Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ONXX), Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (CLDX): Three Humongous Health-Care Stocks This Week

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While many American skies were lit up with fireworks this week, the stock market also saw its share of pops, sizzles, and bangs. Here are three health-care stocks that skyrocketed over the past five days.

Nothing like being wanted

Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX)
Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX) experienced the thrill of being wanted this week. Shares soared nearly 57% this week after word leaked last weekend that Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) offered to buy the company for $120 per share.

By Sunday, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX) had announced that it was rebuffing Amgen’s offer as too low. The company also revealed that other third parties had expressed interest in a potential buyout. As a result, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX) authorized financial advisor Centerview Partners to line up potential suitors. Mr. Market certainly liked the prospects of a bidding war. During after-hours trading on Friday, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX) share prices jumped from $87 to $109. The stock opened on Monday at more than $133 per share. How high can Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX) go? Deutsche Bank analyst Robyn Karnauskas pegs the stock’s value at $148 per share. However, Geoffrey Porges at Sanford C. Bernstein thinks some company could pay as much as $180 per share for Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX).

Buy, buy

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLDX) benefited from a couple of “buy” recommendations this week. Many investors appeared to have listened to the advice — shares jumped 36% for the week.

Jim Cramer responded to a caller’s question about Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLDX) in his Tuesday “Lightning Round” by saying: “I like this one and I’m sticking with it.” Cramer wasn’t the only one saying that the stock was a buy. The next day, Guggenheim initiated coverage on Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLDX) with a “buy” rating and target price of $24 per share. Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLDX)’s lead drug candidate is rindopepimut, which is in a phase 3 study for treating front line glioblastoma and in another phase 2 study for recurrent glioblastoma. The biotech also has several other drugs in its pipeline, including CDX-1135, for which Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLDX) just kicked off a pilot study in treating dense deposit disease.

Good news comes in threes

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALNY) had a triple-whammy of good news this week. Shares shot up by 22% as a result.

The company reported positive results from its phase 2 study of ALN-TTR02 at the beginning of the week.

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