Canaccord Cuts Valeant To $75, Says 'Silence Is Deafening'

Canaccord Genuity's Neil Maruoka downgraded the rating for Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc (NYSE: VRX) from Buy to Hold, while reducing the price target from $125 to $75. He said that lack of transparency and clear communication by the company had eroded investor confidence.

"The delayed filing of its 10-K, a potential earnings restatement, withdrawn 2016 financial guidance, and the lack of clarity on the recently disclosed SEC investigation, are all now
overhangs on the stock with limited visibility to resolution," analyst Neil Maruoka wrote.

Valeant's business continues to be solid with medium-term growth potential. Although the return of Mike Pearson was a positive, it may take weeks or even months for the company to resolve the various issues facing it, Maruoka stated.

The emergence of new risks had resulted in a widening of credit spreads with Valeant's 10-year maturity bonds now yielding 9.3 percent and an increase in the cost of equity. Canaccord Genuity has raised its discount rate to 15.8 percent in the DCF "to reflect these uncertainties."