BNTX

Moderna’s Personalized Cancer Vaccine (PCV) Could Be a Game-Changer When Combined with Merck’s KEYTRUDA

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Image: Moderna’s therapeutics pipeline continues to advance, and the company recently received positive news regarding its personalized cancer vaccine (PCV), ID # mRNA-4157, when combined with Merck’s KEYTRUDA. Image Source: Moderna By Brian Nelson, CFA Modern medicine continues to advance. Our favorite idea in biotech remains Vertex Pharma (VRTX), which has a fantastic and commercialized cystic fibrosis portfolio and exposure to CRISPR technology, but the latest data to turn our heads came from Moderna’s (MRNA) personalized cancer vaccine (PCV). Investors perhaps are most familiar with Moderna in part because it has produced one of four authorized COVID-19 vaccines available for use in the US: Pfizer (PFE)-BioNTech’s (BNTX), Novavax’s (NVAX), Johnson & Johnson’s (JNJ) and Moderna’s. The PFE-BNTX and MRNA vaccines … Read more

Best Idea Vertex Pharma Outperforming in 2022

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Image Shown: Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc, an idea included in our Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, have performed incredibly well year-to-date through October 2022. By Callum Turcan Through the end of normal trading hours on October 7, shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRTX) are up ~34% year-to-date on a price-only basis. We include shares of Vertex Pharma as an idea in the simulated Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and remain huge fans of the name. Vertex Pharma’s commercialized drug portfolio consists of various treatments for cystic fibrosis (‘CF’) and the cash flows generated from sales of these therapeutics are used to invest in the biotech company’s robust drug development pipeline. Earnings and Guidance Update On August 4, Vertex Pharma reported second … Read more

Best Biotech Idea Vertex Pharma Outperforming Struggling Peers, Its New Treatment for Pain a Game Changer in the Fight Against the Opioid Epidemic

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Image: Vertex Pharma has advanced more than 18% since the beginning of 2021, trouncing the performance of the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF by an incredible margin. The outperformance gap stands at more than 50+ percentage points at the time of this writing. By Brian Nelson, CFA We were blown away by the phase II results released March 31 at Vertex Pharma (VRTX) for its non-opioid, non-addictive pain killer, the NaV1.8 inhibitor VX-548, and we think the molecule has the potential to provide a solution to the widespread opioid crisis in a meaningful way. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, tens of thousands of deaths each year are “attributed to overdosing on synthetic opioids.” The company’s phase … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week April 1

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending April 1. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week      AGF Management (AGFMF): now CAD 0.10 per share quarterly dividend, was CAD 0.09. Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. 6.25 FX FT PFD F (ABR.PF): now $0.3906 per share quarterly dividend. Bancolombia S.A. (CIB): now $0.828 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.0661. Bank OZK (OZK): now $0.31 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.30. BioNTech (BNTX): now EUR 2.00 per share special dividend. Cal-Maine Foods (CALM): now $0.125 per … Read more

German Industrial Conglomerate Siemens Remains an Attractive Income Generation Idea

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Image Shown: Siemens AG sees the global industrial economy staging a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, which in turn supports the firm’s outlook. The company raised its full-year guidance when Siemens published its latest earnings report. Image Source: Siemens AG – Second Quarter of Fiscal 2021 IR Earnings Presentation By Callum Turcan The German-based industrial conglomerate Siemens AG (SIEGY) has four core industrial business operating segments that are as follows: Digital Industries (‘DI’), Smart Infrastructure (‘SI’), Mobility (‘MO’), and Siemens Healthineers. Its operations are supported by Siemens Financial Services (‘SFS’) which provides support for its industrial businesses and services to third-parties. Siemens has put up strong underlying operational and financial performance of late and remains an interesting income generation idea. … Read more

One of Our Favorite Dividend Growth Ideas J&J Smashes Consensus Estimates

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Image Shown: Summary of Johnson & Johnson’s first-quarter 2021 earnings results. Image Source: J&J. Valuentum’s Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio >> By Callum Turcan On April 20, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) reported first quarter 2021 earnings that smashed past consensus estimates. In conjunction with the solid earnings report, Johnson & Johnson raised its quarterly dividend 5% sequentially to $1.06 per share or $4.24 per share on an annualized basis, good for a forward-looking yield of ~2.5% as of this writing. The health care giant’s outperformance largely came from its ‘Medical Devices’ segment, which took a beating last year as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted widespread deferrals of elective surgeries. Last quarter, this part of the firm’s business grew its reported sales by … Read more

Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Vaccine Gets the Green Light

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Image Shown: We include Johnson & Johnson as an idea in both the Best Ideas Newsletter and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolios. The health care giant is home to over two dozen ‘platforms/products’ that generate $1.0+ billion in annual sales, as you can see in the above graphic. Recently, Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine received emergency use authorization from the US CDC, which will provide public health authorities with another arrow in their quiver as it relates to bringing an end to the public health crisis. Image Source: Johnson & Johnson – Fourth Quarter of 2020 IR Earnings Presentation By Callum Turcan At the end of February 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (‘CDC’) gave emergency use authorization … Read more

Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Nears the Finish Line

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Image Source: Johnson & Johnson – Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2020 IR Earnings Presentation By Callum Turcan Over the past several months, shares of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) have steadily climbed higher as investors are warming up to its improving outlook and strong financial position. In April 2020, Johnson & Johnson increased its quarterly per share dividend by over 6% sequentially, highlighting its commitment to income seeking investors. Johnson & Johnson is actively working towards developing a safe and viable vaccine to help put an end to the ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic. Recent updates indicate the firm’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate is near the finish line. We include Johnson & Johnson in both the Best Ideas Newsletter and Dividend Growth Newsletter … Read more

Steris Ties the Knot with Cantel Medical

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Image Shown: Cantel Medical Corp is getting bought out by Steris PLC through a cash-and-stock deal. The image up above highlights Cantel Medical’s promising long-term growth outlook, though its performance in 2020 was subdued due to headwinds created by the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic. In our view, Steris was attracted to Cantel Medical’s improving outlook (the latter started to stage an impressive rebound in the second half of calendar year 2020) and the ability for the combined firm to generate substantial synergies. Image Source: Cantel Medical Corp – December 2020 IR Presentation By Callum Turcan On December 2, we highlighted (link here) the ongoing turnaround at Cantel Medical Corp (CMD) and noted that “we (thought) Cantel Medical is one for the … Read more

Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine Not a Catalyst for Portfolio Changes

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Image: BioNTech. Next Generation Immunotherapy Presentation, October 2020. By Brian Nelson, CFA The world received great news this week that the days of this terrible COVID-19 pandemic may finally be numbered. On November 9, Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech (BNTX) announced that “their mRNA-based vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, against SARS-CoV-2 has demonstrated evidence of efficacy against COVID-19 in participants without prior evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection.” Here is what Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla had to add with respect to the development: Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19. We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development … Read more