Jubak Picks

Another reason to buy Novo Nordisk: Kidney trial success for GLP

Another reason to buy Novo Nordisk: Kidney trial success for GLP

Back on February 20, I posted a video recommending a buy of Novo Nordisk (NVO). In the video, “Buy GLP-1,” I said that the stock, along with Eli Lilly (LLY) was riding the momentum of increased sales of GLP-1 drugs, originally developed to treat diabetes, as weight-loss drugs. Buy, I said, despite the huge run-up in the shares, because new trials and analysis of existing data were pointing to expanded uses for the drugs. Today, Novo Nordic announced exactly the kind of news that I had talked about.

Please Watch My New YouTube Video: Hot Button Moves NOW Buy VKTX

Please Watch My New YouTube Video: Hot Button Moves NOW Buy VKTX

Today’s Hot Button Moves NOW video is Buy Viking Therapeutics (VKTX). Last week I suggested that you buy GLP-1 drug stocks like Eli Lilly (LLY) or Novo Nordisk (NVO). This class of diabetes and weight loss drugs is growing rapidly, with $36.5 billion in sales in 2023. Viking Therapeutics, a development-stage biotech company, recently announced Phase 2 trial results for its compound VK2735. This drug has the potential to be the best in its class when it hits the market. The company still has to go through Phase 3 trials and approval, but the data show VK2735 to be more effective at weight loss than its competitors. It could also be one of the few drugs of its kind to be available orally. The current round of trials shows that the drug will need to be injected less frequently than competitors. The company trades with a market cap of $9 billion (in contrast to Lilly’s $720 billion market cap) and is still small enough that it could be bought before the expensive process of taking a drug to market. (Although the company recently raised a secondary offering that would advance marketing plans.) I would buy this up to $100 a share and expect it to continue to zoom as more good news, I expect, on the oral version gets released this quarter. I am adding the stock to my online portfolios today, Thursday, February 29. You can find a write up on this pick on my subscription JubakAM.com and free JubakPicks.com sites.

Another reason to buy Novo Nordisk: Kidney trial success for GLP

Need more GLP? Buying Viking Therapeutics on trial results

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.

Yes, I’d buy Palo Alto Networks today–with these caveats

Yes, I’d buy Palo Alto Networks today–with these caveats

After yesterday’s earnings report–the company beat Wall Street estimates for the quarter–and radically lower guidance for next quarter and the rest of 2024–total billings for next quarter will grow by just 2% to 4% and revenue for all of 2024 will grow by just 15% to 16% from 2023–shares of Palo Alto Networks (PANW) took a big hit right between the eyes. The stock fell 28.44% at the close and lost $104.12 a share to $261.97. What do I recommend? I’d say “buy” with a couple of caveats. Why buy?

Palo Alto takes a beating after it lowers guidance; preview of Nvidia tomorrow?

Palo Alto takes a beating after it lowers guidance; preview of Nvidia tomorrow?

t should be a familiar story in this priced-to-perfection market: Company beats big in current quarter but lowers guidance and stock takes a dive. Latest victim? Palo Alto Networks (PANW). The stock is down 14.09% at 4:30 New York time today. And with Nvidia scheduled to report tomorrow after the close, you can bet the market will be on edge tomorrow.

Special Report: 10 Penny Stock Home Runs Pick #5 VWDRY

Special Report: 10 Penny Stock Home Runs Pick #5 VWDRY

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.

Special Report: 10 Penny Stock Home Runs–Pick #2 PILBF

Special Report: 10 Penny Stock Home Runs–Pick #2 PILBF

This one is very simple. When the price of lithium rebounds, high-quality low-cost lithium producers will see the revenue roll in. That’s why I’d got the world’s leading lithium-producer Albemarle (ALB) in my long-term 50 Stock Portfolio. But a smaller, high-quality, low-cost producer like Australia’s Pilbara Minerals will show gains even higher than Albemarle since the current price of $2.29 a share comes close to discounting the company’s survival.

Please Watch My New YouTube Video: Microsoft Shows Priced-to-Perfection Risks

Please Watch My New YouTube Video: Microsoft Shows Priced-to-Perfection Risks

Today’s video is Microsoft Shows Priced to Perfection Risks. This quarter, the company reported Tuesday,  Azure, its cloud services flagship, grew revenue by 30% last year. While a 30% growth rate would be a great for many companies, Wall Street and analysts were disappointed in this news from Microsoft. This is the “priced to perfection” problem. Although the company beat earnings estimates, beat revenue estimates, and showed 30% growth in a key part of the company, the stock went down. Maybe a $3 trillion market cap on Microsoft is a lot of weight to push up hill. We could see more of this during this earnings season as Amazon, Apple and Meta release their own reports. The “Magnificent Seven” that were responsible for most of the 24% gain in the S&P in 2023 are beginning to wobble. My hope was for more market leaders to emerge but that doesn’t seem to be happening. I don’t expect “wobble” to cause anything that terrible in the market, but a sideways move is likely as investors ponder their next move.

Visa beats but falls on guidance–that’s what “priced for perfection” means

Visa beats but falls on guidance–that’s what “priced for perfection” means

After the close yesterday, Visa (V) reported earnings of $2.41 a share (after adjusting for one-time items) for the December 2023 quarter. (That the company’s fiscal first quarter.) Analysts had been looking for $2.34 a share in adjusted earnings. Revenue grew 8.8% to $8.63 billion, again beating analyst forecasts for $8.55 billion in revenue. Visa said payments volume grew 8%, and that its processed transactions rose 9% in the period. And yet the stock was down $4.70 a share, or 1.72%, to $267.91 at the close today, Friday, January 26. Why?

ASML–and chip stocks in general–soar on equipment-maker’s big growth numbers

ASML–and chip stocks in general–soar on equipment-maker’s big growth numbers

Shares of ASML Holding (ASML) closed up 8.85% today after the company reported record orders for its chip-making equipment in the fourth quarter. ASML sales grew 12.5% year-over-year. And orders more than tripled from the third-quarter. I added shares of ASML Holding to my long-term 50 Stocks Portfolio on December 12, 2023. The position is up 17.6% since then as of the close on January 24.