7 Best Biotech Stocks To Add to Your Portfolio in 2022
Biotech stocks have a reputation as a moderate- to high-risk investment. That’s because many of these companies spend a fortune on research and development with no guarantee their products will ever reach the market.
Many biotech stocks tend to underperform compared to the rest of the Nasdaq Composite Index, a market-cap-weighted index predominantly focused on technology.
However, if you have a fairly high risk tolerance, a bear market represents a good time to take a chance on some stocks in the biotech industry. Stock prices are low, which means a potential for higher returns if you choose the right companies.
Which might lead you to the question of: What are the best biotech stocks to buy?
What Are Biotechnology Stocks?
Biotechnology combines biology and engineering to manufacture products or technology — most often, pharmaceuticals, lab equipment or diagnostic tools — designed to prolong human life while, ideally, improving its quality.
Biotechnology stocks are the instruments that help fund biotech companies. Many biotech companies fly under the radar of consumers and retail investors. That’s because once they develop new drug technology, they sell it to a pharmaceutical company that can mass produce the product.
One notable exception is the biotech firm Moderna, which played an instrumental role in the development of one of the first COVID-19 vaccines.
What Are the Best Biotech Stocks To Buy?
Some of the biotech stocks on this list are not household names. But most have tremendous revenue potential with promising drugs in various stages of development and successful drugs already available today.
Here are the seven best biotech stocks:
Biogen (BIIB)
BioMarin (BMRN)
Amgen (AMGN)
CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)
Exelixis (EXEL)
Bio-Techne (TECH)
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN)
1. Biogen (BIIB)
As the first biotech stock that Warren Buffett ever invested in back in 2019, Biogen holds promise today for investors with a buy-and-hold mentality and high risk tolerance.
There is a lot of volatility in the company recently, with its Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm showing great promise but only being prescribed in specific approved trials. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services essentially cut off access to the drug to Medicare beneficiaries, even after the Food and Drug Administration rushed approval of the treatment.
However, bad news surrounding Aduhelm may have been baked into the stock’s price, which is why shares didn’t plummet upon release of the news. Since then, the company has published positive results for a Phase 2 trial for a new systemic lupus erythematosis drug.
As of Sept. 8, the stock sits at $207.98, down 35% in the past year and closer to its 52-week low of $187.16 than its one-year high of $322.49.
Pros
Solid fundamentals
Trading near its one-year low
Promising Alzheimer’s treatment received quick FDA approval
Promising lupus drug on the horizon
Cons
Highly volatile
Aduhelm not approved for Medicare patients
2. BioMarin (BMRN)
BioMarin has recently had a string of good news resulting in the company upgrading its full-year revenue predictions. The $17.25 billion company specializes in pioneering treatments for rare genetic disorders and already has many drugs on the market.
MarketBeat gives BioMarin a “moderate buy” rating, with 12 Wall Street analysts issuing a “buy” rating and 2 issuing a “hold,” which is a slight upgrade since July.
Pros
Outperforming S&P 500 this year
Target price 21% above current price
Cons
Niche products without a large market
Not a short-term investment
3. Amgen (AMGN)
Amgen is best known for Neulasta, a drug that reduces infection risk in chemotherapy patients, Enbrel for inflammatory diseases and Prolia for osteoporosis. With this trilogy of successful drugs already on the market, the $132 billion biopharmaceutical company has solid fundamentals and steady income. In early June 2022, The FDA approved Amgen’s rheumatoid arthritis treatment, RIABNI.
Ten out of 25 Wall Street analysts covering Amgen give it a “buy” or “strong buy” rating, according to Yahoo Finance. However, MarketBeat analysts are giving it a hold rating.
Pros
Successful drugs for common diseases already on the market
New rheumatoid arthritis treatment just gained FDA approval
Pays dividend of 3.17%
Cons
Price hovering near 52-week high
Many analysts give it a hold rating
4. CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)
CRISPR Therapeutics takes a unique approach to drug development for the treatment of serious diseases through gene editing. The company is developing promising treatments for diseases such as cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, hemophilia, Tay-Sachs and more.
The biotech firm’s financial future is also promising, according to investors and analysts. MarketBeat gives CRISPR stock a “moderate buy” rating. Over the last few months, several publications, including U.S. News & World Report and Investor’s Business Daily, have listed CRISPR as a top biotech pick.
Pros
Promising treatments for common hereditary diseases
Closer to 52-week high than 52-week low
Cons
Not a good buy for risk-averse investors
Not a short-term buy
5. Exelixis (EXEL)
Exelixis is a company focused on cancer treatments or, as its website states, a company that strives “to develop effective, tolerable and durable treatments to help patients with cancer thrive.” To date, the company has medicines available to treat kidney, liver and thyroid cancers along with advanced melanoma.
The consensus rating among 10 Wall Street analysts is “strong buy,” according to Yahoo Finance. The company has an annual growth forecast of 11.92% through 2024, according to WallStreetZen. That’s about half of the biotech industry’s projected earnings growth rate but slightly higher than the U.S. market average earnings growth rate.
At a current price of under $18 per share, Exelixis is at a very attainable entry point for new investors and shows a lot of growth potential. However, it’s worth noting that the price dropped recently when a Phase 3 trial for the company’s renal cell carcinoma treatment was less effective than the company had hoped.
Pros
Affordable stock
Strong buy rating from analysts
Cons
Recent drug showed poor results in Phase 3 trial
Not a short-term buy
6. Bio-Techne (TECH)
Bio-Techne is a bit different from the other firms on this list. Rather than developing drug treatments, it supplies biological materials to other pharmaceutical and biotech firms for drug development and testing. It is also one of just a few companies on this list to offer a dividend.
The company has a projected earnings growth of 22.03%, according to MarketBeat, whose analysts give it a “moderate buy” rating. Four out of five Wall Street analysts rated Bio-Techne a “buy,” with one giving it a “sell” rating.
Zacks predicts an average return from the stock relative to the market in the coming months and says it is fairly valued right now.
Pros
Pays a dividend of 0.38%
Moderate buy rating from analysts
Cons
Expensive entry point at just under $350
7. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN)
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is probably best known for its COVID-19 treatment, REGEN-COV, which was granted an Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA. That EUA was later retracted, however, when the treatment was found to be ineffective against the Omicron variant.
Despite that, the company stock maintains high ratings, with Kiplinger calling it “one of the best biotech stocks in terms of technical performance.” The stock has outperformed the iShares Biotechnology ETF so far this year.
MarketBeat gave the stock a “moderate buy” rating, with 11 Wall Street analysts rating it a “buy” and 6 giving it a “hold.” MarketBeat projects 6.8% earnings growth — a slight upgrade compared to June.
Pros
Analysts give it a buy rating
Modest projected earnings growth
Cons
Expensive entry point of over $700
No dividends
Final Take
Biotech stocks, especially in a bear market, can represent a tremendous value to investors with a moderate to high risk-tolerance. To mitigate risk, you might consider investing in a biotech ETF, like the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) or the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI), instead.
Biotech Stocks FAQ
Here are some commonly asked questions regarding investing in biotech stocks.
Is it worth investing in biotech?
Biotech stocks carry risks, as with any investments, but they can show tremendous returns over time. Experts say that biotech stocks may be excellent long-term investments, in part because of the lengthy time-to-market for many drugs.
If you want to diversify your risk, consider investing in a biotech ETF, which is a balanced collection of biotech stocks.
What biotech stock did Warren Buffett buy?
In 2019, Warren Buffett's investment firm Berkshire Hathaway purchased biotech stocks for the first time. The firm purchased more than 648,000 shares of Biogen stock, worth $192.4 million. It was the first biotech company Buffett chose to invest in through his decades long history as the Oracle of Omaha.
However, in an uncharacteristic move for the investor, he sold those shares in the second quarter of 2021, following the FDA's controversial approval of Biogen's promising Alzheimer's drug. At the time, the stock may have been worth as much as $267 million, or a 39% return-on-investment if Buffett sold at the stock's high point.
In terms of biotech stock that Warren Buffett owns or has owned, Berkshire Hathaway has also held positions in Merck, AbbVie, Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb.
Daria Uhlig contributed to the reporting for this article.
Information is accurate as of Sept. 9, 2022.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Best Biotech Stocks To Add to Your Portfolio in 2022
