Short Sellers Hike Their Bets in Major Biotechs

The short interest data are out for August 31, the most recent settlement date. Generally speaking, companies within the biotech industry are considered a riskier group of stocks, with big potential upside and big potential downside.

As we have said before, FDA rulings can make or break the biotech stocks, and short sellers and mega-bulls often go to war against each other in these companies. After all, if a single failed clinical trial can mean disaster for a stock, then some short sellers can argue for a stock implosion down the road.

24/7 Wall St. has reviewed the top biotech companies, without focusing on speculative companies. The August 31 short interest data has been compared with the previous report, and short interest in most of these selected biotech stocks increased.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s (NASDAQ: ALXN) short interest increased to 4.84 million shares from the previous 4.75 million. Shares recently traded at $106.01, in a 52-week range of $72.67 to $121.50.

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Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN | AMGN Price Prediction) saw its short interest increase to 6.20 million shares from the previous level of 4.39 million. Shares were trading at $240.64, in a 52-week range of $177.05 to $264.97.

Short interest in Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) rose to 3.31 million shares from 2.38 million in the prior period. The stock traded at $266.51, within a 52-week range of $219.70 to $374.99.

Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) saw its short interest drop to 16.17 million shares from 18.83 million in the previous period. Shares were trading at $63.77, in a 52-week range of $60.89 to $85.97.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s (NASDAQ: REGN) short interest retreated slightly from the previous 1.60 million shares to 1.59 million. The stock traded at $550.10 a share, in a 52-week range of $271.37 to $664.64.

And the number of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTX) shares short increased to 3.35 million. The previous reading was 3.22 million. The shares traded at $255.65 apiece, in a 52-week range of $165.23 to $306.08.

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