Wachovia, American Technology Research: Not acquiring Merck generics is good news for Teva.
The failure of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA; TASE: TEVA) to acquire the generics business of Merck KGaA (XETRA:MRK) is turning out to be beneficial for the share. Yesterday, Citigroup raised its target price for Teva from $46 to $54, saying that the failure was a good for Teva’s shareholders.
Today, American Technology Research Inc. said that Teva has become more attractive for investors now that the Merck KGaA cloud has lifted. The research company believes that the $6.7 billion that Mylan Laboratories Inc. (NYSE:MYL) paid for Merck generics was way too much, and was highly risky.
Wachovia says that Teva’s loss in the Merck KGaA tender more than offsets last week’s US court defeat in the patent case over ulcer treatment Aciphex.
CIBC World Markets breaks with the consensus. It believes that the Aciphex defeat will cause Teva’s share to fall 5-10% over the coming weeks, but stress that this is in fact a correction.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on May 15, 2007
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