Month: May 2017

On Tuesday, oil and natural gas driller Ensco plc ESV revealed its plan to acquire smaller rival Atwood Oceanics Inc. ATW in an all-stock deal worth $839 million, whetting investors' appetite for consolidation in the struggling sector. […]

The past week saw U.K.-based carrier British Airways suffering a major IT system failure that resulted in the cancellation of flights and untold miseries to passengers. Also, updates (albeit of a mixed nature) on the laptop ban extension on U.S. flights grabbed headlines. […]

Novartis AG NVS announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted the company’s Marketing Authorization Applications for biosimilar versions of AbbVie's ABBV Humira (adalimumab) and Johnson & Johnson’s JNJ Remicade (infliximab) for review. Sandoz is seeking approval for use in all indications for which the drugs are approved. Sandoz currently markets three biosimilars – Omnitrope, a human growth hormone; Binocrit, an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent; and Zarxio – in the U.S. […]

Gilead Sciences, Inc . GILD announced positive results on four phase III studies evaluating bictegravir in combination with FTC/TAF as a single tablet regimen for HIV infection. The four phase III studies evaluating a fixed-dose combination of bictegravir (50mg) (BIC), an experimental integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI), and emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (200/25mg) (FTC/TAF) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection met their primary objectives of non-inferiority […]

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. LGND announced it has entered into a worldwide license agreement with drug discovery company xCella Biosciences, Inc. under which xCella will use the former’s OmniAb platform for the discovery of fully human mono- and bispecific antibodies […]

Small-sized U.S. wireless service provider United States Cellular Corp. USM recently submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a six-month special temporary authority (STA) to conduct trial runs in the 3.5 GHz band in some areas of Maine and North Carolina […]

It is a common practice for pharma companies to invest R&D dollars copiously in developing treatments and devices for diabetes and diabetes management. The diabetes market is chock-a-block with companies coming up with innovative treatments promising higher efficacy with lower side effects. Currently available diabetes drugs include different classes of treatments like DPP-4 inhibitors (Januvia, Onglyza, Tradjenta), GLP-1 receptor agonists (Byetta, Victoza) and SGLT-2 (Invokana, Farxiga) apart from metformin and insulin therapy […]

Superior Industries International Inc. SUP announced the conclusion of tender offer to acquire Uniwheels AG’s shares. The aggregate acquisition amount is $714.7 million, financed through a combination of around $670 million of newly incurred debt and a preferred equity of $150 million […]

On May 30, we issued an updated research report on Burlington, NC-based Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings LH , popularly known as LabCorp. The company is a major player in healthcare diagnostics space, providing comprehensive clinical laboratory services and end-to-end drug development support. LabCorp’s shares have been consistently trading below the Zacks classified Medical – Dental Supplies industry mark since last month, following an unimpressive first-quarter 2017 result […]

The ever-evolving technology sector has truly transformed our lives but not without some hiccups. That’s because cybercrime, which includes destruction of data, identity theft, spying and other illegal activities, poses a threat. […]

Consumer confidence that had touched new highs some time back on the revolutionary ideas of the current administration has somewhat receded now, thus raising concerns about the state of the economy Analysts believe that this is a temporary phase and the economy is well on the growth path with improved domestic demand. They believe confidence will improve once the policies start taking shape and the picture becomes clearer. Coming to the facts, consumer confidence – a key determinant of the economy’s health – further weakened in May, after falling in April. […]

TJX Companies Inc. TJX is one of the few retailers that have managed to stay above the troubled waters of the retail sector. […]

The energy sector has always driven market movement and investors are keen on tapping stocks from this space. Per our latest Earnings Trends , the sector witnessed impressive year-over-year dollar growth in the first quarter. But there are a few industries in the sector and proper investment calls for intense research. […]

Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN finally touched the coveted $1000 price milestone. Shares hit a new all-time high of $1001.2 on May 30, before closing a tad bit lower at $996.7 […]