | na | na | 0.3 | (108.2%) | 0.58 | na | B |
| NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | NBY | 0.03 | na | na | 0.0% | 0.22 | na | A |
| Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ORMP | na | 4.7 | 2.3 | (1.8%) | 0.60 | na | A |
| Pulmatrix, Inc. | PULM | 0.69 | na | 0.9 | 0.0% | 0.44 | na | A |
| Scilex Holding Company | SCLX | 2.03 | na | na | 15.7% | na | 7.1 | A |
| Universe Pharmaceuticals INC | UPC | 0.03 | na | 0.9 | (0.6%) | 0.02 | na | 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.
Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | AVIR | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | na | na | 2.48 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 19.8 |
| EV/EBITDA | 5 | 2.0 | 9.0 |
| Shareholder Yield | 59 | (1.0%) | (11.0%) |
| Price/Book Value | 14 | 0.51 | 1.73 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 12.2 |
Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes antiviral therapeutics for patients with viral infections. Its lead product candidate is AT-527, an oral antiviral candidate that is in Phase 3 SUNRISE-3 clinical trial for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. The company also develops bemnifosbuvir in combination with ruzasvir, which is in Phase 2 clinical trial, for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV); and a protease inhibitor for the treatment of COVID-19. It has a license agreement with MSD International GmbH for the development, manufacture, and commercialization of Ruzasvir, an NS5A inhibitor, for the treatment of HCV. Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was incorporated in 2012 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
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.
Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a Value Score of 90, which is considered to be undervalued.
Now, let’s assess Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 2.0, when compared to the industry median of 9.0, the company may be considered undervalued in relation to its peers. Value investors could use the enterprise multiple to identify stocks that are considered overvalued or undervalued relative to their industry.
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. Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of (11.00%). 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. Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.73. This could make Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.
Hoth Therapeutics, Inc.’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | HOTH | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | na | na | 2.48 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 19.8 |
| EV/EBITDA | 1 | 0.3 | 9.0 |
| Shareholder Yield | 96 | (108.2%) | (11.0%) |
| Price/Book Value | 16 | 0.58 | 1.73 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 12.2 |
Hoth Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing therapies for unmet medical needs. It develops HT-001, a topical formulation in Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of patients with rash and skin disorders associated with initial and repeat courses of tyrosine kinase epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor therapy; HT-KIT to treat mast-cell derived cancers and anaphylaxis; HT-TBI to treat traumatic brain injury and ischemic stroke; HT-ALZ for the treatment and/or prevention of Alzheimer’s or other neuroinflammatory diseases; HT-004 for treatment of asthma and allergies using inhalational administration; and HT-003 for the treatment of acne and psoriasis, as well as inflammatory bowel diseases. The company is also developing BioLexa Platform, a proprietary, patented, drug compound platform in Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of eczema; and HT-005 for treating patients with lupus. The company has license agreements with the George Washington University; Isoprene Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Virginia Commonwealth University; the North Carolina State University; Chelexa BioSciences, Inc. and the University of Cincinnati; Zylö Therapeutics, Inc.; and Voltron Therapeutics, Inc. It also has a research collaboration agreement with Weill Cornell Medicine to develop HT-003. Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2017 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
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.
Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. has a Value Score of 68, which is considered to be undervalued.
Hoth Therapeutics, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.73.
You can read more about Hoth Therapeutics, 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.
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | NBY | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 1 | 0.03 | 2.48 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 19.8 |
| EV/EBITDA | na | na | 9.0 |
| Shareholder Yield | 50 | 0.0% | (11.0%) |
| Price/Book Value | 6 | 0.22 | 1.73 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 12.2 |
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. develops and sells eyecare and wound care products in the United States and internationally. It offers Avenova Spray, a solution for removing foreign materials, including microorganisms and debris from skin around the eye, such as the eyelid; Avenova Eye Health Support antioxidant-rich oral supplements; Avenova Lubricating Eye Drops for instant relief; NovaWipes by Avenova; Avenova WarmEye Compress to soothe the eyes; and the i-Chek by Avenova to monitor physical eyelid health. The company also provides wound care products, which are used for cleansing and irrigation as part of surgical procedures, as well as treating wounds, burns, ulcers, and other injuries under the NeutroPhase and PhaseOne brands. It sells its products through the company’s web stores, third-party online retailers and distribution partners. The company was formerly known as NovaCal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and changed its name to NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in February 2007. NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Emeryville, California.
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.
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a Value Score of 96, which is considered to be undervalued.
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.73.
You can read more about NovaBay 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.
Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | ORMP | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | na | na | 2.48 |
| Price/Earnings | 4 | 4.7 | 19.8 |
| EV/EBITDA | 5 | 2.3 | 9.0 |
| Shareholder Yield | 65 | (1.8%) | (11.0%) |
| Price/Book Value | 17 | 0.60 | 1.73 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 12.2 |
Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. engages in the research and development of pharmaceutical solutions for the treatment of diabetes and for the use of orally ingestible capsules for delivery of polypeptides. The company’s product portfolio includes ORMD-0801, an oral insulin capsule, which is in phase III clinical trial for the treatment of individuals with diabetes, as well as in phase II clinical trial for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; and ORA-D-013-1 and ORA-D-013-2, which have completed phase II clinical trial for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It has license agreements with Oravax Medical Inc. to commercialize oral vaccines for COVID-19 and other novel coronaviruses. Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in New York.
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.
Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. has a Value Score of 93, which is considered to be undervalued.
Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 4.7 compared to the industry median at 19.8. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. more attractive for value investors.
Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.73.
You can read more about Oramed 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.
Pulmatrix, Inc.’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | PULM | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 25 | 0.69 | 2.48 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 19.8 |
| EV/EBITDA | 3 | 0.9 | 9.0 |
| Shareholder Yield | 50 | 0.0% | (11.0%) |
| Price/Book Value | 12 | 0.44 | 1.73 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 12.2 |
Pulmatrix, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company, focused on development of novel inhaled therapeutic products to prevent and treat respiratory and other diseases with unmet medical needs in the United States. The company offers iSPERSE, an engineered dry powder delivery platform, which enables delivery of small or large molecule drugs to the lungs by inhalation for local or systemic applications. It engages in developing PUR1800, a narrow spectrum kinase inhibitor completed Phase 1b clinical trials for the treatment of acute exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; PUR1900 for the treatment of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in patients with asthma and cystic fibrosis; and PUR3100, an iSPERSE formulation of dihydroergotamine which is in Phase 1 for the treatment of acute migraine. It has a license agreement with RespiVert Ltd. for access to a portfolio of kinase inhibitor drug candidates. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts.
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.
Pulmatrix, Inc. has a Value Score of 94, which is considered to be undervalued.
Pulmatrix, Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Pulmatrix, Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.73.
You can read more about Pulmatrix, 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.
Scilex Holding Company’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | SCLX | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 52 | 2.03 | 2.48 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 19.8 |
| EV/EBITDA | na | na | 9.0 |
| Shareholder Yield | 2 | 15.7% | (11.0%) |
| Price/Book Value | na | na | 1.73 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 16 | 7.1 | 12.2 |
Scilex Holding Company focuses on acquiring, developing, and commercializing non-opioid pain management products for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. Its commercial products include ZTlido (lidocaine topical system) 1.8% (ZTlido), a prescription lidocaine topical product for the relief of neuropathic pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), which is a form of post-shingles nerve pain; ELYXYB, a ready-to-use oral solution for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults; and GLOPERBA, a liquid oral version of the anti-gout medicine colchicine indicated for the prophylaxis of painful gout flares in adults. The company is also developing three product candidates, including SP-102 (10 mg dexamethasone sodium phosphate viscous gel) (SEMDEXA), a novel viscous gel formulation of a used corticosteroid for epidural injections, which has completed a Phase 3 study to treat lumbosacral radicular pain or sciatica; SP-103 (lidocaine topical system) 5.4% (SP-103), a formulation of ZTlido for the treatment of chronic neck pain and low back pain (LBP) that has completed a Phase 2 trial; and SP-104 (4.5 mg low-dose naltrexone hydrochloride delayed-release capsules) (SP-104), a novel low-dose delayed-release naltrexone hydrochloride, which has completed Phase 1 trials for the treatment of fibromyalgia. The company has a collaboration with ACEA Therapeutics to Support the Expansion of ZTlido program. Scilex Holding Company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
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.
Scilex Holding Company has a Value Score of 93, which is considered to be undervalued.
You can read more about Scilex Holding Company’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 | 1 | 0.03 | 2.48 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 19.8 |
| EV/EBITDA | 3 | 0.9 | 9.0 |
| Shareholder Yield | 56 | (0.6%) | (11.0%) |
| Price/Book Value | 0 | 0.02 | 1.73 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 12.2 |
Universe Pharmaceuticals INC, through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of traditional Chinese medicine derivative products in China. It offers products for the treatment and relief of common chronic health conditions in the elderly for physical wellness and longevity; and cold and flu medications. The company also distributes and sells third-party products, including biomedical drugs, medical instruments, traditional Chinese medicine pieces, and dietary supplements. Its customers include pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, clinics, and drugstore chains. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Ji'An, China. Universe Pharmaceuticals INC operates as a subsidiary of Sununion Holding Group Limited.
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 98, 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 1.73.
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.
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.
- Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of A.
- Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
- NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of A.
- Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. stock has a Value Grade of A.
- Pulmatrix, Inc. stock has a Value Grade of A.
- Scilex Holding Company stock has a Value Grade of A.
- Universe Pharmaceuticals 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, October 11
- 6 Undervalued Pharmaceuticals Stocks for Thursday, October 10
- 4 Undervalued Pharmaceuticals Stocks for Wednesday, October 09
- 5 Undervalued Pharmaceuticals Stocks for Tuesday, October 08
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