Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, biotechnology company Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Alnylam's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Alnylam facts
| Headquarters (founded) | Cambridge, Mass. (2002) |
| Market Cap | $599.5 million |
| Industry | Biotechnology |
| Trailing-12-Month Revenue | $82.5 million |
| Management | Founder/Chairman John Clarke CEO Dr. John Maraganore |
| Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) | (29.6%) |
| Cash/Debt | $199.1 million / $0 |
| Competitors |
Merck Pfizer Valeant Pharmaceuticals |
Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, 9% of the 309 members who have rated Alnylam believe the stock will underperform the S&P 500 going forward.
A couple of weeks ago, one of those Fools, All-Star zzlangerhans, nicely summed up the bear case for our community:
The near-term hopes of Alnylam (and RNA interference in general) to be taken seriously as part of the future [armamentarium] against infectious disease were dealt a severe blow ... when the company reported failure of ALN-RSV01 to significantly reduce the incidence of bronchiolitis in RSV-infected patients in a phase IIb trial. ... I believe this development will drain market cap from the company as institutional investors edge quietly towards the exits. If this was an early proof-of-concept trial, the "near-miss" angle might hold water but it doesn't really make the grade for a phase IIb study. ...
I've profited before from volatility in Alnylam, but that was at a lower price entry point with more cash in the coffers. This time round, I'm seeing a lot more tunnel before any light appears.
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