Six Stocks to Keep You, and Your Portfolio Healthy

My recent illness got me thinking about some stocks that can help make, and keep us well.

Pfizer (PFE), just increased its dividend about 10% from $0.29 per share to $0.32 per share. One of its most popular drug is Lipitor, which is used for the treatment of high cholesterol levels in the blood. Most of my friends over the age of 65 are taking Lipitor.

It also has many other best selling drugs, several of which you've probably seen advertised on television, including Norvasc for hypertension, Caduet for cardiovascular problems, Exubera, for glycemic control, Zoloft for central nervous system disorders, Aricept for Alzheimer's disease, Celebrex for arthritis, Zithromax for bacterial infections, Zyvox for bacterial infections, Detrol for overactive bladder, and Zyrtec for allergies. Of course, we can't forget Viagra for erectile dysfunction, with probably one of the best brand recognition of any drug.

Pfizer has a P/E of 11, and a 4.8% yield.

Schering-Plough Corp. (SGP) is another company that just announced a dividend, but didn't increase it. Schering makes a lot of products for allergy sufferers including Nasonex for nasal allergy, Afrin a nasal decongestant spray, Clarinex for allergic rhinitis, Foradil and Asmanex for asthma, Proventil for bronchospasm, Avelox for respiratory and skin infections. It also makes Cipro for infections, Remicade for rheumatoid arthritis, PEG-Intron for hepatitis C, Intronn A for chronic hepatitis B and C, and CORRECTOL laxatives, along with many other products.

Shering has a P/E of 21, and a yield of 0.9%.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), the famous Band-Aid company, is almost recession proof as people will still buy Motrin, Neutrogena, Pepcid, Splenda, Tylenol, and Listerine, whether there is a recession or not. [I used a lot of Tylenol in the last few days.]

Johnson & Johnson has a P/E of 19, and a yield of 2.4%.

Glaxosmithkline plc (GSK) is a British drug and consumer products manufacturer. The company's drugs include Advair for asthma, Avandia for diabetes, Lamictal for epilepsy and bipolar disorder, Wellbutrin, for depression, Zofran for nausea Valtrex for herpes, and Flovent, for asthma.

Glaxosmithkline plc has a P/E of 14, and a yield of 4%.

Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) has drugs which include Singulair for asthma, Vasotec for hypertension and heart failure, Fosamax for osteoporosis, and Zocor, for atherosclerosis.

Merck has a P/E of 24 and a yield of 2.5%.

Novartis AG (NVS) is a Swiss-based health and pharmaceutical products company. Its Sandoz division produces generic pharmaceuticals.

Novartis has a P/E of 10, and a yield of 1.7%.

Disclosure: The author owns PFE.

Comments

[thomas728]

Lipitor,while an enormous income producer for PFE, will be coming
off patent in '08 (I believe but shortly in any event).

And with it all that expense in development........

The story now as always is what drugs are in pipeline for large
pharma.

Generic anyone ?

My nickel ? MHS !

[rk]

This report is not up-to-date for Pfizer. PFE had pulled Exubera from the market and have returned the drug rights back to the company that had invented it. Also, there is no mention about Chantix, an anti-smoking drug.

[firboy4]

Did I find this article interesting? For some reason I was not asked. Anyway, I did read it all, and came away with no more knowledge than before I read it. And as one commenter commented (on the first day of Christmas?) it's what's in the pipeline that matters along with solid facts about when a drug is coming off of patent. That's what I'd like to know about all of these companies' drugs.

[Jake2]

If I am not mistaken, Zocor is off-patent and is a cholesterol-lowering drug. With drugs you've got to get it right the first time. Otherwise . . . .