Month: March 2014

GlaxoSmithKline ’s ( GSK ) diabetes drug, Eperzan, gained approval in the EU. The European Commission (EC) approved the once-weekly drug both as a monotherapy and as combination therapy in adults suffering from type II diabetes. The EC approved Eperzan on the basis of encouraging data from eight phase III trials on Eperzan […]

Updates on the regulatory front are eagerly awaited by investors in the pharma/biotech sector as they impact the share price of the concerned company. Regulatory updates include events like filing of marketing applications, acceptance of these applications for review by the regulatory agencies, reviews by advisory panels and finally, a response from the regulatory agency regarding the approval status. Earlier this week, Exelixis, Inc. […]

On Mar 24, 2014, we issued an updated research report on BHP Billiton Limited ( BHP ). The company delivered strong earnings per American Depositary Share (ADS) in the first half of fiscal 2014, which increased 83% year over year to $1.52. Half-yearly revenues of $33.9 billion were also up 5.9% from the first half of fiscal 2013. […]

On Mar 25, 2014, we initiated coverage on the global provider of consumer product dispensing systems, AptarGroup, Inc. ( ATR ). AptarGroup delivered strong fourth-quarter 2013 results with both the top and the bottom line surpassing the respective Zacks Consensus Estimate […]

Of late, things are not going well for Venezuela, and airlines that operate within the country are facing the brunt of it. Amid political turmoil, the country now faces the danger of losing the service of major airlines as they are unable to transfer $3.8 billion in unpaid revenues, which have been accumulating since 2012. […]

American Water Works Company, Inc .’s ( AWK ) subsidiary, Pennsylvania American Water, has announced a water infrastructure upgrade program to its EH Aldrich Treatment Plant in Elrama. Pennsylvania American Water is installing a 42-inch parallel raw water main, filter-to-waste system and additional improvements at the plant. The total cost of this project is estimated at around $5.5 million […]

Perrigo Company ( PRGO ) announced that is has inked a partnership deal with KanPak, in which Golden State Foods, one of the largest diversified food processors and distributors in the U.S., has a controlling interest. According to the deal, the Nutritionals unit of Perrigo will manufacture store brand versions of nutritional drinks for adults which are comparable to offerings under the Ensure product line. KanPak, one of the leading suppliers of beverages and desserts, utilizes its aseptic processing technology which leads to highly effective beverage packaging, shipping and storage. […]

A Houston, TX-based jury returned a verdict against Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. ( RS ), Chapel Steel Corp. (Chapel) – a subsidiary of Reliance Steel – and four other co-defendants in an antitrust lawsuit filed in the U.S […]

Insmed Incorporated ( INSM ) shares skid over 13% after the company announced that its candidate, Arikayce, failed to meet the primary objective in a phase II study (n=90). The candidate is being developed for the treatment of patients suffering from treatment resistant nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung infections. […]

On Mar 26, 2014, we issued an updated research report on Humana Inc. ( HUM ). Earlier, Humana posted dismal fourth-quarter 2013 results, when the company incurred a loss that compared unfavorably with the year-ago earnings and the Zacks Consensus Estimate […]

After maintaining a debt-free balance sheet for almost 4 years, finally MasterCard Inc. ( MA ) raised debt from the markets through senior notes worth $1.5 billion, as publicized by a regulatory filing. This will go down as the first bond sale ever executed by the company […]

TASER International Inc. ( TASR ), through its affiliate EVIDENCE.com, announced that it has received numerous orders for its AXON body-worn video cameras and EVIDENCE.com solution. The company expects to generate considerable revenues in the first half of fiscal 2014 from these orders […]

Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ( AVNR ) announced that the New Drug Application (NDA) for its migraine candidate, AVP-825 has been accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). […]

Steel maker Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc. ( USAP ) announced that it has raised the base prices by 5% on all premium melted grades for products manufactured at its Bridgeville, Dunkirk and North Jackson facilities. The revision will be effective Apr 1, 2014, or as contracts permit […]

Sprint Corporation ( S ) is reportedly planning to launch its HD Voice service by July this year. Sprint customers can enjoy this experience by using HD Voice enabled devices, which are available across Sprint networks such as iPhone 5s/5c, Galaxy S4 and Note 3, Nexus 5 and HTC One and One Max. […]

Church & Dwight Co. Inc. ( CHD ) and Major League Baseball Properties (“MLBP”) announced the penning of a multi-category and multi-year sponsorship agreement yesterday […]

Is the IPO Market “Crushed”? After yesterday’s disastrous IPO from King Digital Entertainment ( KING ) (down over 15% after the first day of trading), thoughts of another IPO bubble are creeping into the minds of analysts, and investors. The fear is that the markets are approaching the same levels as the dot com boom, and the recent performance by KING might be the needle that popped the proverbial bubble […]

Zacks Investment Research downgraded TriMas Corporation ( TRS ) to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) on Mar 27, 2014. Going by the Zacks model, companies holding a Zacks Rank #5 have strong chances of performing worse than the broader market. Hence, investors seeking exposure to industrial equipment and component makers are advised to avoid investing in, or those who have already invested in the stock are advised to consider selling their existing holdings in TriMas Corporation […]