Which Mid-Stage Biotech Can Grow Into the Next Large Cap Biotech Behemoth?

Image Source: Steven Depolo The biotech field is on the cutting edge of scientific research. The production of new therapies often positively affects the share price of these innovative companies as long-term revenue and earnings expectations become embedded in the stock price. Let’s take a look at several mid-stage biotechs that may grow into dominant players. By Alexander J. Poulos The application of ETFs in investment strategies has gained widespread adoption during the past decade. Though the blind use of ETFs—buying a basket of stocks at any price—comes with myriad risks, there are certain advantages in that some ETFs offer desired exposure to certain themes or sectors. When it comes to biotech, the most liquid biotech ETF is the iShares Nasdaq … Read more

WBA, ESRX, CVS: Earnings Update for the Pharmacy Services Industry

Image Source: Mike Mozart The first-quarter earnings performance across the pharmacy services industry has been a proverbial mixed bag with uncertainty continuing to weigh on performance. We continue to be interested in the industry for its defensive and strong free cash flow characteristics that bode well for dividend hikes and share repurchases going forward. We like CVS the most. By Alexander J. Poulos Walgreens Boots Alliance Remains Mired in Holding Pattern Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) reported a relatively in-line first quarter, its fiscal second quarter, on April 5, and all eyes continue to be focused on the pending Rite Aid (RAD) acquisition. We have been fans of the moves taken by Walgreens post the Alliance deal that saw … Read more

How to Think About Corporate Tax Reform

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending March 2

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending March 2. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports, please use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week Altria (MO): now $0.70 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.66. Analog Devices (ADI): now $0.48 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.45. Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS): now CAD 0.82 per share quarterly dividend, was CAD 0.79. Beasley Broadcast Group (BBGI): now $0.05 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.045. Best Buy (BBY): now $0.45 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.34. Bloomin’ Brands (BLMN): now $0.09 per … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending October 26

Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week Access National (ANCX): now $0.17 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.16. Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP): now $0.525 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.52. American Electric Power (AEP): now $0.67 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.62. Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund (AFT): now $0.10 per share monthly dividend, was $0.10. Bank of Hawaii (BOH): now $0.62 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.60. Bank of Marin Bancorp (BMRC): now $0.35 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.32. Brookline Bancorp (BRKL): now $0.105 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.10. Cabot Oil & Gas (COG): now $0.07 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.06. Cheniere Energy Partners (CQP): now $0.58 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.56. Coca-Cola European (CCE): now … Read more

Economic Roundtable: Quant Quake, Quac-cidental Correlation

Image Source: Anders Sandberg.  Last week, the markets may have revealed that internals aren’t all that healthy. Major equity markets experienced a “rotation” that reminded many investors of the “quant quake” from August 2007. As Valuentum’s Brian Nelson wrote in Value Trap, “just a few bad days in the market caused a rapid unwinding of many quant long-short strategies (back then). Goldman’s chief financial officer said at the time that the firm was witnessing ‘25-standard deviation moves, several days in a row.’” On the surface, markets last week seemed relatively calm, but as the episode in 2007 revealed the activity last week may just be the calm before the storm. Many are pointing to overcrowded trades in betting against certain … Read more