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Investing.com - Scotiabank (TSX:BNS) downgraded Illumina (NASDAQ:ILMN) from Sector Outperform to Sector Perform on Friday, while reducing its price target to $125 from $164. The stock currently trades at $100.96, with InvestingPro data showing strong returns over the past three months despite the recent downgrade.
The downgrade comes despite Scotiabank maintaining its bullish outlook on the next-generation sequencing (NGS) market, which is evolving toward multi-omics capabilities, lower workflow costs, and more comprehensive biological data collection.
Illumina currently derives approximately 55% of its revenue from clinical applications, including cancer screening, testing and monitoring, and genetic disease testing.
Scotiabank still views Illumina as being "best positioned competitively" to capitalize on the most significant opportunities in the NGS market going forward.
The firm’s price target reduction represents a 24% decrease from its previous valuation of $164 per share for the genomic sequencing company.
In other recent news, Illumina has announced the acquisition of SomaLogic from Standard BioTools for up to $425 million in cash. The transaction includes $350 million in upfront cash and up to $75 million in milestone payments, along with 2% royalties on certain sales for ten years. Meanwhile, Illumina’s stock was downgraded by Citi from Neutral to Sell due to concerns about its second-half outlook, despite expectations for in-line second-quarter results. Citi’s analyst highlighted challenges in the company’s consumables sales and potential risks if Illumina cuts its guidance, marking a possible third earnings per share reduction this year. In contrast, Bernstein has shown optimism about the Life Science Tools sector, suggesting potential recovery despite recent declines. This sector, which includes Illumina, might benefit from mitigated economic tensions with China and emerging growth economies like India. However, Bernstein notes that clear catalysts are still needed for a more substantial recovery. The developments surrounding Illumina reflect a mix of strategic moves and market challenges that investors are closely monitoring.
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