Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 6 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.
Click the button below to learn more about A+ Investor and subscribe today.
6 Undervalued Pharmaceuticals Stocks
Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 6 undervalued stocks in the Pharmaceuticals industry for Thursday, April 27, 2023. 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 |
| Bayer AG (ADR) | BAYRY | 1.16 | 14.2 | 4.5 | 3.8% | 1.52 | 14.3 | B |
| Biofrontera Inc | BFRI | 0.51 | 9.5 | na | (130.4%) | 0.61 | na | B |
| IM Cannabis Corp | IMCC | 0.08 | na | 0.2 | (15.6%) | 0.20 | na | A |
| Phibro Animal Health Corp | PAHC | 0.64 | 17.2 | 8.4 | 3.1% | 2.32 | na | B |
| Sio Gene Therapies Inc | SIOX | na | na | 0.6 | (1.4%) | 0.61 | na | A |
| Viatris Inc | VTRS | 0.68 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.0% | 0.52 | 5.6 | 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.
Bayer AG (ADR)’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | BAYRY | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 39 | 1.16 | 3.08 |
| Price/Earnings | 45 | 14.2 | 19.9 |
| EV/EBITDA | 18 | 4.5 | 9.8 |
| Shareholder Yield | 24 | 3.8% | (3.3%) |
| Price/Book Value | 52 | 1.52 | 1.64 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 48 | 14.3 | 18.6 |
Bayer AG is a German-based life science company. The Company's segments are Pharmaceuticala and Consumer Health. The Pharmaceuticals segment focuses on researching, developing and marketing prescription products and specialty therapeutics especially in the areas of cardiology, oncology, gynecology, hematology and ophthalmology, as well as radiopharmacology and others. The Company is focusing on their oncology platform for Targeted Alpha Therapies for treating prostate cancer. The Consumer Health segment develops, produces and markets nonprescription over-the-counter products in the dermatology, dietary supplement, analgesic, gastrointestinal, cold, allergy, sinus and flu, foot care and sun protection categories, among others. The Crop Science segment has been moved to Cinven which operates as an independent company called Envu.
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.
Bayer AG (ADR) has a Value Score of 70, which is considered to be undervalued.
When you look at Bayer AG (ADR)’s price-to-sales ratio at 1.16 compared to the industry median at 3.08, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Bayer AG (ADR)’s stock more attractive for value investors.
Bayer AG (ADR)’s price-earnings ratio is 14.23 compared to the industry median at 19.85. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Bayer AG (ADR) more attractive for value investors.
Now, let’s assess Bayer AG (ADR)’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 4.5, when compared to the industry median of 9.8, 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. Bayer AG (ADR)’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of (3.28%). 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. Bayer AG (ADR)’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.64. This could make Bayer AG (ADR) more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.
Lastly, let’s take a look at Bayer AG (ADR)’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Bayer AG (ADR)’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 18.64. This could make Bayer AG (ADR) more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that Bayer AG (ADR) is undervalued. The P/FCF ratio metric can also be viewed over a long-term time frame to see if the company's cash flow to share price value is generally improving or worsening.
Biofrontera Inc’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | BFRI | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 21 | 0.51 | 3.08 |
| Price/Earnings | 31 | 9.5 | 19.9 |
| EV/EBITDA | na | na | 9.8 |
| Shareholder Yield | 97 | (130.4%) | (3.3%) |
| Price/Book Value | 15 | 0.61 | 1.64 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 18.6 |
Biofrontera Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company. The Company is focused on commercializing a portfolio of pharmaceutical products for the treatment of dermatological conditions with a focus on photodynamic therapy (PDT) and topical antibiotics. The Company?s licensed products are used for the treatment of actinic keratoses, which are pre-cancerous skin lesions, as well as impetigo, a bacterial skin infection. Its principal licensed product is Ameluz, which is a prescription drug for use in combination with the BF-RhodoLED lamp series, for photodynamic therapy. In the United States, the PDT treatment is used for the lesion-directed and field-directed treatment of actinic keratoses (AK) of mild-to-moderate severity on the face and scalp. The Company?s other products include Xepi for the treatment of impetigo, a common skin infection, due to Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes. It is used in the United States in adults and children two months and older.
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.
Biofrontera Inc has a Value Score of 64, which is considered to be undervalued.
Biofrontera Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 9.5 compared to the industry median at 19.9. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Biofrontera Inc more attractive for value investors.
Biofrontera Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Biofrontera Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.64.
You can read more about Biofrontera 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.
IM Cannabis Corp’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | IMCC | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 2 | 0.08 | 3.08 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 19.9 |
| EV/EBITDA | 1 | 0.2 | 9.8 |
| Shareholder Yield | 84 | (15.6%) | (3.3%) |
| Price/Book Value | 3 | 0.20 | 1.64 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 18.6 |
IM Cannabis Corp. is a Canada-based medical cannabis company. The Company operates in Israel through its commercial relationship with Focus Medical Herbs Ltd. (Focus Medical), which held a cultivation license to breed, grow and supply medical cannabis products in Israel. It also operates medical cannabis retail pharmacies, online platforms, distribution centres and logistical hubs in Israel. The Company operates through Adjupharm GmbH in Europe, which is a medical cannabis producer and distributor with wholesale, narcotics handling, manufacturing, procurement, storage, and distribution licenses granted by German regulatory authorities that allow for import/export capability with requisite permits. The Company operates through Trichome and its subsidiaries Trichome JWC Acquisition Corp. and MYM Nutraceuticals Inc., where it cultivates and processes cannabis for the adult-use market at its Ontario and Nova Scotia facilities under the WAGNERS and Highland Grow brands.
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.
IM Cannabis Corp has a Value Score of 93, which is considered to be undervalued.
IM Cannabis Corp’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make IM Cannabis Corp less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.64.
You can read more about IM Cannabis Corp’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.
Phibro Animal Health Corp’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | PAHC | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 25 | 0.64 | 3.08 |
| Price/Earnings | 53 | 17.2 | 19.9 |
| EV/EBITDA | 44 | 8.4 | 9.8 |
| Shareholder Yield | 27 | 3.1% | (3.3%) |
| Price/Book Value | 66 | 2.32 | 1.64 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 18.6 |
Phibro Animal Health Corporation is a diversified animal health and mineral nutrition company. The Company develops and markets a range of products for food and companion animals including poultry, swine, beef and dairy cattle, aquaculture and dogs. The Company operates through three segments, which include Animal Health, Mineral Nutrition and Performance Products. Its Animal health segment includes products, such as antibacterial, anticoccidials, nutritional specialty products and vaccines. This segment also includes antibacterial and other processing aids used in the ethanol fermentation industry. Its Mineral Nutrition segment manufactures and markets approximately 400 formulations and concentrations of trace minerals, such as zinc, manganese, copper, iron and other compounds. Its Performance Products segment manufactures and markets specialty ingredients for use in the personal care, industrial chemical and chemical catalyst industries, primarily in the United States.
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.
Phibro Animal Health Corp has a Value Score of 61, which is considered to be undervalued.
Phibro Animal Health Corp’s price-earnings ratio is 17.2 compared to the industry median at 19.9. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Phibro Animal Health Corp more attractive for value investors.
Phibro Animal Health Corp’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Phibro Animal Health Corp more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.64.
You can read more about Phibro Animal Health Corp’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.
Sio Gene Therapies Inc’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | SIOX | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | na | na | 3.08 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 19.9 |
| EV/EBITDA | 3 | 0.6 | 9.8 |
| Shareholder Yield | 62 | (1.4%) | (3.3%) |
| Price/Book Value | 15 | 0.61 | 1.64 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 18.6 |
Sio Gene Therapies Inc. is a clinical-stage company. The Company is focused on pushing the boundaries of gene therapy to develop treatments for debilitating rare neurodegenerative diseases, including GM1 gangliosidosis and Tay-Sachs/Sandhoff disease. The Company is primarily focused on pre-clinical research and development initiatives in gene therapy.
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.
Sio Gene Therapies Inc has a Value Score of 88, which is considered to be undervalued.
Sio Gene Therapies Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Sio Gene Therapies Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.64.
You can read more about Sio Gene Therapies 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 | 27 | 0.68 | 3.08 |
| Price/Earnings | 12 | 5.3 | 19.9 |
| EV/EBITDA | 24 | 5.4 | 9.8 |
| Shareholder Yield | 19 | 5.0% | (3.3%) |
| Price/Book Value | 12 | 0.52 | 1.64 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 20 | 5.6 | 18.6 |
Viatris Inc. 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, complex generics, and biosimilars. 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 96, which is considered to be undervalued.
Viatris Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 5.3 compared to the industry median at 19.9. 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 1.64.
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 6 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.
- Bayer AG (ADR) stock has a Value Grade of B.
- Biofrontera Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
- IM Cannabis Corp stock has a Value Grade of A.
- Phibro Animal Health Corp stock has a Value Grade of B.
- Sio Gene Therapies Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
- Viatris Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 6 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.
- 6 Undervalued Pharmaceuticals Stocks for Thursday, April 27
- 5 Undervalued Pharmaceuticals Stocks for Wednesday, April 26
- Which Is a Better Investment, Apellis Pharmaceuticals Inc or Biogen Inc Stock?
- Which Is a Better Investment, Apellis Pharmaceuticals Inc or Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc Stock?
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.
Included With AAII Platinum
at only 6.9%
Gain Since Inception. Data as of 12/31/2024.
769.3% Stock Superstars Portfolio Total Return Since Inception
U.S. Index ETF (IYY)
SSR Group 3 O'Shaughnessy portfolio has a 411.2% gain since inception performance compared to IYY at only 119.1%% Performance as of 11/29/24.
FREE REPORT
BECOME A MEMBER FOR ONLY $2
Get access to powerful investment discovery tools and a wealth of investment education to help you achieve your financial goals.