In the spirit of World Cup competition, we're holding our own tournament in search of the Better Stock Today. We're pitting 32 companies against each other, and you, the reader, will determine the winner. Today it's the Final!
Motley Fool health care analyst David Williamson picked some strong companies to represent in this tournament, and as a result, he's battling himself in today's match of Gilead Sciences (GILD 0.07%) vs. Isis Pharmaceuticals (IONS 1.46%) in our search for the better stock.
Bracket showing companies that advanced from the group stages
David Williamson makes the case for Gilead to win the final. He believes Gilead's Sovaldi will continue to beat analyst estimates and that its runaway success will continue. Estimated to do $1.4 billion in first quarter sales, the instant blockbuster clocked in at $2.3 billion. Gilead already has an even better combo treatment in the works and despite its high price tag, Gilead's future rivals don't appear willing to undercut its cost. With an estimated 150 million hepatitis-c cases worldwide, curing the disease will prove beneficial to humanity and Gilead shareholders.
David Williamson, on the other hand, thinks Isis is a strong contender because of one big reason -- its amazing drug pipeline. Wall Street heralds it as the best in biotech and puts Isis in play as a takeover target. A virtual who's who of big pharma has struck partnership deals. Isis already has orphan drug Kynamro on the market, and has seen recent success from a mid-stage study for an anti-clotting drug. A recent sell-off has given investors a chance to get this deep pipeline at a discounted price.
Who will win David or David ... only you can decide. Vote here to determine the winner of the final and sound off in the comments box below. Check back to Fool.com to see who's the winner of the tournament.
