4th Quarter Stock Preview: Pray for a 4-peat

Biotech financing got off to a brisk start this year, but has slowed since June, particularly in the U.S. At the same time, biotech stocks have lagged the rest of the market. But with valuations down, many Street watchers think the supply/demand equation is finally balanced going into the fourth quarter, which is traditionally a good quarter for the group.

Helped by leadership from top names in Europe, which posted big gains in the third quarter, there's still a chance biotech could end the year in the black, while financings already have reached $21 billion, making 2006 the third best financing year ever...