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Expectations of good news on the near horizon are buoying markets right now. Over the past month, both the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ are up 11% to new record highs.Investors are excited at the prospect of a COVID vaccine coming before the winter is out. And the electoral results, that Democrat Joe Biden will ascend to the Presidency while the Republicans will emerge strengthened in Congress, promise the avoidance of extremes typical of divided government. In short, investors are looking forward to ‘return to normal’ environment over the next several months. And that has them seeking stocks that are primed for gains. Against this backdrop, Goldman Sachs analysts are pounding the table on three stocks in particular, noting that each could surge over 40% in the year ahead. After running both tickers through TipRanks’ database, we found out that the rest of the Street is also standing squarely in the bull camp.Codiack BioSciences (CDAK)As we have all learned from coronavirus pandemic, some new thing in medical science can make huge impact on our world. Codiack aims to turn that principle to good. This research-oriented pharmaceutical aims to turn exosome therapeutics into a whole new class of medicines. Exosomes are the degradation mechanism RNA, and can transfer genetic material around a body.And therein lies the potential. Codiack has developed a design platform for the engineering of exosome proteins capable of carrying and protecting drug molecules through cell walls. In effect, the proteins will mimic the pathways used by viruses – but are non-viral, and are designed to carry a ‘payload’ of therapeutic agents. If successful, exosome therapy offers doctors the ability to design a drug that will deliver specific agents to specific cells to fight specific disease.Codiack is involved in all aspects of exosome therapeutics, from design to manufacturing, and currently has an active pipeline of agents – seven, in all – in various stages of discovery, preclinical testing, and the beginnings of Phase 1 trials.In the biosciences, success or failure is all about that pipeline, and in its diverse, active pipeline of agents in a new sector of biotechnological pharmaceuticals, Codiack has a fine resource to attract investors. To get those investors, the company went public this past October, selling 5.5 million shares at an opening price of $14.10 per share.Among the healthcare name's fans is Goldman Sachs analyst Graig Suvannavejh. The analyst wrote, “Biopharma industry interest in exosomes has long been high, but engineering them for a specific function and manufacturing at scale have both proven challenging. Among a field of multiple competitors, CDAK has made the most significant progress on both fronts, and as such we view their technology platform as best-in-class.”"Given share underperformance (-37%) since the IPO, we find risk/reward highly compelling at current levels, and with key 2021 data sets to provide potential de-risking and positive share inflection," the analyst concluded.Suvannavejh rates CDAK a Buy, and his $29 price target shows the extent of his confidence – it implies a 222% upside for the coming year. (To watch Suvannavejh’s track record, click here)Overall, Codiack has a Strong Buy from the analyst consensus – 3 reviewers have put up Buy ratings in recent weeks. The stock is selling for $8.90, and its $24 average price target implies a 166% one-year upside potential. (See CDAK stock analysis on TipRanks)Arcutis Biotherapeutics (ARQT)Acrutis is a pioneering researcher in the treatment of dermatological disease. Arcutis is involved in discovering the next generation of dermatological treatments – an important niche, especially when one realizes that one common ailment, psoriasis, has not seen an FDA approval for a novel treatment in over two decades.The company is leveraging recent advances in immunology and inflammation to find new approaches to skin treatment. The goal is to make it easier for patients and doctors together to manage conditions like psoriasis, alopecia, atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and vitiligo, to name just a few.The company's lead candidate, ARQ-151 (roflumilast cream), is about to enter a phase 3 trial for atopic dermatitis, and is in an advanced phase 3 stage in Plaque Psoriasis. Arcutis has recently issued an update on positive data from the Phase 2 trials of ARQ-151 in atopic dermatitis. The drug is a once-daily treatment, and has demonstrated significant patient relief from symptoms, especially itching and itching-related sleep problems. This is another stock in Suvannavejh’s coverage universe. The Goldman analyst is impressed by developments in the company’s pipeline work, noting: “ARQT provided an update on the outcome of its end-of-Phase 2 meetings with the FDA, following their Phase 2a trial of ARQ-151 in atopic dermatitis (AtD). Feedback from regulators was broadly encouraging, in particular, acknowledging the robust long-term safety data being generated by ARQT for ARQ-151 in plaque psoriasis…”Accordingly, Suvannavejh rates ARQT a Buy, and sets a $36 price target that indicates room for 40% upside growth in 2021. (To watch Suvannavejh’s track record, click here)Arcutis has 2 recent Buy reviews, making the consensus rating a Moderate Buy. The stock’s average price target is $37, suggesting a 44% upside from current levels. (See ARQT stock analysis on TipRanks)Oak Street Health (OSH)With the last stock, we move from medical research to medical care. Specifically, Oak Street Health is a primary care clinic operator, and part of the Medicare Network. The company has operations and clinics in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, along with New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas. It has been in operation for eight years, and went public this past summer, holding the IPO in August.In the third quarter, the company’s first as a publicly traded entity, OSH brought in $217.9 million in revenue. The revenue number was up 56% from the year-ago quarter. Earnings per share matched expectations, at 15 cents.The company’s expansion proceeds apace, and in October, Oak Street entered New York by opening, in Brooklyn, its 70th location. A planned expansion in Texas, involving a partnership with Walmart, is also proceeding as planned, and Oak Street has opened its first Walmart Community Clinic the Dallas-Fort Worth area city of Carrollton.Robert Jones, covering this stock for Goldman, set a $74 price target to back his Buy rating. At currently levels, this target implies an upside of ~58% in the next 12 months. (To watch Jones’ track record, click here)“Results suggest operations are still on track, with few incremental updates since the 2Q call, where management noted a resumption of center openings, (pivoted) marketing efforts, and in-person visits despite COVID. In 3Q, OSH opened 13 new centers and is on track for 73-75 by end of year… The company maintained that it is continuing to operate at a high level in places with elevated COVID case counts like Chicago and Detroit,” Jones noted.All in all, the Strong Buy analyst consensus rating OSH is based on 8 reviews, breaking down to 7 Buys and just a single Hold. The stock is selling for $46.94, and its $61.29 average price target suggests it has a ~31% upside for the coming year. (See OSH stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for healthcare stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
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