Topic: How To Invest

Dear Pat. We are long-time subscribers to a few of your newsletters but are new to the Inner Circle. What is your opinion on GlaxoSmithKline? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR), $46.85, symbol GSK on New York (ADRs outstanding: 2.4 billion; Market cap: $113.2 billion; www.gsk.com), is a U.K.-based global health care company that develops, makes and sells products in three main markets: pharmaceuticals, vaccines and consumer. It has about 98,000 employees. In the three months ended December 31, 2014, Glaxo’s sales fell 10.4%, to 6.19 billion pounds ($9.39 billion U.S.) from 6.91 billion pounds. Earnings per share declined 5.9%, to 27.3 pence ($0.41 U.S.) from 29.0 pence. The drop mainly resulted from drugs losing their patent protection and facing generic competition. Examples include Valtrex (herpes), Imitrex (migraines), Requip (Parkinson’s disease), Combivir (HIV) and Epivir (antiviral). Meantime, the company’s blockbuster drug Advair (for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) continues to lose sales after coming off-patent in key markets. At one time, Advair supplied 20% of Glaxo’s revenue, but this year it could shed 20% of its U.S. sales to cheaper generics. Glaxo must also deal with several other drugs losing patent…