2353 GMT - Bell Potter analyst Thomas Wakim downgrades Australia-listed pharmaceuticals company CSL to hold from buy after the company reported annual results and announced a spin-off of its vaccine unit Seqirus. Wakim says guidance for earnings growth was below consensus and that the 2H performance of CSL's Behring unit, which includes CSL's marquee plasma business, was underwhelming. Wakim also says the Seqirus spin-off seems unlikely to drive a near-term valuation uplift given falling vaccination rates and a soft growth outlook. He adds that there's now uncertainty regarding the forecasts of the de-merged company. CSL's shares tumbled nearly 17% yesterday after the result. (mike.cherney@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
August 19, 2025 19:53 ET (23:53 GMT)
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