Pharmacy Alliances and the Need for Niche Providers: APHY, WAG, ABC, BIOS, CVS, RAD

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Posted 23 May 2013 — by AlphaVN
Category ABC, APHY, BIOS, Business, CVS, Healthcare, Investing, RAD, Retail (Drugs), Sectors, Stocks, Trading, WAG

By AlphaVN
pharmacy stocks
With the upcoming overhaul of the U.S. health care market, known as the Affordable Care Act – that’s ObamaCare in common political parlance – it is expected that there will be a drive towards specialization in the pharmacy industry.  Looking at recent history we’ve seen the pharmacy majors come out with their Q1 2013 as well as Walgreen Company (NYSE:WAG), AKA Walgreens, and Alliance Boots (Private) receiving regulatory approval to purchase an equity stake in AmerisourceBergen Corp. (NYSE:ABC).

This move by Walgreens and Alliance Boots comes quickly on the heels of their announced joint venture to advance to a global business outside of Walgreens’ extremely strong domestic business.  The agreement allows the two firms to buy up to 7% of AmerisourceBergen openly while holding warrants for another 16% each, which can be exercised in 2016 (8%) and 2017 (8%). Read More

Robert Reich: Pyromaniacs on the Potomac — The Problem With Obama’s Second Term

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Posted 16 May 2013 — by Robert B. Reich
Category Uncategorized

By Robert Reich

Robert ReichSix months into a second term and the Obama White House is on the defensive and floundering: Benghazi, the IRS’s investigations of right-wing groups, the Justice Department’s snooping into journalists’ phone records, Obamacare behind schedule, the Administration’s push for gun control ending in failure.

Should the blame fall mainly on congressional Republicans and their allies in the right-wing media, whose vitriolic attacks on Obama are unceasing?

After all, the only thing the GOP stands for – the sole mission that unites its warring factions — is an unwaivering determination to block anything the Administration seeks while distracting public attention from any larger issue. Read More

Biotech Rally Creates Fertile M&A Ground for Small Caps: OncoSec Medical Inc. (ONCS), ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Ltd. (IMUC)

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Posted 16 May 2013 — by AlphaVN
Category Biotechnology and Drugs, Business, Healthcare, IMUC, INO, Investing, Major Drugs, Market News, Medical Equipment and Supplies, MRK, ONCS, PFE, Pharmaceuticals, Sectors, Stocks, Trading

By AlphaVN

biotechnology - stocks - marketWhile I am not personally a huge fan of high risk, high cost-of-capital businesses, I tend to spend a lot of time writing about them. Mining and high-tech are two of the highest cost-of-capital industries out there and, in my opinion, are only surpassed in risk to reward — assuming everything goes right -– by biotech/pharmaceuticals. But, unlike gold mining, there is always a ton of cash floating around looking for a home. Since the current rally in stocks began in October 2011, biotech, as a sector, has outperformed all three major indices by a substantial margin with that outperformance accelerating since the beginning of 2013.

NASDAQ Biotech Index

This puts the majors in a very interesting position. The Shiller P/E of the S&P 500 (SPY) is currently 24.24 – as of the close on  May, 2013.  The iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index Fund ETF (NASDAQ:IBB) currently trades at an even richer multiple of 26.5.  This ETF tracks the NASDAQ Biotech Index (NBI) and has returned more 27.4% year-to-date. With a number of major pharmaceuticals like Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) struggling with patent expiration, failure of promising replacements, and growth markets with far less respect for intellectual property than the U.S. and the E.U., it makes sense that we will see a rise in M&A activity while stocks continue to rise thanks to extremely accommodative monetary policy. Merck’s most recent earnings statements hit on all of these issues, but the company will be buying back $7.5 billion of its stock in the next 12 months. Read More

SANUWAVE Health (SNWV): Price Consolidation Positions Company For Catalyst-Based Rebound

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Posted 14 May 2013 — by VFC's Stock House
Category Business, Healthcare, Investing, Market News, Sectors, SNWV, Stocks, Trading

By VFC’s Stock House

SANUWAVE Health Inc. (OTC:SNWV)Shares of SANUWAVE Health, Inc. (SNWV) swiftly achieved a near double in price earlier this year as investor anticipation grew in regards to the initiation of a new Phase III trial testing the company’s dermaPACE shockwave therapy in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. A new trial design and an agreement with the FDA to utilize some previous Phase III data added to the enthusiasm and hinted that SNWV shares had the potential to approach price levels seen during the last Phase III trial. That trial, as previously discussed, ended without the endpoint being met, although the results were convincing enough that success could be easily achieved after the new trial designs were implemented.

Since the quick spike in price, however, SanuWave shares have retreated again after many of the short-term minded day, swing and momentum likely took some profits and moved on in search of another quick winner — although you can never blame anyone for taking some profit from the table — but the result of such action could potentially be another buying opportunity for investors who may have missed out on the last quick run. Given the encouraging prospects for the upcoming trial and the numerous catalysts that will be slated to unfold – in terms of interim and actual results – once the trial gains momentum, SanuWave shares could quickly rebound once the current phase of consolidation is complete. Read More

Stevia First Corp. (STVF): Upside Potential in the Growing All-Natural Sugar Substitute Market

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Posted 08 May 2013 — by Phil Lassiter
Category Beverages (Nonalcoholic), Business, Consumer/Non-Cyclical, Food Processing, GIS, Investing, KO, KRFT, Market News, PCRTF, PEP, PURE, Sectors, Stocks, STVF, Trading

By Phil Lassiter

Stevia First Corp. (OTCMKTS:STVF)Stevia First Corp. (STVF) is a small $25 million company that operates in an enormous $100 billion sweetener market. Its targeted market is in stevia, the all-natural sweetener, a business that is expected to reach $2 billion by next year and is expected to continue growing at 30%; not bad for an industry that was just $20 million in 2008. Hence with the size and growth of this market, a small company with a much-needed technology could create substantial gains.

The Upside In Eliminating Stevia’s Aftertaste

Stevia is one of the fastest growing industries in the secular market due to the fact that we as consumers want good tasting food and drink without the calories or health risks. Stevia is much sweeter than sugar but has zero calories and does not cause health problems or tooth decay. Its only negative is that it leaves a lingering after-taste, which has kept many large food and beverage companies such as PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE:PEP) or General Mills Inc. (NYSE:GIS) from partnering or acquiring stevia-based companies. However, the problem of a lingering aftertaste may have changed with Stevia First Corporation (OTCMKTS:STVF), and that could present a great investment opportunity. Read More

Maxim Group Senior Media Analyst John Tinker to Discuss Sirius XM Radio’s (NASDAQ:SIRI) First Quarter Results — Live Tonight at 8:00PM ET

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Posted 01 May 2013 — by Demian Russian
Category Analyst Coverage, Broadcasting and Cable TV, Business, Investing, Market News, Media, Sectors, Services, SIRI, Stocks, Trading

Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) - Maxim GroupBy Demian Russian

Maxim Group Senior Media Analyst John Tinker will be discussing his thoughts on Sirius XM Radio’s (NASDAQ:SIRI) Q1 earnings results during an exclusive interview on Playground Radio, which will air live tonight, Wednesday, May 1st, 2013, at 8:00 PM Eastern. With a new research report issued today, Tinker reiterates a BUY rating and $4.20 price target on SIRI. Read More

Sirius XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ:SIRI): Maxim Group Senior Media Analyst John Tinker Weighs In Ahead Of Q1 Earnings

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Posted 29 Apr 2013 — by Demian Russian
Category Analyst Coverage, Broadcasting and Cable TV, Business, CHTR, Investing, LMCA, Market News, Media, Sectors, Services, SIRI, Stocks, Trading

By Demian Russian

Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) - Maxim Group - John Tinker - analyst coverageWith a new research report, Maxim Group Senior Media Analyst John Tinker weighs in ahead of Sirius XM Radio’s (NASDAQ:SIRI) Q1 earnings release on Tuesday, April 30th. Noting Sirius XM interim CEO Jim Meyer continues with growth initiatives, and the recently launched MySXM customizable Internet radio service, Tinker reiterates a BUY rating and a price target of $4.20 on the equity.

“Sirius XM Radio’s ability to lean in to new distribution forms its strength, as the company continues to look at new markets.”

– John Tinker, Senior Media Analyst, Maxim Group

Focusing on Sirius XM’s growing free cash flow, Tinker notes that that the company’s free cash flow per share grew from 6.4 cents in in 2011 to 10.7 cents in 2012, representing a 67% increase year-over-year. Tinker sees further growth, estimating 57% year-over-year growth to 16.8 cents per share for full-year 2013 — “post an aggressive share buyback of $2.64 billion or 800 million shares.” Sirius XM’s officially announced stock buyback program amounts to $2 billion. While Tinker does note that the company does have some debt covenants “which may prevent it from pursuing an aggressive share repurchase program,” he points to previous comments from both Liberty Media (NASDAQ:LMCA) Chairman John Malone and CEO Greg Maffei, which indicate that the covenants can be “worked around.” Tinker expects Sirius XM to lever up to 3X net debt/EBITDA, from net debt of $1.9 billion in 2012 to $3.57 billion in 2013, with the assumption that Sirius XM pursues an aggressive share buyback — subsequently increasing it from the previously announced $2 billion to $2.64 billion. Read More

Public Debt and Economic Growth

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Posted 29 Apr 2013 — by Robert B. Reich
Category Business, Economy, Government, Market News, Politics

By Robert Reich

Robert ReichIn the election of 1952 my father voted for Dwight Eisenhower. When I asked him why he explained that “FDR’s debt” was still burdening the economy — and that I and my children and my grandchildren would be paying it down for as long as we lived.

I was only six years old and had no idea what a “debt” was, let alone FDR’s. But I had nightmares about it for weeks.

Yet as the years went by my father stopped talking about “FDR’s debt,” and since I was old enough to know something about economics I never worried about it. My children have never once mentioned FDR’s debt. My four-year-old grandchild hasn’t uttered a single word about it. Read More

Specialty Pharmacies Offer Solutions — Also For Investors: PMC, BIOS, APHY

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Posted 29 Apr 2013 — by Dutch Trader
Category APHY, BIOS, Business, Consumer/Non-Cyclical, Healthcare, Investing, Market News, PMC, Retail (Drugs), Sectors, Stocks

By Dutch Trader

specialty pharmacies - prescription drugs - investing - stocksIn 2012, Americans filled more than 4 billion prescriptions at 62,000 retail, mail, and specialty pharmacies. The largest U.S. pharmacies ranked by total prescription you will find in the table below, some of these companies offer also specialty pharmacy services (CVS Caremark and Express Scripts). I believe that specialty pharmacies offer a great opportunity for investors that want to stay ahead of the curve.

Largest US Pharmacies

Specialty drugs have seen an enormous boost within the pharmaceutical marketplace over the past several years. According to future-trending reports specialty drugs will account for the majority of new drug approvals in coming years and they will consume approximately 40% of health plan’s drug spending by 2020. Read More

Don’t Let These Five Speculative Stock Plays Slip Below The Radar: FPMI, APHY, ANTB, SSH, TTNP

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Posted 25 Apr 2013 — by VFC's Stock House
Category ANTB, APHY, Biotechnology and Drugs, Business, CVS, FPMI, Healthcare, HTWR, Investing, Market News, Medical Equipment and Supplies, MNKD, NVO, Pharmaceuticals, RAD, Sectors, SNWV, SSH, Stocks, THOR, Trading, TTNP, WMT

By VFC’s Stock House

speculative stocks - market - tradingOn numerous occasions during the record-breaking rally of 2013 we’ve pointed out the fact that the more speculative and ‘under the radar’ sectors of the investing world are often ignored and disregarded when everyone is making ‘easy money’ while the markets are setting record highs on a seemingly day-by-day basis. At some point, however, we also argued that profits would be taken and — since most investors and traders don’t like to see their money sitting idle — would possibly be transferred into those more speculative companies and sectors that hold the potential to return catalyst-based gains over the coming months and quarters. The recent volatility experienced by stocks — with highs and lows of the day in the DOW, for instance, trading in a range of well over a hundred points — could be an indication that profits are being taken and the traders are taking over. It could be an opportune time to concentrate more on where the money is going next. That’s where industry trends and pending catalysts come into play, as those companies that have been trading under the radar for a while could start to come to the forefront of their respective sectors.

With that in mind, we’ll take a look at a few companies with catalysts pending that could offer investors an opportunity to capitalize in the near and long term futures… Read More

Extreme Percentage of Newsletters Short Gold

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Posted 24 Apr 2013 — by Bob Loukas
Category Business, Gold, Investing, Market News, Precious Metals, Sectors, Technical Analysis, Trading

By Bob Loukas

gold - precious metals - market - tradingI often present sentiment charts and I do this because they fit well with cycles analysis. Sentiment reflects human emotion and cycles capture the recurring ebb and flow of this emotion towards an asset. So the below chart is not a timing predictor, but one that demonstrates just how negative sentiment has moved against the gold cycle. Whenever a cycle stretches so far with corresponding extremes in sentiment, the odds greatly favor a reversal back towards the mean is likely to occur. Regardless of where gold is headed over the intermediate timeframe, the need to correct this imbalance is pretty strong. I’m looking for a reversal back to at least a more neutral state. Read More

Cargill Inc. and Stevia First Corp. (STVF): Fermentation Processes Could Be Worth $1 Billion in Sales

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Posted 24 Apr 2013 — by Glen S. Woods
Category Agricultural, Beverages (Nonalcoholic), Business, Consumer/Non-Cyclical, Food Processing, Investing, KO, KRFT, Market News, Sectors, Stocks, STVF, Trading

By Glen S. Woods

Stevia Stevia is unquestionably the fastest growing of all zero calorie sugar substitutes on the market. The global market for stevia rose from roughly $20 million in 2008 to an estimated range between $800 million to $2 billion in 2011. Furthermore, stevia is forecasted to continue to see a 30% growth rate through 2016. Sales of Cargill’s stevia-based sweetener, Truvia, jumped 73.7% between 2009 and 2010. Today Truvia accounts for 58% of stevia-based tabletop sweeteners sold, and has a retail value of $45 million, or 9.1% of the sales of the sugar substitutes in the U.S. Read More

SanuWave Health Inc. (SNWV) Boosts Long-Term Potential with Short-Term Catalysts

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Posted 23 Apr 2013 — by VFC's Stock House
Category AMRN, ANTB, APHY, Biotechnology and Drugs, Business, Healthcare, Investing, IRWD, Market News, Medical Equipment and Supplies, MNKD, Pharmaceuticals, Sectors, SGYP, SNWV, Stocks, Trading, TTNP

By VFC’s Stock House

SANUWAVE Health Inc. (OTC:SNWV)SANUWAVE Health Inc. (OTC:SNWV), with trial catalysts pending over the near term, has received its fair share of attention during the course of 2013 thus far, but the company’s potential value over the long term may have received a significant boost earlier this month with the issuance of a patent covering the company’s shockwave technology for use in blood purification. Although not yet in development for that indication, SanuWave projects that its shockwave technology could disrupt “the outer membrane of bacteria and viruses which,” according to a company press release on the topic, would result in the death of such pathogens. For SanuWave, this patent also represents the first for the company outside of those obtained for its initial methods-of-use — which include wound care and regenerative medicine — and provides another solid starting point from which the company can grow. Read More

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