The share prices of the biotechnology companies quoted on Euronext have fallen by 21% in 2018. The sector performed poorly, mainly because of the sharp increase in risk aversion among investors in the second half of the year.
The Euronext biannual biotech barometer shows that Belgian biotechnology companies have closed 2018 with a nice plus of 19%. However, this is largely due to a few acquisitions at the beginning of the year. In the second half of the year the companies went even harder than in France and the Netherlands.
Euronext reports that against disappointing disappointments at six companies including Pharming, windfalls were among eight companies, including Galapagos. These were mainly encouraging research results.
In the past five years, Belgian biotechnology companies also excelled with a plus of 123%. Their Dutch counterparts did not go beyond 71%, while the French companies were even worth 16% less.
At the end of last year, 323 institutional investors from the US and Europe had shares in biotech companies listed on Euronext.
Peretz M. is an accomplished economist and financial journalist with a deep understanding of the global economy and financial markets. He is a regular contributor to EconomicInform, where he provides expert analysis and commentary on current economic trends and events. With a strong educational background in economics, Peretz has a talent for breaking down complex economic concepts for a general audience and is able to provide insightful perspectives on a wide range of economic issues.
