Topic: How To Invest

Pat: I would like your advice on Gilead Sciences and Western Digital. Gilead seems to have recently turned the corner, but it is difficult to get information on how well their pipeline of drug products is doing. Western Digital, a hard-drive manufacturer, has good numbers and recent results appear to be good, but is the low price a result of the fact that the company is now dealing in yesterday’s technology? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Gilead Sciences, $37.06, symbol GILD on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 838.6 million; Market cap: $31.1 billion, www.gilead.com), faces patent expirations on a number of its HIV drugs, which account for around 80% of its sales. The main patent expirations include Emtriva in the EU in 2016, as well as Viread and Truvada in the U.S. in 2017. The company’s cash flow is strong. It will likely report cash flow of $3.76 a share this year, and an estimated $4 a share next year. Gilead also holds cash of over $2 billion. The main product that Gilead is currently developing is its QUAD treatment, which is a once-daily pill that consists of four HIV drugs. QUAD is now in Phase III trials. Gilead owns all four of the drugs in this treatment, so it would receive 100% of the profits. However, if it is approved, QUAD will not likely be available until late 2012 at the earliest. As well, it is expected to…