Tag: Stocks

Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. focuses on the discovery and development of RNA-based therapeutics, gene therapy, and other genetic medicine approaches for the treatment of rare neuromuscular diseases.

Big Pharm is in search for the next $1 billion drug as most disease categories have been conquered. One exception is gene therapy. Gene therapy is treatments designed to replace faulty genes with healthy ones.

In 2018 Novartis acquired gene therapy player AveXis for $8.7 billion. On Feb 22nd, Roche said it will buy Spark Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ONCE) for $4.3 billion, or $114.50 per share, a premium of about 122%.

Recently, Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SRPT) acquired a

Six month ago, I talked about Tesla’s nemesis, Nio,

Move Over Tesla, Here Come Nio

The newest competition is Nio. Nio manufactures and markets electric vehicles. Nio already has a vehicle in production and they have delivered over 1,000 units under EP9, EVE, and ES8 brand names.

Nio was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Shanghai, China and already has financial backing from Baidu and Tencent. This past week, Nio had an initial public offering on the New York stock exchange. They plan to use the money to ramp up production of their current ES8 and launch new vehicles in China first

Emerging markets and the US dollar are inversely correlated.  The US dollar helps drive emerging market performance in part because commodities and commodities are major exports in the developing world. When the dollar strengthens, commodities become more expensive in dollar terms, thus less demand and when the dollar weakens, commodities become less expensive in dollar terms, thus more demand.

With US interest rates now on hold, logically the dollar should fall in price in 2019.  And because China accounts for about a quarter of the ETF, EEM and trade deal between the US and China should only cause the EEM to

Urban Outfitters posted stronger-than-expected fourth quarter earnings Tuesday, with sales over the holiday period.  Urban Outfitters brand sales increased 4% from the same period last year, the group said, while Free People sales rose 4% and Anthropolgie Group sales edged 2% higher. Gross margin also improved for the period of 33.3%.  However, guidance for the upcoming quarter was dismal where the company is forecasting first-quarter comps to be flat to down a low-single-digit.

Urban Outfitters’ slow start to the first quarter could “swing positive” in the second quarter due to the company’s ability to “pivot intra-season” and correct any inventory or

Kroger is one of the largest supermarkets in the country, but now it’s in the process of being Amazoned.

Kroger has expanded its organic and natural food selections to better compete Whole Foods Market.  And to their credit are investing in online grocery orders and grocery deliveries.  In May of 2018, Kroger bought a 5% stake in British online retailer Ocado in exchange for an exclusive deal for its grocery service, which led a 58% increase in digital sales for the fourth quarter.  It’s all part of Kroger’s plan to compete.

Restock Kroger initiative is a three year initiative to increase digital

Dollar Tree is the largest dollar chain with over 14, 000 stores.  Dollar Tree has been successful to this point because of their perceived value.  Essentially you pay for what you get and the items are sold in a smaller unit size.  But they have done some clever things as well.  They have kept the items they sell to a minimum, so they have a high inventory turns and stores do required a whole lot footprint and they sell a ton of private label items, which helps their margins.

To compete with the likes of Walmart, they purchased Family Dollar in

Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) reporting earnings yesterday results.  Although revenue was down 3% from year-ago, comparable-sales growth was 3%, doubling expectations.  A&F also said sales for 2019 will rise 2% to 4%.  On the news the stock rose more than 20%, its best level since 2016.

According to the CEO, is the company’s ability to reach the customers through mobile devices was instrumental with digital sales topping $1 billion for the full year.  To put things into prospective roughly one-in-three dollars spent at the brand is being spent online.  In addition, customers can purchase items online and pick them up in

I have already ran out of popcorn, but I got another bag in the microwave popping

because the GE drama continues. It was just yesterday I talked about more bearish unusual options activity,

Unusual Options Activity In GE – Part II

General Electric (GE) shares tumbled after the company said it sees “significant known headwinds to 2019 cash flow” for its industrial division, which was more negative than previous reported. The industrial free cash flow will now be in negative for 2019.

Today I noticed even more unusual bearish options activity.  These options are even more aggressive than previously reported five days ago

The Children’s Place, Inc. operates as a children’s specialty apparel retailer and sells apparel, accessories, footwear, and other items for children; and designs, contracts to manufacture, and sells merchandise under the proprietary The Children’s Place, Place, and Baby Place brand names.

On Monday, Children’s Place announced earnings and got spanked. They reported fourth-quarter earnings and sales, and provided full-year guidance that missed expectations.

The miss was directly due to the Gymboree bankruptcy.  In January Gymboree Group Inc. which also sells children apparel filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than two years and plans to shut all it 380