The CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) share price is 2% higher at $145.71 a piece in Thursday morning trade. At the time of writing, the beaten-down biotech stock is down 15.24% year to date and 44.85% over the year.
It's no secret that the CSL share price has taken a beating over the past six months. The biotech stock has been subdued since it crashed 15% following its half-year results and shock CEO exit in early February.
And the drop is just one of many headwinds the company has faced over the past 6 months.
The company's shares suffered a brutal sell-off in mid-August after its FY25 result and surprise restructure announcement. Two and a half months later, the share price dropped another 19.2% to a new low when it downgraded its FY26 revenue and profit growth guidance in October.
But right now, I think the CSL share price is a screaming buy. Here are three reasons that I think we could see CSL shares leap another 88% to $274 a piece.
Image source: Getty images
1. There is strong global demand for plasma therapies
CSL is an Australian-based global biotechnology company that develops and delivers biotherapies and vaccines to protect public health and help people with life-threatening medical conditions live full lives. At the core of its business are its plasma-derived medicines, including immunoglobulins, albumin, and clotting factors.
The company experiences high and consistent demand for its plasma. This is driven by surging global demand for the therapies, and it's expected to keep building.
Reports show that demand for blood plasma derivatives was at 145 million litres in 2025, indicating strong growth driven by increasing immunoglobulin therapies, which are used to treat rare and chronic diseases. By 2033, the market is expected to reach $104.30 billion.
CSL operates in over 40 countries, predominantly in Australia, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, making it well positioned to benefit from and absorb some of the booming demand for its products.
2. CSL is growing its pipeline
Not only is demand for plasma therapies booming, but CSL is also actively growing its pipeline to absorb as much of the demand as possible.
The company invests heavily in research and development, manufacturing capacity, and plasma collection infrastructure.
If CSL secures regulatory approvals and its trials are successful, it will boost the pipeline of its products. And that will boost future earnings expectations, and in turn, its share price.
3. Analysts tip a huge potential upside for the CSL share price
With strong business fundamentals, rocketing global demand for plasma, and a robust growth pipeline, analysts have been consistently positive about the CSL share price for some time now. In fact, many think the investor selling over the past six months is way overdone.
TradingView data shows that 12 out of 18 analysts currently have a buy or strong buy rating on the stock. The average target price is $212.1, which implies a 44.46% upside at the time of writing. However, some think the share price could storm even higher, by 87.04% to $274.57 a piece.
