Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: I’m doing some portfolio housekeeping. What are your thoughts on Celgene and Lockheed Martin? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Celgene Corp., $59.52, symbol CELG on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 462.8 million; Market cap: $27.6 billion; www.celgene.com), is a drug company that develops and markets drugs to treat cancer and immune-inflammatory diseases. Celgene’s main drug is Revlimid, which is used to treat multiple myeloma (a cancer of the plasma cell) and myelodysplastic syndromes (a group of diseases that disrupt the production of blood cells by bone marrow). Revlimid accounts for 68% of Celgene’s sales. The company’s shares dropped sharply in December and January, after data from a French trial appeared to show more reoccurrences of cancer in patients who took Revlimid for more than 24 months during and after chemotherapy. However, there has been no increase in secondary cancers in the drug’s approved use as a myeloma treatment. The French trial shouldn’t hurt Celgene’s sales. However, the company’s dependence on Revlimid for the bulk of its sales is a risk factor. The stock is okay to hold, but only for aggressive investors. A: Lockheed Martin,…