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Strategies & Market Trends : Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Elroy Jetson who wrote (100449)8/6/2009 8:26:15 AM
From: Casaubon2 Recommendations  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 116555
 
obviously you believe what you believe, however, that does not make something true. Once again, you quote this magical 3X asset appreciation number, without any evidence or support. So, I will refute it with an example. And then I will, once again, explain what you could do about it, if it were true.

MSFT (all numbers in thousands)
Research and Development 9,010,000
Selling General and Admin 16,579,000

PFE (all numbers in thousands)
Research and Development 7,945,000
Selling General and Admin 14,537,000

These are the most recent annual numbers from the income statements.

The pharma stocks have been selling off for an extended period of time, not because investors have realized the U.S. economy can no longer afford to lavish special favors on this government protected fiefdom. Rather, they have been in decline (not rising inordinately quickly as you erroneously conclude) because of large numbers of patent expirations!-with concomitant profit erosion. The phenomenon has resulted in massive lay-offs in the industry, with more to come. This has resulted in big pharma buying some late stage drug discovery operations at a mark up, to hopefully generate some new income sources. Otherwise, expect further lay-offs in sales forces and research and development.

Now, if you think the profits are outsized, you can always buy their stock and participate in the oversized profit appreciation.

PS I have dozens of drug patents which have produced no profits, at enormous cost on the R&D side. The drugs are life saving-if they ever get approval. So, you (and I mean this in a collective sense) will need to make a decision with respect to drug care. Either, pay a price for the drugs which allows for a profit and cost to invent; or, watch the industry wither and fade, as talent walks away from the game (as has been happenng in the US for many years, to pursue outrageous salaries in banking).

PPS Yes, the ratio of non-americans being hired in the industry is stark.