Viatris' (VTRS) China business remains resilient despite concerns over the country's new volume-control policy, UBS Securities said in a Wednesday note.
Concerns seem "overstated" given the China business' increasing profit contribution, above-average margins and shift toward retail and e-commerce channels. Viatris has also raised its outlook for its China business twice this year, the investment firm said.
The volume-control policy could impact Viatris' public hospital volumes, but only to a limited extent that should still be offset by retail and self-pay segments. The new policy is also expected to have limited impact on Viatris' larger peers, based on commentary from those companies with significant operations in China, according to the note.
About 25% of Viatris' China business comes from public hospitals, while retail and e-commerce channels now account for about 50%, up from roughly 40% in 2021, UBS said. The analysts also noted that key products including Lipitor, Norvasc and Viagra have continued to show growth across hospital and retail channels.
UBS has a buy rating and a $23 price target on Viatris.
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