2025 - A year to forget if you look at the first quarter. While things were still looking positive until around mid-February, things have been going steadily downhill since the middle or end of February.

March 2025 was the worst single month in my portfolio since 2013, with price losses of almost 10%. The negative market trend in the US and a weak US dollar naturally hurt my portfolio particularly badly.

Monthly view:

In total, March was -9,9%. This corresponds to price losses of almost 30.000€.

The MSCI World (benchmark) was -7.9% and the S&P500 -5.8% (in dollars, for euro investors it was also more like -10%).

Winners & losers:

A look at the winners and losers shows a clear picture in March:

Winners? You will look for them almost in vain this month.

In 1st and 2nd place are Deutsche Bank
$DBK (+3,12 %) and Allianz $ALV (+0,28 %) two German financial stocks with gains of around € +180 each. Northrop Grumman $NOC (+0,96 %) at +120€ is only one of 2 American stocks with a positive price performance in March.

A completely different picture on the losers' side:

1st place goes to NVIDIA $NVDA (+1,62 %) with price losses of over €4,200. It is followed by Meta $META (-0,25 %) and Palo Alto Networks
$PANW (+1,52 %) with price losses of ~€2,000 each. 4th place goes to Alphabet
$GOOG (+0,07 %) with €1,600 in share price losses. The flop 5 is then completed by a non-tech stock, namely Starbucks
$SBUX (+0,17 %) with losses of ~€1,400.

The performance-neutral movements were €500 in March - these are still lower at the moment due to the house construction issue.

current year:

In the YTD my portfolio is now also clearly in the red with -8,4%. The MSCI World is still doing better at -5.4%.

In total, my portfolio currently stands at ~260.000€. This corresponds to an absolute decline of ~€25,000 in the current year 2025. -28.000€ of this comes from exchange rate losses, slightly offset by ~900€ from dividends / interest and ~2.000€ from additional investments.

Dividend:

• Dividends in March were +8% above the previous year at ~390€
• At the top of the list Amgen
  $AMGN (+0,24 %) with meanwhile over 55€ (gross) dividend every 3 months
• In the current year, the dividends after 3 months are +15% over the first 3 months of 2025 at ~730€
• The US dollar will also have an impact on dividends this year. Example: 2,500$ at an exchange rate of 1:1 equals 2,500€. At an exchange rate of 1.08$, these 2,500$ would only be worth 2,315€, a decrease of ~185€

Buying & selling:

• I bought in March for 750€
• 460€ shares
• 190€ ETFs
• 100€ crypto
• Sales Was there no

Change of strategy?

At the moment, Donald Trump and his policies are causing a lot of scrutiny, especially with regard to the (high) US share in the portfolio.

I can understand these thoughts very well. However, I have decided not to change my strategy and to maintain my high US & tech allocation in my portfolio.

There are certainly better short-term investment opportunities (European defense stocks as an example). Through my savings plans, however, I have deliberately opted for a long-term buying strategy that I will not throw overboard every few months. In the long term, for example, 2022 was an extremely good year to buy tech stocks.

As I don't have a portfolio target for this year anyway, I'm happy to go even lower - hopefully I'll be happy about the entry prices in 2-3 years' time.

YouTube:

Unfortunately, I only uploaded 2 videos to YouTube in March. Unfortunately, work in March was extremely stressful and time-consuming, so there was little time left for this.

I have also uploaded my March portfolio update as a video there if anyone would like to see some more information on the portfolio performance: https://youtu.be/fxbvatj6uvM?si=xP_gvoEmtuqSsfz8

I'm particularly happy to receive criticism or feedback here! 😊

Goal 2025

As already mentioned in the January & February review, a fixed deposit target for this year makes little sense due to the house construction. A fixed savings rate is also difficult to implement due to the issue (unforeseen costs and the like).

A dividend target is also very difficult due to the high volatility of the US dollar.

That's why I'm focusing on other topics this year, especially building a house and possibly one or two YouTube successes.

How are things looking for you? Are you sticking to your portfolio target for 2025 or do you also see difficulties in achieving it after the first quarter?

#dividends

#dividende

#rückblick

#depotupdate

#aktie

#stocks

#etfs

#crypto

#personalstrategy

2025 - A stock market year that has so far been more reminiscent of rough seas. It goes uphill and the next moment it goes abruptly downhill again.

The January began with a lot of Trump euphoria on the markets, before this was halted by DeepSeek in the second half of January.

The February recovered relatively quickly from this shock before falling again in the second half of the month. The Trump euphoria has turned into a Trump shock for the time being.

Nevertheless, I will continue to hold a 75-80% USA quota with a high proportion of tea.

I can get over the fact that after 2 years of outperformance against my benchmarks, there may be an underperformance this year.

Monthly view:

In total, February was -3,2%. This corresponds to price losses of almost 10.000€.

The MSCI World (benchmark) was down -2.5% and the S&P500 -1.4%.

Winners & losers:

A look at the winners and losers nevertheless reveals a surprising picture for the top performer in February.

But first a look at the losersThe biggest loser by far is Alphabet $GOOG (+0,07 %) With losses of almost €3,000, the share price took a heavy hit in February. This is followed by a total of almost €5,000 in price losses Bitcoin
$BTC (-0,39 %) & Ethereum
$ETH (-0,01 %) . 4th & 5th place goes to Salesforce
$CRM (+0,71 %) and TSMC $TSM (+0,6 %) two more tech stocks

On the winning side are actually at the top, much to my own surprise NVIDIA
$NVDA (+1,62 %) with a price gain of almost €1,000. And this despite the fact that NVIDIA lost over 10% on the penultimate trading day in February. Nevertheless, the recovery after the DeepSeek shock in February was greater than expected.

The top 5 includes Amgen
$AMGN (+0,24 %) and Johnson & Johnson
$JNJ (+1,64 %) two stocks from the healthcare sector, a rather defensive sector. These are joined by MercadoLibre $MELI (+3,15 %) and Palo Alto Networks $PANW (+1,52 %) but also two tech stocks.

The performance-neutral movements were positive again in February at € 900, after January was clearly negative due to a property purchase.

current year:

In the YTD my portfolio is still just in the plus with +0,6%. However, the MSCI World is up +1.9% and I am currently underperforming my benchmark.

In total, my portfolio currently stands at ~288.000€. This corresponds to an absolute growth of ~€3,000 in the current year 2025. ~1.000€ of this comes from price increases, ~500€ from dividends / interest and ~1.500€ from additional investments.

Dividend:

• Dividends in February were 19% above the previous year at ~€188
• At the top of the list Procter & Gamble
  $PG (+0,61 %) with now over €50 (gross) dividend every 3 months
• In the current year, the dividends after 2 months are +24% over the first 2 months of 2025 at ~350€

Buys & sells:

• I bought in November for ~800€
• 520€ shares
• 210€ ETFs
• Here I took up a new ETF via a savings plan, an ETF that normally does not correspond to my strategy at all. This is a Covered Call ETF on the NASDAQ $JEPQ (+1,23 %) - The ETF uses a covered call strategy to aim for a distribution of ~10% p.a. and still generate price gains. I know that this doesn't make sense from a tax perspective, but what the heck: you can have fun sometimes 😉
• 100€ crypto
• sales there were none in February

YouTube:

I uploaded a few new videos to YouTube in February and I'm starting to feel less stupid talking into a microphone.

I've also uploaded my portfolio update there as a video if anyone would like to see some more information about the portfolio performance in February:

https://youtu.be/iJZ0i3EO5Hs

Here I act according to the motto: Let's see what happens - What will happen!

Goal 2025

Building a house makes it particularly difficult to formulate a goal this year.

A certain savings rate? Difficult if additional costs are suddenly added

A certain deposit value? Also difficult, as I can't really back this up with my savings rate this year and the markets are very volatile.

The current portfolio balance is ~€290,000. I would estimate additional investments at ~€15,000. This would bring me to just over €300,000. I originally assumed a market return of 7% for this year. However, after the first two months it is difficult for me to estimate how this year will go.

That's why I'm being honest: A target doesn't make sense for me this year.

The goal is to build a successful house and for the portfolio we'll just see what happens.

#dividends

#dividende

#rückblick

#depotupdate

#aktie

#stocks

#etfs

#crypto

#personalstrategy

Part 5 of 5
/ Review of the year 2024: In the first 4 parts

of my investment story, I looked at the years 2013 to 2023.

A mixture of highs and lows. While there was a lot of learning at the beginning, the last few years are finally bearing fruit!

Monthly view:

2024 was another very positive year, although December again resulted in a slight loss in the portfolio.

In total, December was -0,8%. This corresponds to price losses of -3.200€.

The MSCI World (benchmark) was -0.9% and the S&P500 -2.5%.

In the following, however, I would like to look primarily at the whole of 2024 and not

just December.

Year as a whole:

Winners & losers:

The winner par excellence is hardly surprising NVIDIA $NVDA (+1,62 %) with

almost €20,000 in share price gains! And this despite the fact that I took my entire stake of ~€4,000 off the table in March.

In 2nd place follows Bitcoin
$BTC (-0,39 %) with approx. 6,000€ price gains. 3rd-5th place

are shared by TSMC $TSM (+0,6 %)
Alphabet $GOOG (+0,07 %) and Meta
$META (-0,25 %) with gains of ~€5,000 each.

On the loser side it looks very relaxed all in all.

Sartorius $SRT (-0,67 %)
Nike $NKE (+2,28 %)

and Bechtle $BC8 (-0,31 %) have each caused share price losses of ~€1,000. They are followed by LVMH $MC (-2,82 %) with share price losses of €500 and Amgen $AMGN (+0,24 %) with €200.

All in all, share price losses that are not really worth mentioning.

The performance-neutral movements in 2024 were just under €20,000. This is a significant decline compared to the almost €30,000 from previous years. This was due to some private issues and the upcoming house construction.

My performance for the year as a whole was +28,8% and therefore outperformed my benchmark, the MSCI World, by 25.8%.

In total, my portfolio currently stands at ~347.000€. This

corresponds to an absolute growth of ~95,000€ in the current

year 2023. ~71.000€ of which comes from price gains, ~3.800€ from

dividends / interest and ~20.000€ from additional investments.

Dividend:

• The dividends in December were 17% above the previous year at ~€370
• Amgen is in the lead with over 50€ (gross) dividend every 3 months
• For the year as a whole, my dividends amounted to ~2.900€ and thus almost 25% over 2023

Buys & sells:

- I bought in December for a significantly reduced ~500€

- As always, my savings plans were executed:

- Blue chips: Lockheed Martin $LMT (+0,8 %) Republic Services $RSG (+1,27 %) Thermo Fisher $TMO (+1,56 %) ASML $ASML (+0,33 %) Northrop Grumman $NOC (+0,96 %) Itochu $8001 (+0,73 %) Constellation Software $CSU (+2,06 %) Hermes $RMS Salesforce $CRM (+0,71 %) MasterCard $MA (+2,03 %) Deere $DE (+1,99 %)

- Growth: -

- ETFs: MSCI World $XDWD (+0,72 %) and the WisdomTree Global Quality Dividend Growth $GGRP (+0,26 %)

- Crypto: Bitcoin $BTC (-0,39 %) and Ethereum $ETH (-0,01 %)

- There were no further sales in December

Target 2024 & outlook 2025:

My goal for 2024 was to reach €300,000 in the portfolio. Due to the

extremely positive market performance in the current year, my portfolio stands at ~€ 350,000 at the end of the year. I was therefore able to significantly exceed my target.

What will happen in 2025? The logical target, of course, would be 400.000€ to be achieved. However, due to the upcoming house construction, part of the assets will be invested in the house construction. If I include the property in my statement of assets, the target of €400,000 would of course not change.

However, as I am more likely to be tracking my liquid assets here, I will probably

probably refrain from doing so.

Therefore, my year-end target for 2025 will probably be closer to the final balance for 2024. So around €350,000 at the end of 2025.

How are things looking for you? Have you already thought about your plans for 2025?

Finally, I wanted to say thank you again for all the positive reactions to my investment story!

https://linktr.ee/mister.ultra

#dividends
#dividende
#rückblick
#depotupdate
#aktie
#stocks
#etfs
#crypto
#personalstrategy

Podcast episode 68 "Buy High. Sell Low."

Subscribe to the podcast so that print dies.

00:00:00 Alphabet, Uber & Lyft

00:26:00 Novo Nordisk, Eli LIlly & Amgen

00:54:00 Quantum Computing & Quantum Corporation

01:02:15 Bitcoin & MicroStrategy

01:17:40 German Bitcoin experts

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/episode/40XOPNBIC2zBjVtmVDSzMH?si=jj_ZclnGQfSfpRCUZEB2QQ

YouTube

https://youtu.be/rqzook0jqpU

Apple Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/folge-68-alphabet-microstrategy-novo-nordisk-uber-bitcoin/id1695869891?i=1000680672590

$GOOGL (+0,07 %)
$GOOG (+0,07 %)
$MSTR (+0,47 %)
$BTC (-0,39 %)
$UBER (+1,31 %)
$LYFT (+0,67 %)
$NOVO B (-2,47 %)
$NOVO B
$NVO (-1,55 %)
$AMGN (+0,24 %)$LLY (+1,57 %)
$AAPL (+1,32 %)
$SPOT (+1,02 %)
#podcast

Depot review November 2024 - The depot is growing despite larger withdrawals 🚀

Before I continue with the second part of my investment story, I would first like to share my portfolio review for November.

The second half of November was almost quiet compared to what happened at the beginning of November. Trump was elected, triggering a veritable run on the stock markets. Germany was finally freed from the traffic lights and there were also some exciting topics in the private sphere. I sold a few shares back in October to generate the equity I needed to start building a house. This continued a little further in November.

Overall, my savings rate will also (have to) be lower over the next few months. Less into the portfolio and more into the "buffer account" for building the house. Nevertheless, around €500 per month will continue to be invested and this will be pushed up again as quickly as possible.

After selling 6 shares and an ETF in October, I sold parts of my MSCI World ETF for around €13,000.

But now it's finally time to look at the hard figures:

Monthly view:

In total, November was +6,3%. This corresponds to price gains of ~20.000€.

The MSCI World (benchmark) was +7.3% and the S&P500 +5.1%

Winners & losers:

A look at the winners and losers is particularly exciting this month:

On the winning side with a total of almost €5,000 in price gains, my crypto investments in Bitcoin and Ethereum. This is followed by the long runner NVIDIA with price gains of just under €2,000. 4th and 5th place then goes to the cybersecurity sector with Palo Alto Networks and Crowdstrike.

On the loser side looks very quiet this month. Amgen is still the worst performer with losses of ~€600 due to a weight loss drug that failed to fully meet Wall Street's hopes. This is followed by Sartorius with share price losses of €200. Places 3-5 are then occupied by share price losses of less than €100. All in all, a month with almost no losers.

The performance-neutral movements in October amounted to just under € -6,000. Parts have already been removed here for private topics.

current year:

My performance in the current year is +29,9% and thus above my benchmark, the MSCI World with 26.9%.

In total, my portfolio currently stands at ~345.000€. This corresponds to an absolute growth of ~€93,000 in the current year 2023. ~72.000€ of this comes from price gains, ~3.300€ from dividends / interest and ~16.000€ from additional investments.

Dividend:

• Dividends in November were 21% above the previous year at ~€160
• Procter & Gamble is in the lead with a (gross) dividend of €50 every 3 months.
• In the current year, the dividends after 11 months are +25% over the first 11 months of 2023 at ~2.500€

Buying & selling:

• I bought in November for significantly reduced ~700€
• As always, my savings plans were executed:
• Blue ChipsProcter & Gamble $PG (+0,61 %) TSMC $TSM (+0,6 %) S&P Global $SPGI (+1,73 %) Alphabet $GOOGL (+0,07 %) Johnson & Johnson $JNJ (+1,64 %) Amgen $AMGN (+0,24 %) Herhey $HSY (+1,66 %) Alimentation Couche-Tard $ATD (+2 %) Caterpillar $CAT (+1,84 %)
• 
  GrowthBechtle $BC8 (-0,31 %)
• 
  ETFsMSCI World $XDWD (+0,72 %) Nikkei 225 $XDJP (+2,68 %) and the WisdomTree Global Quality Dividend Growth $GGRP (+0,26 %)
• 
  CryptoBitcoin $BTC (-0,39 %) and Ethereum $ETH (-0,01 %)
• 
  Sales as mentioned at the beginning, there was a larger part of my MSCI World holdings in November

Target 2024 & outlook 2025:

My goal for this year is to reach €300,000 in my portfolio. Due to the extremely positive market performance in the current year, my portfolio already stands at ~€345,000 at the end of November.

As is well known, one should not praise the day before the evening, but I am optimistic that my portfolio will not fall so far in December that I will not reach my target.

What will happen in 2025? The logical goal would of course be to reach €400,000. However, due to the upcoming house construction, part of the assets will be invested in the house construction. If I include the property in my statement of assets, the target of €400,000 would of course not change. However, as I am tracking my liquid assets here, I will probably refrain from doing so.

Therefore, my year-end target for 2025 will probably be closer to the final balance for 2024. So around €350,000 at the end of 2025.

How are things looking for you? Have you already thought about your plans for 2025?

#dividends

#dividende

#rückblick

#depotupdate

#aktie

#stocks

#etfs

#crypto

#personalstrategy

Detailed stock analysis of Novo Nordisk $NOVO B (-2,47 %)
& the competition

1. sales shares and margins by product (Q3 2024)

1.1 GLP-1-based diabetes treatments: Ozempic and Rybelsus

-Revenue share: DKK 34.94 billion (~49% of total revenue).

-Growth: +15 % YoY at constant exchange rates.

-Product characteristics:

- These drugs belong to the group of GLP-1 receptor agonists. They regulate blood glucose levels, promote insulin release and contribute to weight management.

- Ozempic in particular is a world-leading drug for type 2 diabetes and is increasingly prescribed off-label for weight loss.

- Rybelsus offers the advantage of being available as an oral GLP-1 therapy, which improves compliance.

-Margin: Profitability is exceptionally high due to high prices and increasing demand in emerging and developed markets.

1.2 Obesity therapies: Wegovy

-Revenue share: DKK 18.8 billion (~26% of total revenue).

-Growth: +55% YoY at constant exchange rates; fastest growing segment.

-Product characteristics:

- Wegovy is based on semaglutide and, according to studies, has the potential to reduce weight by up to 20 %. This significantly reduces the risk of secondary diseases such as cardiovascular disease.

- The market for obesity is growing rapidly as obesity is increasingly recognized as a disease.

-Margin: Very high as Wegovy is an innovative therapy and has limited competition.

1.3 Insulins: Tresiba, Levemir and NovoRapid

-Sales share: DKK 12.51 billion (~18% of total sales).

-Growth: +10 % YoY.

-Product characteristics:

- Tresiba (long-acting), Levemir and NovoRapid (short-acting) cover all needs of type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients.

- Despite growing competition from biosimilars, Novo Nordisk remains the market leader.

-Margin: Stable, but lower than for GLP-1 therapies.

1.4 Rare diseases (e.g. haemophilia, sickle cell disease)

-Revenue share: DKK 4.57 billion (~6 % of total sales).

-Growth: +17 % YoY.

-Product characteristics:

-Mim8 addresses hemophilia A and is safe and well tolerated.

-Etavopivatcurrently in phase 3, has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life of sickle cell patients.

-Margin: Very high, as therapies for rare diseases can often command premium prices.

2. target groups and diseases in focus

2.1 Diabetes mellitus (type 1 and type 2)

-Epidemiology:

- Worldwide: 537 million people (2023).

- Forecast: 783 million by 2045 (International Diabetes Federation).

-Products:

- GLP-1 receptor agonists are the drug of choice for type 2 diabetes, especially Ozempic.

- Insulins remain essential for type 1 diabetes.

-Target groups:

- Type 2 diabetics (90 % of cases). Especially patients in industrialized nations such as the USA, where the prevalence of obesity and diabetes is increasing.

2.2 Obesity

-Epidemiology:

- Over 800 million people worldwide; forecast: 1 billion by 2030 (WHO).

-Products:

- Wegovy is the market leader and shows weight reductions of 15-20% in clinical studies.

-Target groups:

- Patients with obesity or overweight, particularly in affluent countries with a high average BMI.

2.3 Rare diseases

-Epidemiology:

- Haemophilia A: 400,000 people affected worldwide.

- Sickle cell disease: Over 6 million people affected, mainly in Africa.

-Products:

- Therapies such as Mim8 and Etavopivat cover important therapeutic gaps.

3 Competitor analysis

3.1 Eli Lilly $LLY (+1,57 %)

-Mounjaro (tirzepatide):

- Dual agonist (GLP-1/GIP) that is very effective for both diabetes and obesity.

- Studies show weight losses of 20-25%, which positions Mounjaro as a direct competitor to Wegovy and Ozempic.

-Long-term strengths:

- Eli Lilly has a strong pipeline and plans to launch several new products over the next few years.

3.2 Pfizer and Amgen $PFE (-0,12 %)
$AMGN (+0,24 %)

-Pfizer: Oral GLP-1 therapies could compete with Rybelsus.

-Amgen: Research focus on innovative obesity drugs such as AMG 133.

3.3 Sanofi (insulin market) $SAN (-3,2 %)

-Strengths: Strong position in the global insulin market.

-Weaknesses: Declining sales due to the market shift towards GLP-1 therapies.

4. financial strength and margins

Sales (Q3 2024)71.31 bn.

-Gross margin: 84,6 % (Q3 2024).

-Operating profit: DKK 33.8 billion (+21% compared to the previous year)

-Future potential: Sales in the obesity segment are expected to continue to dominate growth, particularly due to increasing acceptance and introduction of new drugs such as CagriSema.

Novo Nordisk will remain the long-term leader, although the competition (especially Eli Lilly) is becoming increasingly innovative. The combination of market leadership, product innovation and financial strength secures Novo Nordisk a key role in the global healthcare market.

Amgen Q3 2024 $AMGN (+0,24 %)

Financial performance

• Total revenues: Revenue increased 23% to $8.5 billion in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter of 2023, driven by product sales growth of 24%, primarily due to a 29% increase in volume, partially offset by a 2% decrease in net price.
• GAAP EPS: GAAP earnings per share increased 62% from $3.22 to $5.22, impacted by mark-to-market gains from the investment in BeiGene and higher sales.
• Non-GAAP EPS: Non-GAAP EPS increased 13% from $4.96 to $5.58, driven by higher sales.

Balance Sheet Overview

• Total assets: Total assets decreased to $90.883 billion as of September 30, 2024, compared to $97.154 billion at the end of 2023.
• Cash and cash equivalents: These decreased to $9.011 billion from $10.944 billion.
• Total liabilities: Total liabilities decreased to 83.356 billion dollars, compared to 90.922 billion dollars.

Income summary

• Operating Income: GAAP operating income remained relatively stable at $2.0 billion, while non-GAAP operating income increased to $4.0 billion from $3.4 billion.
• Operating margin: GAAP operating profit margin decreased 5.8 percentage points to 25.1%, while non-GAAP operating profit margin decreased 2.4 percentage points to 49.6%.

Cash flow overview

• Free cash flow: This increased to $3.3 billion in the third quarter of 2024 from $2.5 billion in the third quarter of 2023 due to business performance and timing of working capital items.

Key figures and profitability ratios

• Cost of sales: This increased by 83% to 3.310 billion dollars and accounted for 40.6% of product sales.
• R&D expenditure: This increased by 34% to $1.450 billion, representing 17.8% of product sales.

Segment information

• Products for rare diseases: These contributed $1.2 billion to sales, supported by innovative drugs that are early in their life cycle.

Competitive position

• Product growth: Ten products recorded double-digit sales growth, including Repatha, TEZSPIRE, BLINCYTO, EVENITY and TAVNEOS.

Forecasts and management comments

• Sales forecast: This has been revised to a range of 33.0 to 33.8 billion dollars for the full year 2024.
• Non-GAAP EPS guidance: This has been revised to a range of $19.20 to $20.00.

Risks and opportunities

• Risks: These include pricing pressure, regulatory developments and potential integration challenges with the acquisition of Horizon.
• Opportunities: Continued investment in the pipeline and potential growth from new product launches and acquisitions.

Summary of results

Amgen delivered a strong financial performance in Q3 2024, with significant revenue and EPS growth driven by increased product sales and strategic acquisitions. The company maintained a robust cash flow position despite a decline in cash and cash equivalents. Management has revised sales and EPS forecasts upwards, reflecting confidence in the continued momentum of the business. Nevertheless, challenges such as pricing pressure and integration risks from recent acquisitions remain. Overall, Amgen is well positioned for future growth through its strategic focus on innovative therapies and the expansion of its pipeline.

Positive aspects

• Sales growth: Amgen reported a 23% year-on-year increase in revenue in the third quarter of 2024, driven by 24% growth in product sales. This growth was mainly supported by volume growth of 29%.
• Strong product performance: Ten products achieved double-digit sales growth, including Repatha, TEZSPIRE, BLINCYTO, EVENITY and TAVNEOS. This demonstrates strong demand and successful market penetration.
• Progress in the pipeline: The company is making rapid progress in its innovative pipeline, particularly in clinical trials for products such as UPLIZNA and Xaluritamig, which are in later stages of testing.
• Increased investment in innovation: Amgen invested $1.4 billion in internal innovation in Q3 2024, an increase of 35% year-over-year, underscoring its commitment to developing new therapies.
• Positive regulatory developments: UPLIZNA received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA for the treatment of IgG4-related disease, which could pave the way for a faster time to market.

Negative aspects

• Decline in operating margins: GAAP operating margin decreased by 5.8 percentage points to 25.1%, while non-GAAP operating margin decreased by 2.4 percentage points to 49.6%. This indicates rising costs or pricing pressure.
• Increased cost of sales: Cost of sales increased by 83% and accounted for 40.6% of product sales. This could have a negative impact on profitability if costs are not managed effectively.
• Decrease in cash and cash equivalents: Cash and cash equivalents decreased to $9.011 billion, down from $10.944 billion. This could affect the company's liquidity.
• High R&D expenditure: Research and development costs increased by 34% to $1.450 billion, representing 17.8% of product sales. This could put pressure on margins if future sales growth is not sufficient to offset this.
• Integration risks: The report points to potential challenges in realizing the strategic benefits and synergies from the Horizon acquisition. These could take longer or be more expensive than originally expected.