Could This Beaten-Down Biotech Stock Be the Next Buyout Target?

What do AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, and AstraZeneca all have in common? All three are among the largest pharma companies in the world. But all of these drugmakers have also closed high-profile acquisitions within the past two years. These deals helped them bolster their lineups and deepen their pipelines, among other benefits.

The acquiree can also benefit from the transaction, especially if it had fallen on hard times before being bought out. With that in mind, let's look at a biotech company that could become a buyout target within the next couple of years, Bluebird Bio (NASDAQ: BLUE). Below are two reasons why a larger drugmaker could be interested in buying this gene-editing specialist.