Lannett falls after Deutsche Bank addresses 'elephant in the room'

Shares of Lannett after falling after Deutsche Bank analyst Gregg Gilbert told investors to brace for "significant volatility" on the upcoming levothyroxine outcome. The "elephant in the room" is that depending on ongoing negotiations with Lannett's partner Jerome Stevens Pharmaceuticals, the company's largest product levothyroxine, which represented 34% of sales in fiscal 2018, could go away in March 2019, Gilbert wrote earlier in a research note. The product, however, could remain part of the Lannett portfolio for years to come if the partnership term is extended, the analyst added. Gilbert predicts the stock "could crumble" if the agreement is not extended. On the flip side, the shares could spike as "shorts are squeezed" if Lannett were to reach a new deal with Jerome Stevens, Gilbert says. He expects to see this situation "come to a head" over the next two months. Lannett's new CEO Tim Crew has a sense of urgency to get this done, Gilbert believes. The analyst sees the most likely outcome as an extension to the agreement, "perhaps at some additional cost" to Lannett. Such an outcome "could help the shares move higher in the short term, and set the stage for interesting strategic options longer term," Gilbert explains. He keeps a Hold rating on Lannett. The stock in morning trading is down 6%, or $1.00, to $14.90.