3 Biotech Stocks With Massive Upside to Buy Before August Starts
3 Biotech Stocks With Massive Upside to Buy Before August Starts
Joel SouthWed, July 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC
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REGN sits 15% below its year-start price despite strong earnings, while MRNA has surged 177% into an August 5 FDA flu vaccine ruling.
VKTX carries 175% analyst upside potential but remains pre-revenue, making its dual GLP-1/GIP Phase 3 obesity trials a binary event for investors.
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Biotech is setting up as one of the more interesting risk-on trades heading into the back half of 2026. FDA calendars are stacked, obesity Phase 3 readouts are approaching, and after a mixed first half, the sector's dispersion is wide enough to build a tiered basket.
Below are three names structured by risk: a diversified large-cap compounder, a platform story with a near-term regulatory catalyst, and a speculative pipeline play trading near a 52-week high.
Regeneron (REGN): The Safest Tier
Regeneron (NASDAQ:REGN) anchors the basket. Shares trade around $687.40 as of July 28, still down 11.45% year to date despite a string of quarterly beats. That disconnect is the setup.
In Q1 2026, Regeneron posted revenue of $3.605 billion, beating estimates by 3.5% and growing 19.04% year over year. Non-GAAP EPS came in at $9.47, ahead of the $8.90 consensus. Dupixent remains the growth engine, with global sales of $4.88 billion in the quarter, up 33%, serving over 1.4 million active patients worldwide. Libtayo grew 54% and EYLEA HD U.S. sales jumped 77%.
The balance sheet is fortress-grade. Regeneron holds $18.54 billion in cash, generated $848 million in free cash flow in Q1 and authorized a new $3.0 billion share repurchase program in April alongside a $0.94 quarterly dividend. Analyst consensus target is $833.31, with 72% bullish sentiment and zero sell ratings. The base-case 1-year model target sits at $888.57, implying 32.08% upside on a beta of just 0.236.
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The bull case: Dupixent absorbs the legacy EYLEA decline, near-term catalysts (fianlimab in metastatic melanoma, garetosmab BLA with an August 2026 action date, cemdisiran NDA decision in Q4 2026) provide multiple shots on goal, and the buyback puts a bid under the stock.
The risk: Legacy EYLEA U.S. sales fell 40% in Q1, and the Samsung EYLEA biosimilar is cleared to launch in January 2027. GAAP gross margin was trimmed to 77%-78% due to a Limerick, Ireland manufacturing disruption.
REGN Analyst Ratings — 24/7 Wall St.Moderna (MRNA): The Mid-Risk Tier
Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) has quietly become one of the sharpest recovery trades in large-cap biotech. Shares last traded near $54.56, up 76.80 to date despite a nearly 22% drop over the past month.
The Q1 2026 report reset the narrative. Revenue hit $389 million, up 263.6% year over year and beating the $236 million estimate by 64.58%. EPS of -$3.40 beat the -$3.88 consensus even after absorbing an $878 million Arbutus/Genevant litigation charge. Management guided to up to 10% revenue growth in 2026 with year-end cash of $4.50 billion to $5.00 billion.
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The near-term catalyst is concrete: an FDA PDUFA date of Aug. 5 for seasonal flu vaccine mRNA-1010, which would be Moderna's fifth approved commercial product. CEO Stéphane Bancel called out the launch on the Q1 call: "Building on this strong first quarter momentum, we are excited to return to sales growth in 2026 and expect several additional approvals around the world, including for our seasonal flu vaccine."
The bull case: International COVID demand is stabilizing, mCOMBRIAX (the world's first flu+COVID combo vaccine) already has European approval, and the oncology program intismeran has Phase 3 melanoma data due in 2026.
The risk: The stock has run hard. AI base-case modeling actually flags a -36.43% 12-month return against an analyst target of $45.85, well below the current quote. Forward EPS remains negative at -$8.55, and 67% of analysts sit on hold. This is a catalyst trade.
MRNA Price Target — 24/7 Wall St.Viking Therapeutics (VKTX): The Speculative Tier
Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) is the highest-conviction, highest-risk name in the basket. Shares changed hands at $33.38 on July 28, down 5.76% this year and down nearly 16% over the past month as sentiment around the obesity pipeline rebuilt.
The setup: VK2735, a dual GLP-1/GIP agonist, is in two Phase 3 obesity trials. VANQUISH-1 is fully enrolled with 4,500+ patients, and Phase 2 oral VENTURE data showed up to 12.2% mean body weight reduction after 13 weeks. Oral VK2735 Phase 3 is scheduled to begin Q3 2026, alongside maintenance dosing readouts. Cash and investments stood at roughly $706 million at year-end 2025.
The analyst posture is extreme. Consensus target is $92.58, implying 175.29% upside, with 90% bullish ratings and zero bears. CEO Brian Lian described 2025 as "an exceptional year for Viking marked by rapid progress across our obesity portfolio."
The bull case: A dual formulation strategy (monthly subcutaneous plus daily/weekly oral) could differentiate Viking against the Lilly/Novo duopoly if Phase 3 data mirrors Phase 2.
The risk: Pre-revenue with an escalating burn. Q4 2025 net loss was $157.66 million, and full-year R&D more than tripled to $344.95 million. Phase 3 outcomes are binary, and position sizing reflects that binary risk.
VKTX Price Scenario — 24/7 Wall St.What to Watch Next
The catalyst cascade is dense. Moderna's August 5 flu vaccine decision is first up. Regeneron's garetosmab BLA action date follows in August, with fianlimab melanoma data in the same window. Viking's oral VK2735 Phase 3 initiation and maintenance dosing results arrive in Q3. For investors thinking about biotech exposure, the tiered structure lets each pick play its own role: REGN for cash flow and buyback support, MRNA for the near-term regulatory event, VKTX for the deep-out-of-the-money pipeline call.
Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Regeneron didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
Contact editorial@247wallst.com for any questions or corrections.
Source: “AOL Money”
