We recently published a list of Billionaire Glenn Russell Dubin’s 10 Stock Picks with Huge Upside Potential. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) stands against Billionaire Glenn Russell Dubin’s other stock picks with huge upside potential.
Glenn Russell Dubin is one of the industry’s most experienced hedge fund managers, best known as the co-founder of Highbridge Capital Management, a multi-strategy investment business he founded with Henry Swieca in 1992. Before being bought by JPMorgan Chase in 2004, the firm quickly rose to prominence as one of Wall Street’s most sophisticated hedge funds. As of March 2024, Highbridge Capital manages more than $7.1 billion in discretionary assets and has a focused exposure to growth industries.
Dubin has long been involved in basic research and multi-asset investing through Highbridge and his private investment firm, Dubin & Company. His portfolio demonstrates a high-conviction strategy, with the top ten holdings accounting for more than 40% of reported 13F equities. Dubin’s top stock picks frequently coincide with broader macroeconomic themes, such as monetary easing, capital market expansion, and industrial revival, making them excellent bets for long-term investors looking for asymmetric risk-reward ratios.
The background for these investments is especially attractive. Financial markets rebounded strongly in 2024, with financial equities up more than 30% by the end of the year, owing to lower inflation, lower interest rates, and strong investor sentiment. Even if the United States’ GDP growth is expected to fall from 2.7% in 2024 to 1.5% in 2025, hopes of Fed rate cuts and a more stable regulatory environment are keeping financial industry momentum alive. Meanwhile, growing corporate refinancing needs and record-high consumer debt are steering capital into private credit and asset-backed lending—areas where Highbridge has traditionally excelled.
The industrial sector is also experiencing a significant revival, with a 26% increase in 2024 driven by demand for reshored manufacturing, clean energy buildout, and infrastructure construction. With only a quarter of the $1.9 trillion in planned North American infrastructure projects underway, there is still enormous growth potential. At the same time, reduced interest rates are expected to boost housing activity, and aerospace demand is expected to rise as airlines revamp their aged fleets. These macroeconomic drivers continue to provide appealing entry points for cyclical names with long-term upside.
Tariff concerns have increased volatility in the equity markets, particularly in light of proposed higher tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. However, other investors see this as a temporary disruption that could eventually benefit domestic manufacturers and capital goods industries. In reality, leading market commentators argue that predictions of a fresh wave of trade protectionism are exaggerated, with underlying fundamentals remaining strong across major value industries.
In that scenario, this may be a good time to follow experienced managers such as Glenn Dubin. As markets reset and valuations in banking and industrial stocks decline from their 2024 highs, the opportunity to purchase into structurally good companies at a discount is wide open. Highbridge Capital’s recent bets indicate trust in sectors that are not only rebounding but evolving, and these top stock picks might provide considerable upside as the market rebalances in 2025.
Methodology
To compile a list of Billionaire Glenn Russell Dubin’s 10 Stock Picks with Huge Upside Potential, we studied Greenlight Capital’s Q4 2024 13F filings to identify billionaire Glenn Russell Dubin’s stock picks with the most upside potential. We evaluated the firms in ascending order of upside potential. These stocks are also popular with elite hedge funds.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
A scientist in a laboratory making a breakthrough discovery in biotechnology.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 42
Upside Potential: 80.19%
The commercial-stage biotech company Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) is developing a pipeline of RNA-targeted medications. Its marketed treatments include familial chylomicronemia syndrome, hereditary ATTR amyloidosis, and spinal muscular atrophy. With the recent launch of TRYNGOLZA and the development of a solid royalty base from partnered drugs like SPINRAZA and WAINUA, Ionis has made the shift to independent commercialization. Additionally, the company has extensive clinical-stage assets that address rare neurological illnesses, severe hypertriglyceridemia, and hereditary angioedema. Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) represented about 0.58% of Glenn Russell Dubin’s portfolio.
Revenue for the quarter ending March 31, 2025, was $132 million, a 10% year-over-year increase, according to Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:IONS) earnings report. With an EPS of -$0.93 compared to the average of -$1.11, earnings exceeded expectations. WAINUA’s $9 million and SPINRAZA’s $48 million royalties helped non-GAAP operating losses drop by over 25% to less than $375 million. The company forecasted a strong year-end cash position of $1.9 billion and increased its full-year revenue outlook to $725–750 million.
During its first full quarter, Ionis’s first independently marketed treatment, TRYNGOLZA, generated over $6 million in revenue. With Olezarsen Phase III results anticipated in Q3 for a possible sNDA by year-end and Donidalorsen awaiting FDA approval in August 2025, pipeline progress remained robust. Ionis is also moving several neurology-focused therapies, such as ION582 and Zilganersen, closer to Phase III development.
Strategic partnerships with Biogen, GSK, and Sobi, as well as licensing income from deals like the $280 million sapablursen contract, support Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:IONS) projection of over $3 billion in peak yearly sales from its wholly owned medications. One of Glenn Russell Dubin’s best stock selections with significant upside potential is Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS).
Overall, IONS ranks 2nd on our list of Billionaire Glenn Russell Dubin’s stock picks with huge upside potential. While we acknowledge the potential of IONS, our conviction lies in the belief that certain AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than IONS but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
