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 round of 16, and Gilead Sciences (GILD +0.59%) takes on DistributionNow (DNOW +1.42%) in our search for the better stock.
Motley Fool health care analyst David Williamson makes the case for Gilead Sciences to win this match up. 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 1st 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.
Joel South, energy analyst at The Motley Fool, thinks newly minted DistributionNow is worthy of your vote as this energy equipment supplier looks to consolidate the fragmented energy supply chain segment by purchasing bolt-on acquisitions and leveraging its presence in 20 countries to be the one stop shopping for energy producers and service providers in the world's oil fields. With 19% market share, no debt and proven leadership, DistributionNow has the tools to disrupt the status quo and reward shareholders along the way.
Vote here to determine the winner of this match and sound off in the comments. Check back to Fool.com to see who advances in the tournament.
