SEASONALITY STOCK REPORTS

[cats]

ANALYST TAKE:
Analysts maintain a positive outlook for Medimmune going into the release of fourth-quarter results. Bear Stearns analyst Mark Schoenebaum said Synagis sales could beat his estimate of $400 million for the quarter and is maintaining a year-end price target of $35 per share. Positive sales of Gardasil, for which Medimmune receives a royalty from Merck & Co., will likely have a significant impact on revenue in the future, he said.

Thomas Weisel Partners analyst M. Ian Somaiya also said sales results for the HPV vaccine Gardasil bode well for the company, and he sees peak sales between $4 billion and $5 billion. Friedman, Billings, Ramsey analyst Jim Reddoch also expects Gardasil sales to accelerate in the next year or two, driving revenue growth. He expects the fourth-quarter results to be driven by Synagis sales of about $436 million.