一大波行情来袭生物科技类ETF年终分红行情可期

　　生物科技类公司股票炙手可热，相关ETF也随之收益喜人。今年以来，非杠杆类ETF基金收益的前五位一直被生物科技类ETF占据，加上美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）和欧洲药品管理局（EMA）接二连三带几个重要的新申请（NDA）、补充新药申请（SNDA）及相关公告预计在本月初宣布，随着12月5日公布的Incyte公司（INCY）SNDA的ruxolitinib为患有真性红细胞增症治疗反应不足或羟基脲不耐受性 ，本月还将有一些重要的新药申请宣布

　　21日，Cubist Pharmaceuticals公司用于治疗复杂性尿路感染和复杂性腹腔内感染的新药ceftolozane/tazobactam也将提交FDA的审批。

　　截止今年，FBT已上涨了超过43%，不仅是医药行业表现最好的ETF，同时也是非杠杆类ETF表现最好的基金。预计得益于Incyte和Cubist的利好消息，FBT和其他同类基金在2014年的收益还会增加。

　　据华尔街预计，BioCryst Pharmaceuticals公司将在本月23日、Vertex Pharmaceuticals公司和Pozen公司在30日应该还会有利好消息传出。

　　另外一个生物科技类基金XBI，虽然其投资每只股票最多持有不超过基金份额的2.5%，但是该基金今年已经多次证明了其持有的股票即使只有一只某天表现异常出色，她都能将其转化为自己的“大日子”。就像7月 Puma Biotechnology声称他们治疗乳腺癌的新药neratinib在III期临床试验被证明是有效时；6月份默克公司宣布收购Idenix Pharmaceuticals时，XBI均应声大涨；1月在Intercept Pharmaceuticals宣布其肝病治疗实验被证实成公司之后，XBI当日暴涨超过7%。

　　XBI今年上涨38%，表现仅次于FBT。

It Could be a Big December for Biotech ETFs

　　Already occupying the top five spots among non-leveraged sector exchange traded funds this year, biotech ETFs could end 2014 with a bang if a spate of expected decisions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA) bring positive news.

　　Several important new application (NDA), supplemental new drug applications (SNDA) and related announcements are expected this month, starting with Incyte’s (INCY) SNDA “for ruxolitinib as a potential treatment of patients with polycythemia vera who have had an inadequate response to or are intolerant of hydroxyurea” on Friday Dec. 5, reports Jon Ogg for 24/7 Wall Street.

　　December 21 Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date Cubist Pharmaceuticals (CBST), which “is seeking FDA approval of ceftolozane/tazobactam for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections and complicated intra-abdominal infections,” according to 24/7 Wall Street.

　　Incyte is the largest holding in the First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund (FBT) at 4.3% of the ETF’s weight. The $2 billion FBT also allocates 3.4% of its weight to Cubist, according to issuer data.

　　Up more than 43% this year, FBT is not only the top-performing health care, but the top-performing non-leveraged sector ETF of any variety. The potential for FBT and its rivals to add to 2014 gains this month does not end with Cubist and Incyte.

　　As 24/7 Wall Street reports, big news is expected from BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX) on Dec. 23, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) on Dec. 30 and Pozen (POZN) on Dec. 30. Vertex also accounts for about 3.4% of FBT’s weight.

　　Another biotech ETF to consider this month is the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) . Although XBI is an equal-weight ETF that allocates no more than 2.5% of its weight to any of its 84 holdings, the fund has proven on multiple occasions this year that a huge day for just one of its holdings can translate into a big day for the ETF.

　　Just look at how XBI surged in July when Puma Biotechnology (PBYI) said its experimental breast cancer treatment, neratinib, proved successful in a Phase III trial, how the fund soared in June on news of Merck’s (MRK) of purchase of Idenix Pharmaceuticals (IDIX) and how XBI thrilled investors in January, surging more than 7% in one day after shares of Intercept Pharmaceuticals (ICPT) nearly quadrupled after trials for the company’s liver disease treatment proved successful.

　　XBI is up nearly 38% this year, making it the second-best biotech and sector ETF overall behind FBT.