We are generally positive on the pharmaceutical industry heading into 2009. We expect the majority of stocks to fair far better in 2009 than they did in 2008, based on a number of attributes.

Firstly, almost all the names in the group are trading at very reasonable valuations. Several of the largest players are trading at PEs below 10x, including Pfizer Ltd. (

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We are generally positive on the pharmaceutical industry heading into 2009. We expect the majority of stocks to fair far better in 2009 than they did in 2008, based on a number of attributes.Firstly, almost all the names in the group are trading at very reasonable valuations. Several of the largest players are trading at PEs below 10x, including Pfizer Ltd. (PFE, 8x), Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY, 9x), Merck (MRK, 9x), AstraZeneca (AZN, 9x) and Wyeth (WYE, 10x) based on our fiscal 2009 estimates.Secondly, expectations are low. Most of the companies are not expected to generate significant revenue growth, and earnings growth is primarily being drive by cost-cutting and share buybacks. Therefore, there seems little downside risk to our financial models, even should the economy continue to struggle throughout the entire year. So we do not see much risk ...

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (WYE) is one of the world's largest research-driven pharmaceutical and healthcare products companies. It focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products and non-prescription medicines.Wyeth's recent performance has been stunted due to the entry of generic Protonix in late 2007. EPS growth through 2009 will benefit from recently implemented productivity initiatives and share repurchases. Recent pipeline setbacks and generic competition will cause a drag on financial performance.The next wave of sustainable revenue growth will not come until 2012. We believe the current valuation is fair and rate the shares a Hold with a $42 price target.Jason Napodano, CFA contributed to this report.Read the full analyst report on WYE "WYE" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?Zacks Investment Research

Malcolm. J. Fraser, Jr. Ph.D. earned his Ph.D from Ohio State University and performed postdoctoral research at Penn State University and Texas A&M University. At the Texan University, he played a key role in developing the genetic expression system which is now a widely used methodology for producing organic molecules, including pharmaceuticals, on an industrial scale.

Randy Lewis, Ph.D received his B.S. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology, and his M.S. in chemistry and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Lewis, internationally renowned for his work on spider silk, is the named inventor of a number of patents relating to spider silk polymers. He currently heads the Lewis Laboratory within the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of Wyoming. The study of spider silk polymers and their underlying genetics is a major focus of Dr. Lewis’s research.

Donald

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Quote of the week: I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph. – Shirley Temple

Here are eight stocking stuffers to unwrap.

1) The conversation between Libertarians and the rest of us (who aren’t on some nutty fringe) would go a lot smoother if we would all agree that laws and regulations do not prevent bad behavior.

Rather, they are merely guideposts to measure the quality of deviance in a way that allows the US’s local, state and federal judiciary to hand out retribution.

If you need further proof of this, I offer you two words – Bernard Madoff.

In an under-regulated world, Ponzi schemes might not be illegal. In fact, you can assume that is a near certainty, judging by the number of famous institutions and wealthy people that poured billions into Madoff’s fund, even as

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China Yongxin Pharmaceuticals Inc. began in 1993 as Changchun Yongxin Dirui Medical Co., Ltd. (Yongxin), a wholesale drug distributor. The Company’s products include Chinese traditional medicines, chemical preparations, natural health products, cosmetics, and medical equipment. On May 20, 2008, China Yongxin Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that they completed their reverse merger with Nutradyne Group, Inc. To reflect their true business, they changed their corporate name to China Yongxin Pharmaceuticals Inc. and their ticker symbol to “OTCBB: CYXN.” Today, they are a leading manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of pharmaceuticals in Northeastern China.

China Yongxin began retail operations in 2001. In 2005, the Company acquired China’s Jilin Province franchise rights from Medicine Shoppe China Inc. The Company became a rapidly growing medicine distributor and retailer by the end of 2007. Currently, they have five subsidiaries including 93 chain pharmacies.

In November, China Yongxin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30,

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Abbott Labs (ABT) is a consistent performer with diversified healthcare operations, including pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, medical nutrition products, and medical devices/stents. ABT is back to the lower end of its trading range near 50 bucks, presenting an excellent entry point with a 2.8% dividend yield and forward PE of about 14X. Celgene (CELG) is also trading at the low end of its trading range around 50 bucks as a large-cap growth stock focused on cancer biotech products and research with an estimated PEG ratio below one. China Medical (CMED) is trading near its IPO levels of August 2005 despite excellent growth prospects and is a buy below 20 bucks with a dividend yield of 2.5% and market cap of $540M as uncertainty over a $345M acquisition has spooked some investors, sending the stock down sharply by over 50% in the past three ...

The election of Barack Obama as the next U.S. president creates plenty of profit plays for investors in the New Year. By Martin Hutchinson Contributing Editor Money Morning/The Money Map Report With his landslide election victory Tuesday - coupled with Democratic gains in the House of Representatives and in the Senate - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama will have the ability to pursue more or less any policy he wants. For investors who have been trying to analyze the economic outlook for the New Year, the election of U.S. Sen. Obama (D-Ill.) provides a major piece of the forward-looking jigsaw puzzle that these analysts hope to assemble. That’s because the likely trends of the United States and other economies around the world - and the relative success of different sectors within those economies - depends crucially on who’s in the White House, what policies they have, and ...

Should we be excited or scared for our portfolios on the face of an Obama presidency?

First of all, let's take a deep breath, because this was a truly historic election. And while I was disappointed in the general lack of substance from both candidates over the course of the campaign, there are two things that this election has done for the United States on the most broad level that are undeniable. First, despite the focus on the negative dimensions of the campaigns, the tone of the debate was a fundamental shift toward less partisan rancor and more the interest of the nation. We had gotten ourselves in a Bush/Clinton rut that was fundamentally dysfunctional. And hopefully the U.S. is back on track now and can focus more clearly on the national, as opposed to the partisan interest.

Second, this election will be a boon to how the United States

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Congratulations on a long well fought race. Now, “fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.” The classic line from Betty Davis seems appropriate. No matter who won this race, they were inheriting a hell of a mess. No need to go into detail, just the list is daunting enough.

The debt, the deficit, two wars without end, the banking crisis, the mortgage crisis, the worldwide economic slow down, Social Security, a deadlocked partisan congress, health care, a tax system that everyone thinks is unfair, collapsing US auto manufacturers, jobs being exported at light speed, the defense of our northern and southern borders, a recession, still no energy policy, and what appears to be a complete collapse of our image abroad.

Why would anyone want this job? It’s beyond me. The real question is now that he has done what seemed like the impossible, how will it affect

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