BioMarin, Prestige Brands and Other Top Performing Health Care Stocks in November

Here is a quick look at some of the top-performing health care sector stocks in the past month. These companies all have a market cap of more than $500 million, and their share prices are more than 20 percent higher than 30 days ago. BioMarin Pharmaceutical BMRN in early November reported positive drug trial results that sent shares up more than 33 percent to a new all-time high. The share price has plateaued since then. The Novato, California-based biopharmaceutical company has a long-term earnings per share (EPS) growth forecast of about 36 percent, but the return on equity is in negative territory. And the short interest is more than seven percent of the float, with the highest average daily volume seen all year. The stock has outperformed the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 over the past six months. Idenix Pharmaceuticals IDIX is more than 45 percent higher than a month ago, yet still well off the multiyear high reached when the stock spiked early in the year. The biotech company saw an analyst's upgrade last week on the potential for a hepatitis drug it has in development. But note that shares sold short represent about 12 percent of the float, the highest number since August. And over the past six months, the stock has underperformed competitors Gilead Sciences GILD and Vertex Pharmaceuticals VRTX. Prestige Brands PBH started off November by posting record quarterly earnings. The share price jumped almost 20 percent following the report, and shares are now trading near a multiyear high. This distributor of over-the-counter health care products has a long-term EPS growth forecast of about 13 percent. The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is higher than the industry average, but so is the operating margin. The short interest is less than three percent of the float. The stock has outperformed larger competitors Johnson & Johnson JNJ and Proctor & Gamble PG over the past six months. Sarepta Therapeutics SRPT, rose more than 30 percent in November, resuming its moment from before a very volatile October following good news about the drug maker's potential muscular dystrophy treatment. Shares are now up more than 560 percent year to date. The long-term EPS growth forecast is about 20 percent, but short interest is more than 13 percent of the float, the highest it has been since April. The stock has outperformed the likes of Isis Pharmaceuticals ISIS and the broader markets over the past six months. Sequenom SQNM shares are trading more than 51 percent higher than 30 days ago, but less than nine percent higher year to date. The San Diego-based diagnostic services company said in November that demand for its test for Down Syndrome and other disorders was growing and could surpass previous guidance. Note that short interest is more than 33 percent of the float. But the long-term EPS growth forecast is more than 27 percent. Over the past six months, the stock has outperformed Ilumina ILMN and Life Technologies LIFE. See also: RIM, Green Mountain and Other Top Performing Nasdaq Stocks in November