High debt loads hold them back

Article Excerpt

In the past few years, big pharmaceutical companies have spun off their consumer drug operations. That’s part of their strategy to focus on more-profitable prescription drug businesses. These two recent spinoffs have decent long-term prospects, but their shares will likely remain depressed until they cut their high debt loads. VIATRIS INC. $10 is a hold. The company (New York symbol VTRS; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $12.0 billion; Dividend yield: 4.8%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.viatris.com) makes a variety of branded and generic drugs, include Celebrex (pain relief), Viagra (erectile dysfunction) and Lipitor (cholesterol). It was formed in November 2020 by the merger of Pfizer’s Upjohn division (generic drugs) with Netherlands-based Mylan N.V. Pfizer investors received 0.124079 of a Viatris share for each Pfizer share. In November 2022, the company merged its biosimilars drug business with India’s Biocon Biologics. Biosimilars are cheaper copies of complex biologic drugs. Viatris received $2.0 billion in cash plus $1.0 billion of Biocon convertible preferred shares. That…