7 Undervalued Pharmaceuticals Stocks for Thursday, September 07

By AAII Staff
September 07, 2023
Diamond graphic indicating best value stocks in their industry
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APTX COCP IMCC MBRX PETQ SXTC YCBD

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 Thursday, September 07, 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
Aptinyx Inc APTX na na 0.1 0.0% 0.28 na A
Cocrystal Pharma Inc COCP na na 0.4 (23.9%) 0.72 na B
IM Cannabis Corp IMCC 0.21 na 0.3 (79.2%) 0.54 na A
Moleculin Biotech Inc MBRX na na 0.5 (3.9%) 0.38 na A
PetIQ Inc PETQ 0.52 na 9.5 0.5% 2.23 4.1 B
China SXT Pharmaceuticals Inc SXTC 0.63 na 2.2 na 0.09 na A
cbdMD Inc YCBD 0.11 na na (80.5%) 0.11 na B

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.

Aptinyx Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score APTX Industry Median
Price/Sales na na 2.54
Price/Earnings na na 18.6
EV/EBITDA 0 0.1 10.3
Shareholder Yield 49 0.0% (3.9%)
Price/Book Value 4 0.28 1.88
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 22.8

Aptinyx, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. The Company is focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of proprietary, synthetic small molecules for the treatment of brain and nervous system disorders. The Company focuses on targeting and modulating N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, (NMDArs), which are vital to the normal and effective function of the brain and nervous system. The Company's NYX-783 is in Phase 1 clinical development for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), and in preclinical development for the treatment of alcohol use disorder. NYX-783 modulates NMDA receptors to increase glutamatergic activity in key regions and may act to enhance extinction learning and alleviate the emotional symptoms of opioid withdrawal. The Company's NMDAr modulator discovery platform builds on NMDAr biology. The platform has the potential to develop into a broad pipeline and product portfolio across an array of disorders of the brain and nervous system.

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.

Aptinyx Inc has a Value Score of 97, which is considered to be undervalued.

Now, let’s assess Aptinyx Inc’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 0.1, when compared to the industry median of 10.3, 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. Aptinyx Inc’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of (3.88%). 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. Aptinyx Inc’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.88. This could make Aptinyx Inc more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Cocrystal Pharma Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score COCP Industry Median
Price/Sales na na 2.54
Price/Earnings na na 18.6
EV/EBITDA 2 0.4 10.3
Shareholder Yield 88 (23.9%) (3.9%)
Price/Book Value 18 0.72 1.88
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 22.8

Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. is a biotechnology company. The Company is engaged in discovering and developing novel antiviral therapeutics that target the replication process of influenza viruses, coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2), hepatitis C viruses and noroviruses. It is developing antiviral therapeutics that inhibit the essential viral replication function of RNA viruses, causing acute and chronic viral diseases. It also uses advanced computational methods to screen and design product candidates using proprietary cocrystal structural information. The Company?s pipeline CC-42344 is an oral PB2 inhibitor discovered using Cocrystals proprietary structure-based drug discovery platform technology. It is specifically designed to be effective against all pandemic and seasonal influenza A strains and to have a high barrier to resistance due to the way the virus replication machinery is targeted.

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.

Cocrystal Pharma Inc has a Value Score of 72, which is considered to be undervalued.

Cocrystal Pharma Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Cocrystal Pharma Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.88.

You can read more about Cocrystal Pharma 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 8 0.21 2.54
Price/Earnings na na 18.6
EV/EBITDA 1 0.3 10.3
Shareholder Yield 95 (79.2%) (3.9%)
Price/Book Value 11 0.54 1.88
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 22.8

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 85, 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 1.88.

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.

Moleculin Biotech Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score MBRX Industry Median
Price/Sales na na 2.54
Price/Earnings na na 18.6
EV/EBITDA 2 0.5 10.3
Shareholder Yield 72 (3.9%) (3.9%)
Price/Book Value 7 0.38 1.88
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 22.8

Moleculin Biotech, Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company. The Company has a pipeline of clinical programs for the treatment of tumors and viruses. It has three core technologies and six drug candidates, three of which have shown human activity in clinical trials. Its core technologies consist of Annamycin, WP1066 Portfolio and WP1122 Portfolio. Annamycin is designed to avoid multidrug resistance mechanisms and cardiotoxicity. Its WP1066 Portfolio (including lead drug candidates WP1066 and WP1220) represents a class of agents capable of hitting multiple targets, including the activated form of a key oncogenic transcription factor, STAT3. WP1066 is its flagship Immune/Transcription Modulator. An analog of WP1066, referred to as WP1220, is related to the use of the molecule in the topical treatment of psoriasis. Annamycin is in development for the treatment of refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and soft tissue sarcoma (STS) lung metastases.

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.

Moleculin Biotech Inc has a Value Score of 88, which is considered to be undervalued.

Moleculin Biotech Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Moleculin Biotech Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.88.

You can read more about Moleculin Biotech 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.

PetIQ Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score PETQ Industry Median
Price/Sales 20 0.52 2.54
Price/Earnings na na 18.6
EV/EBITDA 48 9.5 10.3
Shareholder Yield 41 0.5% (3.9%)
Price/Book Value 61 2.23 1.88
Price/Free Cash Flow 10 4.1 22.8

PetIQ, Inc. is a pet medication and wellness company, which provides veterinary products and services. The Company is engaged with customers through approximately 60,000 points of distribution across retail and e-commerce channels. The Company has two segments: Products and Services. Products segment manufactures and distributes pet medication and health and wellness products to the retail and e-commerce channels. It is focused its offerings on value-branded products, and third-party branded products for dogs and cats, including pet Rx medications, OTC medications, and wellness products. It offers and supplies these products to customers primarily in the United States. Services segment provides a comprehensive suite of services at approximately 2,600 community clinic locations and wellness centers hosted at retailers across 41 states. The segment?s services include diagnostic tests, vaccinations, prescription medications, microchipping, grooming and hygiene and wellness checks.

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.

PetIQ Inc has a Value Score of 72, which is considered to be undervalued.

PetIQ Inc’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make PetIQ Inc more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.88.

You can read more about PetIQ 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.

China SXT Pharmaceuticals Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score SXTC Industry Median
Price/Sales 24 0.63 2.54
Price/Earnings na na 18.6
EV/EBITDA 6 2.2 10.3
Shareholder Yield na na (3.9%)
Price/Book Value 1 0.09 1.88
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 22.8

China SXT Pharmaceuticals Inc is a China-based pharmaceutical company that focuses on the research, development, manufacture, marketing and sales of Traditional Chinese Medicine Pieces (TCMP). The Company develops, manufactures and sells three types of TCMP products: advanced TCMP, fine TCMP and regular TCMP, and TCM Homologous Supplements (TCMHS) products. The Company sells its TCMP products under three brand names such as Suxuangtang, Hui Chun Tang and Tong Ren Tang. Most of its products are sold on a prescription basis across China.

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.

China SXT Pharmaceuticals Inc has a Value Score of 99, which is considered to be undervalued.

China SXT Pharmaceuticals Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make China SXT Pharmaceuticals Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.88.

You can read more about China SXT 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.

cbdMD Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score YCBD Industry Median
Price/Sales 3 0.11 2.54
Price/Earnings na na 18.6
EV/EBITDA na na 10.3
Shareholder Yield 95 (80.5%) (3.9%)
Price/Book Value 1 0.11 1.88
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 22.8

cbdMD, Inc. produces and distributes cannabidiol (CBD) products. The Company owns and operates CBD brands cbdMD, Paw CBD and cbdMD Botanicals. Its cbdMD brand of products includes a range of premium every day and functional CBD products, including tinctures; gummies; topicals; capsules; drink mixes; and sleep, focus and calming aids.Its Paw CBD brand of products includes a line of veterinarian-formulated products including tinctures, chews, topicals products in varying strengths and formulas. Its cbdMD Botanicals brand of beauty and skincare products features facial oil and serum, toners, moisturizers, clear skin, facial masks, exfoliants and body care stock-keeping units (SKU). cbdMD, Paw CBD and cbdMD Botanicals products are distributed through its e-commerce websites, third party ecommerce sites, select distributors and marketing partners as well as a variety of brick-and-mortar retailers. Its products are sold through www.cbdmd.com, www.pawcbd.com, and cbdmdbotanicals.com Websites.

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.

cbdMD Inc has a Value Score of 78, which is considered to be undervalued.

cbdMD Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make cbdMD Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.88.

You can read more about cbdMD 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.

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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.

  • Aptinyx Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
  • Cocrystal Pharma Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • IM Cannabis Corp stock has a Value Grade of A.
  • Moleculin Biotech Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
  • PetIQ Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • China SXT Pharmaceuticals Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
  • cbdMD Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.

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.

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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.

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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