The fourth-quarter 2024 earnings season for the Medical sector is in its last leg, with several companies to report their results this week. The sector mainly comprises pharma/biotech and medical device companies. All drug and pharma bigwigs have already reported results except Bayer. The earnings season for the drug and biotech sector kicked off around late January when bellwether Johnson & Johnson reported strong fourth-quarter results, beating estimates for earnings and sales. Most other large drugmakers have also surpassed both estimates this time around and issued decent outlooks for 2025.

Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.

Per the Earnings Trends report, as of Feb. 19, 85.2% of the companies in the Medical sector — representing 97.3% of the sector’s market capitalization — reported quarterly earnings. Of these, 82.7% surpassed earnings estimates, while 78.8% beat the same for revenues. Earnings increased 14.2% year over year, while revenues rose 9.4%. Overall, fourth-quarter earnings of the Medical sector are expected to increase 13.8%, while sales are expected to rise 9.3% from the year-ago quarter.

Viatris VTRS, Perrigo PRGO, Novavax NVAX, Intellia Therapeutics NTLA and Iovance Biotherapeutics IOVA are all slated to release their quarterly results on Feb. 27, 2025. While VTRS, NVAX and NTLA are scheduled to release results before the opening bell, PRGO and IOVA are set to report after market close.

Let’s see how these biotech/pharma companies are likely to have performed in the soon-to-be-reported quarter.

Viatris

Viatris has a mixed earnings surprise history. This large generic drugmaker’s earnings beat estimates in two of the trailing four quarters and missed in the other two, delivering an average surprise of 0.33%. In the last reported quarter, VTRS beat earnings estimates by 10.29%.

Per our proven model, companies with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) have a good chance of delivering an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

For the quarter to be reported, Viatris has an Earnings ESP of -3.51% and a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for VTRS’ earnings per share is pegged at 57 cents.

Strong growth in Emerging Markets and Japan, Australia and New Zealand (JANZ) and expansion of business activities in Greater China are likely to have boosted sales of Viatris’ Brand business. Sales from the generics business are likely to have improved on the back of strong new product launch performance in Developed Markets, continued growth from complex products and solid performance across the broader European portfolio.

Viatris Inc. Price and Consensus

Viatris Inc. price-consensus-chart | Viatris Inc. Quote

Perrigo

Perrigo has a mixed earnings surprise history. The company’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on the remaining occasion, delivering an average surprise of 8.41%. In the last reported quarter, PRGO missed earnings estimates by 1.22%.

For the quarter to be reported, Perrigo has an Earnings ESP of -4.92% and a Zacks Rank #4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PRGO’s earnings per share is pegged at 92 cents.

Perrigo’s revenues from its two segments — Consumer Self Care Americas and Consumer Self Care International – are likely to have suffered a decline in the fourth quarter of 2025 due to lower net product sales in the United States and unfavorable currency movements.

Perrigo Company plc Price and Consensus

Perrigo Company plc price-consensus-chart | Perrigo Company plc Quote

Novavax

The biotech firm’s performance has been dismal, with Novavax missing earnings expectations in three of the trailing four quarters while surpassing the mark on one occasion. It delivered a negative four-quarter earnings surprise of 56.95%, on average. In the last reported quarter, Novavax beat earnings estimates by 12.64%.  

For the quarter to be reported, Novavax has an Earnings ESP of -48.54% and currentlycarries a Zacks Rank #3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NVAX’s loss per share is pegged at 75 cents.

Vaccine sales for Novavax are expected to be minimal during the quarter.

Novavax, Inc. Price and Consensus

Novavax, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Novavax, Inc. Quote

Intellia Therapeutics

Intellia has a mixed earnings surprise history. The company’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on the remaining occasion, delivering an average surprise of 4.02%. In the last reported quarter, NTLA beat earnings estimates by 2.19%.

For the quarter to be reported, Intellia has an Earnings ESP of +35.03% and currentlycarries a Zacks Rank #2. Thus, our proven model predicts an earnings beat for the company in the upcoming quarterly release. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NTLA’s loss per share is pegged at $1.32.

In the absence of a marketed drug, Intellia’s top line in the fourth quarter is likely to have been driven by collaboration revenues received from its partners. Investors can also expect updates from the company regarding its clinical-stage pipeline candidates on the upcoming conference call.

Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. Price and Consensus

Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. Quote

Iovance Biotherapeutics

Iovance has a mixed earnings surprise history. The company’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on the remaining occasion, delivering an average surprise of 5.55%. In the last reported quarter, IOVA beat earnings estimates by 9.68%.

For the quarter to be reported, Iovance has an Earnings ESP of +7.90% and currentlycarries a Zacks Rank #4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for IOVA’s loss per share is pegged at 27 cents.

Iovance’s revenues in the upcoming quarterly release are likely to have been boosted by the sales of its two marketed drugs — the IL-2 product Proleukin (aldesleukin) and the recently-approved TIL therapy Amtagvi. While Proleukin is approved to treat metastatic renal cell carcinoma and metastatic melanoma in adults, Amtagvi is approved for advanced melanoma indication.

Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. Price and Consensus

Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. Quote

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Perrigo Company plc (PRGO) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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