Many Cord Blood Companies Experiencing Double Digit Growth

A report called 'Capitalizing on Opportunities in Cord Blood Industry Growth' was just released by MarketResearch.com, which describes how a certain sector of blood banks are experiencing a very fast growth rate, ranging from 17% per year to 25% per year. The 201 page report is available for download for $3,995. This industry has got the attention of billionaires, such as Richard Branson, of Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic Airways fame. He created Virgin Health, a cord blood bank.

So what is cord blood? Cord blood is blood that comes from the umbilical cords of babies, and contains a significant amount of hematopoietic stem cells. Specialized cord blood banks store this blood. Cord blood stem cells are considered far superior to stem cells from bone marrow. Cord blood of a baby is preserved in the event it may be needed at some point in the future for treatment of the cancer or genetic disease of the child or the child's siblings. Many diseases have been treated with cord blood. Information on cord blood and how it is collected, stored, and used, is available at CordBloodStocks.com.

Investors have two options when investing in this industry. They can own the stocks of the cord blood banks or own the companies that use cord blood to develop cures and produce extraction and storage products. One that falls into the second category is PerkinElmer, Inc. (PKI), which owns ViaCell, a Cambridge, Massachusetts company which sells ViaCord, a product which is used to preserve baby's umbilical cord blood. They also research and other therapeutic uses of umbilical cord blood-derived and adult-derived stem cells. The stock trades at 10 times forward earnings and pays a decent yield of 1.5%.

Baxter International Inc. (BAX) makes blood collection bags for umbilical cord blood and develop adult stem-cell therapies. They also own a patent for assembling and methods to process cord blood in a sterile fashion to avoid exposure to bacterial contamination and to disburse the introduction of cryopreservation solution into cord blood at a desired rate, thereby avoiding damage or trauma to the cord blood cells. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 10 and sports a yield of 2.7%.

Celgene (CELG) is a New Jersey company that is involved in the discovery, production, and marketing of therapies designed to treat cancer and immune-inflammatory-related diseases. They own LifeBank USA, a cord blood bank. The stock has a forward PE of 14.

Amgen Inc. (AMGN) is also funding research into cord blood extraction, preservation, and storage. The stock has a forward PE of 10 and carries a yield of 2.0%.

China Cord Blood Corporation (CO) provides cord blood collection, and stem cell storage services. The company is based in Beijing, China. The stock trades at 9 times earnings.

For a free list of cord blood and stem cell stocks, which can be downloaded, updated, and sorted, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Biotech Employment Grows Over 600% in California: Top Biotech Stocks

According to research by two biotech industry associations, BayBio and BIOCOM, and the compensation consulting firm Radford, employment in the biotech industry rose by an incredible 632 percent in the past five years in the state of California. There were several interesting facts that came out of the survey, such as the the discovery that in 2006, there were eighteen biotechnology companies that had no employees; now these same companies employ over 3200 employees.

It is not just California that is benefiting from the growth of biotech; over 170 publicly traded biotech stocks provide jobs all across the United States. Several of these companies even pay dividends.

Amgen Inc. (AMGN) sells recombinant protein therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, such as include Aranesp, EPOGEN, Neulasta, NEUPOGEN, and Enbrel. The company trades at ten times forward earnings and sports a yield of 2.0%. The company, which has over $20 in cash per share, had a 4% increase in revenues for the latest quarter but a 2.7% drop in earnings.

Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. (MRX) develops and sells products that treats dermatological conditions, such as wrinkles, acne, fungal infections, rosacea, hyperpigmentation, photoaging, and psoriasis. One of the company's popular products is RESTYLANE which is used to treat facial wrinkles. The company pays a yield of 0.9% and trades at 14 times forward earnings. Earnings for the latest quarter were down 21%, and revenues were up 10%.

Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) doesn't pay a yield but it has a forward price to earnings ratio of 8.8. The company develops and markets therapeutics for the treatment of such diseases as HIV, hepatitis B, fungal infections, and arterial hypertension. This Foster City, California based company also produces Tamiflu, which is an oral antiviral for the treatment and prevention of influenza A and B. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 4.8% on a 10.9% rise in revenues.

WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has posted a free list of over 170 biotechnology stocks which shows the P/E, the forward P/E, the price to earnings growth ratio, and the yield. The list can be downloaded and sorted.

Full Disclosure: The author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.
By Stockerblog.com

U of Colorado Opens Cord Blood Bank: What About Cord Blood Stocks

University of Colorado recently opened a public cord blood bank, funded by the federal government. Donations are accepted from almost anyone and the cord blood is available to those in need.

Cord blood is blood that comes from the umbilical cords of babies, and contains a significant amount of hematopoietic stem cells. Specialized cord blood banks, both private and public, are available to store this blood. Cord blood stem cells are considered far superior to stem cells from bone marrow. Parents often have their baby's cord blood preserved in the event it may be needed at some point in the future for treatment of their child's or the child's sibling's cancer or genetic disease. Numerous diseases have been treated with cord blood. For a lot more detail on cord blood and how it is collected, stored, and used, go to CordBloodStocks.com.

The cord blood industry continues to grow. Even Richard Branson, of Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic Airways fame, set up Virgin Health, a cord blood bank. Investors have a two-pronged approach to this investment industry: owning the stocks of the cord blood banks or owning the companies that use cord blood to develop cures.

PerkinElmer, Inc. (PKI) owns ViaCell, a Cambridge, Massachusetts company which sells ViaCord, a product which is used to preserve baby's umbilical cord blood. They also research and other therapeutic uses of umbilical cord blood-derived and adult-derived stem cells. The stock trades at 12 times forward earnings and pays a yield of 1.3%.

Baxter International Inc. (BAX) makes blood collection bags for umbilical cord blood and develop adult stem-cell therapies. They also own a patent for assembling and methods to process cord blood in a sterile fashion to avoid exposure to bacterial contamination and to disburse the introduction of cryopreservation solution into cord blood at a desired rate, thereby avoiding damage or trauma to the cord blood cells. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 12 and pays a yield of 2.3%.

Celgene (CELG) is a New Jersey company that is involved in the discovery, production, and marketing of therapies designed to treat cancer and immune-inflammatory-related diseases. They own LifeBank USA, a cord blood bank. The forward PE is 14, but does not pay a dividend.

Amgen Inc. (AMGN) is also funding research into cord blood extraction, preservation, and storage. The stock has a forward PE of 10 and sports a yield of 2.1%.

China Cord Blood Corporation (CO) provides cord blood collection, and stem cell storage services. The company is based in Beijing, China. The stock does not pay a dividend but trades at 12 times earnings.

For a free list of cord blood and stem cell stocks, which can be downloaded, updated, and sorted, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com