Bookkeeping. I made Nike Pick No. 3 in my Special Report A New World for Dividend Investors. You can find the pick and write up i nmy long Special Report post. But I wanted to flag the pick here so no one would miss it. Dividend Pick #3: Nike (NKE)
First, it was Viking Therapeutics (VKTX) on the attack with trial results that shows its GLP-1 dibetes/weight loss drug out performing current leader of the pack drugs fro Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Eli Lilly (LLY). On the news Viking soared.
Then Novo Nordisk struct back with data of its own showing progress on an oral formulation of its rugs. (All existing GLP-1 drugs are delivered by injection.) That cratered Viking Shares. Now, March 26, Viking has released new Phase 1 trial data from a multiple ascending dose study of the oral version of VK2735, a dual agonist of the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors.
Today’s Hot Button Moves NOW video is Buy Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG). Chipotle announced it will  be spitting 50 to 1. With the stock , currently trading at $2800 the split will bring in a new group of investors. The stock popped about 3.5% the day following the announcement and continued to go up in the following days. It’s contrary to modern capital market theory that a stock announcing a split should go up, but it does need happen. Chipotle has a great long term story. It not only survived the COVID pandemic, but the company drove its digital loyalty membership up to 36 million people and added digital drive-thru lanes, leading to extraordinary growth. Chipotle had a 38% increase in earnings in 2023 and an 8% increase in comparable store sales. That, along with a 26% operating margin, continues to make Chipotle one o the most compelling consumer stocks to own,. I think owning this before the split, which will likely be approved in June, will get you appreciation from the pop on the split, as well as long term gains from this well-run company.  Tomorrow I’ll be adding these shares to my lot-term 50 Stocks Portfolio.
Today’s Hot Button Moves NOW video is Buy Madrigal Pharmaceuticals (MDGL). This biotech company just received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the first drug available for treating MASH (formerly known as NASH). MASH is a liver disease where fat builds up and compromise liver function. It’s measured in stages (1-4) and at stage 4, you need a liver transplant. Companies have long worked toward a treatment for the disease but have failed in trials or in getting FDA approval. The major achievements for Madrigal are efficacy in stopping the disease from progressing to the next stage and a clean label and no “black box warnings.” Additionally, this drug does not require a liver biopsy before a doctor can prescribe it and will be available after a much less invasive test. The market for this drug is forecast at $5 billion a year market. Madrigal will be able to start selling this drug in April. The Medical Technology Stock Letter, my preferred source on all things biotech, suggests buying MDGL below $300 with a target price of $400. I’m adding Madrigal Pharmaceuticals to my 12-18 month Jubak’s Picks Portfolio.
Today’s Quick Pick is Qualcomm, (QCOM). I always look for product momentum in technology stocks, and Qualcomm’s pipeline is very promising. The company reported a good first quarter for 2024 but I’m focused on growth for their Snapdragon chip which is used in cell phones, cars, and the internet of things. Qualcomm has recently renewed its chip agreements with Apple and Samsung. Samsung’s Galaxy 24 is the first cell phone to include AI technology powered by Snapdragon and sales are up 13% year over year from 2023 and 47% from 2024. It’s likely more companies will be looking to add AI to their phones and I think Qualcomm has a leading position in that market. A new Snapdragon product, X-Elite, will put AI on PCs and is coming out this year. In 2023 the Snapdragon chip was also installed in infotainment modules for 75 new car models and the company’s automotive revenue is up about 12% this quarter. The Internet of Things is growing more slowly but is still growing. Morningstar says the stock is trading at a 22% premium, but I find that to be very, very conservative. While this stock isn’t a bargain at the moment this is a decent time to get in on an AI stock with promising pipeline momentum, and I don’t see it being more reasonable any time soon. I added Qualcomm to my Jubak’s Picks Portfolio on January 15, 2024. The position is up 23.5% since then as of the close on March 12.
Right now Tesla (TSLA) is a case study in how sentiment on a stock changes, how long it takes sentiment to change (and recover), and the stages of sentiment change. You understanding of this process should be our guide to whether you want to own Tesla and when. Tesla (TSLA) could potentially lose money in 2024, Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas wrote in a note to investors this week. And he cut his Tesla earnings projections by 25% to $1.51 a share from a prior $2.04. Gross profit margins will fall to 11.4% (excluding regulatory credits that Tesla gets paid by automakers looking to meet EPA mileage and emissions rules.) And this is from a Tesla bull.
Apple (AAPL) shares are down 12% for 2024 to date as of March 5. But I don’t think Apple’s troubles are over. And it will take some pretty fast taking at the June WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) to reverse the downtrend in the shares. Absent a knock-it-out-of-the-park performance from CEO Tim Cook, I think the weakness will continue the company’s product announcements in September. And maybe longer. Those of you who have long memories may recall that I sold my shares of Apple in my 12-18 month Jubak’s Picks Portfolio back on September 12, 2023 at $176.30 a share. (I kept my long-term position in Apple in my 50 Stock Portfolio.) That sell turned out to be early. Painfully early. The stock hit a 2023 high of $198 on December 14. And it has only recently moved below my September sell, closing at $169.62 on March 6. But the iPhone China problem that led to that sell call has gotten worse. And since then Apple has developed an AI problem as well. And unfortunately the China problem and the AI problem mix to form an especially potent negative brew.
Yesterday, February 28, development-stage biotech Viking Therapeutics (VKTX) announced results from a Phase 2 training of its GLP-1 weight-loss drug candidate that that showed the potential for the VK2735 compound two move to be best in class in the $36.5 billion (revenue) market for GLP diabetes-control and weight-loss drugs. I will add Viking Therapeutic to my Volatility Portfolio and to my Jubak’s Picks Portfolio today, February 29, with a target price of $150.
Well, optimistic analysts just weren’t optimistic enough about Nvidia’s (NVDA) fourth quarter 2023 earnings. The company reported adjusted earnings of $5.16 per share on revenue of $22.1 billion. Analysts were expecting earnings of $4.60 a share and revenue of $20.4 billion.
My 10 Penny Stock Homeruns Pick #5: Vestas Wind Systems (VWDRY).
Technically, the Vestas Wind Systems ADR (VWDRY) isn’t a penny stock. By the strict definition, a penny stock sells for $5 or less and the Vestas ADR closed on $9.06 today, February 14. But I included Vestas in my previous penny stock list back on July 11, 2022, even though the stock closed at $7.80 that day. With the company reporting a return to profitability for 2023 in its fourth quarter earnings report released today, I think Vestas has (finally) turned the corner. And, frankly, I just don’t want drop it from this list just as things get good again for the company and its investors. (Vestas is a member of my Jubak’s Picks Portfolio. The position is up 65.6% since initiation on March 4, 2019.) Tomorrow, February 15, I’ll also add Vestas to my long-term 50 Stocks Portfolio.
I try not to argue with cash flows. Especially when I’m making asset allocation decisions. And right now global cash is heading for India. A number of reasons. Portfolio managers looking for diversification need emerging markets exposure and India looks like the best bet. Going long India is, in effect going short China since much of the new India money is essentially old China money fleeing what looks like an economy set to struggle for a while. And there is an India fundamental story based on an economy headed for 7% growth. For all these reasons I’m added the Franklin FTSE India ETF (FLIN) to both my Perfect 5 ETF Portfolio as rep
Special Report: 10 Penny Stock Home Runs Pick #3 ESS Tech (GWH). The stock of this maker of iron flow, utility scale, long-draw-down batteries ticks all the boxes for my Penny Stock Home Runs.
