What Hedge Funds Think Of Goldman Sachs’ Top Healthcare Takeover Targets

Let’s turn our attention next to Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ANAC), which was owned by 34 hedge funds observed by our team at the end of the latest quarter, compared to 26 at the end of the first quarter. At the same time, the total investments in the company increased to $1.01 billion from $893.70 million. The stock has had a great run this year, delivering a year-to-date return of over 311%. This great stock performance has been achieved thanks to the company’s recently-released positive top-line results from two pivotal Phase III trials for crisaborole topical ointment as a treatment for atopic dermatitis or eczema. As a result, the company plans to file a New Drug Application with the U.S. FDA in the first half of 2016, which suggests that Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ANAC) is very close to bringing its product to the market. The potential of this drug is immense, as the product is set to become a first line treatment for this skin condition that affects approximately 25 million Americans. From the massive pool of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, Julian and Felix Baker’s Baker Bros. Advisors represents the largest shareholder of Anacor, with 3.63 million shares as of June 30.

Moving on to the last potential takeover candidate, the number of hedge funds within our database that held stakes in Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE:BKD) remained unchanged at 64 during the last two quarters. In the meantime, the value of these stakes fell to $2.71 billion from $3.03 billion over the second quarter. The company had a very rough summer and its stock has dropped by over 25% since the beginning of the year. It seems that the shares of Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE:BKD) are currently in a bottoming-out phase, so investors, traders, and other market participants might find a good buying opportunity in this stock. Goldman Sachs claims that the stock has been partially pushed lower by the most recent flu season, which “drove higher mortality, hospitalization and facility quarantines across the industry”. At the same time, the company has also had a hard time integrating Emeritus, an assisted living center that it acquired last year. Larry Robbins’ Glenview Capital occupies the spot of the largest shareholder of Brookdale Senior Living within our database, owning 11.59 million shares.

Disclosure: None