As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q4. Today, we are looking at pharmaceuticals stocks, starting with Ocular Therapeutix (NASDAQ: OCUL).

The pharmaceuticals sector develops, manufactures, and distributes drugs, benefiting from diversified portfolios of branded and generic medications. Looking ahead, growth will be driven by innovations in precision medicine, such as genetic therapies and advanced biologics, and the increasing use of AI to speed and increase the efficiency of drug discovery. These could specifically magnify the advantages of the most scaled players. Conversely, the sector faces considerable headwinds from intense, bipartisan political pressure on drug pricing, scrutiny of patent practices, and growing competition from biosimilars. These could specifically stymie the growth of smaller companies or ones facing patent expirations on key drugs.

The 17 pharmaceuticals stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.6% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.5% above.

While some pharmaceuticals stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 5% since the latest earnings results.

Ocular Therapeutix (NASDAQ: OCUL)

Pioneering a drug delivery platform that can eliminate the need for monthly eye injections, Ocular Therapeutix (NASDAQ: OCUL) develops sustained-release treatments for eye diseases using its proprietary ELUTYX bioresorbable hydrogel technology that gradually releases medication.

Ocular Therapeutix reported revenues of $13.25 million, down 22.4% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 11%. Overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Ocular Therapeutix delivered the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Interestingly, the stock is up 10.1% since reporting and currently trades at $9.41.

Read our full report on Ocular Therapeutix here, it’s free.

Best Q4: ANI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ANIP)

With a diverse portfolio of 116 pharmaceutical products and a growing rare disease platform, ANI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ANIP) develops, manufactures, and markets branded and generic prescription pharmaceuticals, with a focus on rare disease treatments.

ANI Pharmaceuticals reported revenues of $247.1 million, up 29.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.9%. The business had a stunning quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 1% since reporting. It currently trades at $76.37.

Is now the time to buy ANI Pharmaceuticals? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Corcept (NASDAQ: CORT)

Focusing on the powerful stress hormone that affects everything from metabolism to immune function, Corcept Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CORT) develops and markets medications that modulate cortisol to treat endocrine disorders, cancer, and neurological diseases.

Corcept reported revenues of $202.1 million, up 11.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 18.5%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 5.5% since the results and currently trades at $34.46.

Read our full analysis of Corcept’s results here.

Supernus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SUPN)

With a diverse portfolio of eight FDA-approved medications targeting neurological conditions, Supernus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SUPN) develops and markets treatments for central nervous system disorders including epilepsy, ADHD, Parkinson's disease, and migraine.

Supernus Pharmaceuticals reported revenues of $211.6 million, up 21.5% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 8.4%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Supernus Pharmaceuticals achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $53.23.

Read our full, actionable report on Supernus Pharmaceuticals here, it’s free.

Amphastar Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AMPH)

Founded in 1996 and known for its expertise in complex drug formulations, Amphastar Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AMPH) develops and manufactures technically challenging injectable and inhalation medications, including both generic and proprietary pharmaceutical products.

Amphastar Pharmaceuticals reported revenues of $183.1 million, down 1.8% year on year. This result missed analysts’ expectations by 2.5%. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter as it also recorded a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is down 29% since reporting and currently trades at $18.80.

Read our full, actionable report on Amphastar Pharmaceuticals here, it’s free.

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