Year: 2015

U.S. chemical production will continue to expand over the next several years and the American chemical industry will eventually outpace the nation’s overall economic growth – according to the recently published “Year-End 2015 Chemical Industry Situation and Outlook” by the American Chemistry Council ("ACC"). The Washington, DC-based chemical industry trade group noted that notwithstanding softness across a number of major markets, a sluggish global economy, slowdown in China and headwinds from a stronger dollar, the U.S. […]

Pipeline updates are highly awaited events in the pharma/biotech sector as they play an important role in deciding whether or not to invest in a particular company. These updates provide information on experimental drugs and at times give an insight into the commercial potential of the candidate once it is successfully developed and commercialized. Earlier this week, Celyad SA CYAD announced that its Investigational New Drug (IND) application to proceed its lead cardiology candidate, C-Cure, to a phase III study has been authorized in the U.S. […]

The past week was a significant one for the airline industry. Key aviation treaties were inked by the United States with Cuba and Mexico. […]

Royal Dutch Shell plc RDS.A is planning to slash its 2016 capital budget amid the persistent weak crude pricing environment. The oil major is on its way to acquire BG Group plc, a leading upstream energy player in the U.K. The acquisition is anticipated to close by early 2016 […]

On Dec 22, 2015, we issued an updated research report on RLI Corp . RLI . […]

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc . MACK announced that it has filed an amendment to its ongoing phase II study on pipeline candidate, MM-121 (seribantumab), with the FDA MM-121, a fully human monoclonal antibody targets ErbB3, is being evaluated for the treatment of patients with heregulin-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The amendment mainly includes a change in primary endpoint to overall survival. […]

Premium heavy construction company Orion Marine Group, Inc ORN lately won a $13-million contract for a dock replacement project. The new deal is expected to fortify the company’s organic growth path as well as assist in increasing its aggregate revenues in the near future. […]

It's been a harrowing 18 months for energy sector investors with almost every corner of this important area being under the pump. One such sector hit unnecessarily hard by the current downturn is the publicly traded master limited partnerships group (MLPs), particularly those owning and operating energy infrastructure assets. The MLP Business Model MLPs differ from regular stocks in that interests in them are referred to as units and the unitholders (not shareholders) are partners in the business. […]

On Dec 23, we issued an updated research report on Texas-based Hilltop Holdings Inc. HTH , a financial holding company with a complementary set of operating firms. […]

AstraZeneca plc ’s AZN Zurampic (lesinurad; 200 mg) gained FDA approval in combination with a xanthine oxidase inhibitor (XOI) for the treatment of hyperuricemia (high levels of uric acid in the blood) associated with gout in patients who have not achieved target serum uric acid (sUA) levels with an XOI alone. Approval came a week ahead of schedule. We remind investors that the FDA was expected to render a final decision on Zurampic by Dec 29, 2015 […]

8point3 Energy Partners LP CAFD announced that its board of directors has declared a 3.5% hike in its quarterly distribution for its Class A shares for the fourth quarter of 2015, bringing the annualized payout to 86.8 cents per share. The annual yield on the distribution is 5.5%. […]

Pfizer Inc. PFE and Merck KGaA MKGAF announced that the trial sites have opened for an international phase III study (JAVELIN Ovarian 200) on their experimental anti-PD-L1 IgG1 monoclonal antibody, avelumab, in patients suffering from platinum-resistant/refractory ovarian cancer. The companies also announced that the first trial sites for a phase III study (JAVELIN Bladder 100) on avelumab for maintenance treatment, in the first-line setting, in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer are expected to open shortly […]

On Dec 23, 2015, we issued an updated research report on Ferrellgas Partners LP FGP . The partnership’s earnings tend to fluctuate as the use of propane varies with weather patterns. However, investments to expand midstream operations, the Bridger Logistics acquisition and organic growth projects will support its long-term business strategy. […]

On Dec 22, 2015, we issued an updated research report on one of the major regional banks – M&T Bank Corporation MTB . Though the company exhibits decent fundamentals amid a competitive banking environment, several issues keep us apprehensive about the growth prospects of the company. With continuously rising non-interest operating expenses, M&T Bank is exposed to operational risks. […]

Express Scripts Holding Company ESRX has issued an encouraging guidance for 2016. The company expects adjusted earnings per share for 2016 in the range of $6.08 to $6.28 while the Zacks Consensus Estimate was $6.05 (pre-guidance). […]