Core Insights - Ascentage Pharma presented promising data on its investigational Bcl-2 inhibitor, lisaftoclax (APG-2575), in combination with azacitidine for treating treatment-naïve or prior venetoclax-exposed myeloid malignancies at the ASCO Annual Meeting [1][2][3] Company Overview - Ascentage Pharma is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on addressing unmet medical needs in cancer treatment, with a pipeline that includes apoptosis-targeted therapies [13][16] - The company has been participating in the ASCO Annual Meeting for eight consecutive years, showcasing its commitment to advancing cancer therapies [2] Study Details - The Phase Ib/II study of lisaftoclax enrolled 103 patients with treatment-naïve or relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) as of April 2025 [3][4] - The study highlighted the antitumor activity and manageable tolerability of lisaftoclax, particularly in patients who were refractory to venetoclax, indicating its potential to overcome drug resistance [5][11] Efficacy Results - Among 28 venetoclax-refractory patients, the overall response rate (ORR) was 31.8%, with 22.8% achieving complete response (CR) or CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi) [14] - In newly diagnosed AML patients, the ORR was 83.3%, with 33.3% achieving CR/CRi [14] - For patients with relapsed/refractory MDS/chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), the ORR was 50%, with 27.3% achieving CR [14] Safety Profile - Lisaftoclax combined with azacitidine was well tolerated, with common adverse events primarily being hematologic and manageable [10][11] - Non-hematologic toxicity was uncommon, indicating a favorable safety profile for the combination therapy [10] Regulatory Progress - The New Drug Application (NDA) for lisaftoclax for treating relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) was accepted with Priority Review designation in China [4][16] - Lisaftoclax is currently being evaluated in four global registrational Phase III studies for major indications including CLL/SLL, AML, and MDS [4][16]

Core Insights - Ascentage Pharma has presented promising clinical data for its MDM2-p53 inhibitor alrizomadlin (APG-115) at the ASCO Annual Meeting, indicating its potential as a treatment for advanced adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and other solid tumors [1][2][3] Company Overview - Ascentage Pharma is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on addressing unmet medical needs in cancer treatment, with a pipeline that includes innovative drug candidates targeting apoptosis pathways [9][10] Clinical Study Highlights - The Phase II study of alrizomadlin demonstrated an objective response rate (ORR) of 16.7% and a disease control rate (DCR) of 100% in patients with advanced ACC [4][13] - In combination with PD-1 inhibitor toripalimab, alrizomadlin showed favorable antitumor activity in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), biliary-tract cancer (BTC), and liposarcoma (LPS) [3][4][13] - Notably, two patients with MPNST achieved long-term responses lasting over 60 and 96 weeks, respectively, when treated with the combination regimen [4][13] Safety and Efficacy Data - In the monotherapy arm, 33.3% of patients experienced grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), while 12.5% experienced serious adverse events [13] - In the combination arm, 44.4% of patients reported grade 3 or higher TRAEs, with 29.6% experiencing treatment-related serious adverse events [13] Future Directions - The company aims to accelerate clinical programs to provide novel treatment options for patients globally, emphasizing the unmet clinical needs in both China and worldwide [4][12]

Market Overview - Markets closed flat-to-up on the first trading day of June, with the Dow finishing +35 points (+0.08%), S&P 500 rising +24 points (+0.41%), and Nasdaq outperforming with +128 points (+0.67%) [1] - Small-cap Russell 2000 rose +0.19% on the day [1] Trade and Economic Indicators - Recent trade tensions were highlighted by President Trump's announcement of a +50% tariff on steel and aluminum, which impacted market sentiment [2] - Renewed interest in AI supported tech stocks, while oil companies benefited from $63 per barrel oil prices [2] Manufacturing and Construction Data - S&P final Manufacturing PMI for May showed a slight decline to 52.0, which was 30 basis points below estimates, while ISM Manufacturing came in at +48.5%, down 20 basis points from April [3] - Construction Spending for April was reported at -0.4%, which was 60 basis points below expectations of +0.2%, marking the third negative month in the first four of 2025 [4] Upcoming Economic Reports - Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) for April is expected to decrease to 7.1 million from 7.2 million [5] - Factory Orders for April are anticipated to decline by -3.3%, down from +4.3% in March, reflecting concerns related to the trade war [6] Company Earnings Reports - Dollar General is expected to report a negative -10.9% earnings per share with +3.76% revenue growth, while CrowdStrike is projected to show negative -29% earnings per share growth with +20% revenue growth [7]

Group 1 - David A. Johnson is the founder and principal of Endurance Capital Management, a New Jersey Limited Liability Company, with over 30 years of investment experience [1] - The company engages in a diverse range of investments including stocks, bonds, options, ETFs, REITs, real estate, closed-end funds, hedge funds, and private credit [1] - David holds a Master of Science (MS) Degree in Finance with a concentration in Investment Analysis from Boston University, a Certificate in Financial Planning, and an MBA from Fordham University [1]

Core Insights - Temu experienced a significant decline in daily U.S. users, losing 58% in May following the end of the de minimis exemption on imported goods from China on May 2 [1] - The new tariffs have led to a sharp drop in both sales growth and customer growth for Temu, as reported by Bain & Company [1] - Temu's parent company, PDD Holdings, reported a 38% year-over-year decline in profits in the first quarter due to tariffs and other factors [5] Impact of Tariffs - The de minimis exemption allowed packages worth less than $800 to enter the U.S. without tariffs, which was beneficial for Chinese eCommerce retailers like Temu [2] - President Trump announced additional tariffs on imports from China on February 1, aiming to halt illegal drug importation [2] - In response to the new tariffs, Temu is overhauling its supply chain by implementing a "half-custody" policy, which is expected to lead to higher prices [3] Changes in Operations - More than one-third of Temu's products sold in the U.S. are now fulfilled with inventory maintained in the U.S. [4] - Temu has raised prices and increased efforts to sell in countries other than the U.S. to mitigate the impact of tariffs [4] - The company significantly reduced paid advertising in the U.S., resulting in an 80% downturn in paid search traffic, which may further destabilize its pricing models [5] Merchant Challenges - PDD Holdings Chairman Lei Chen stated that tariffs have created significant pressure for merchants, who often struggle to adapt quickly and effectively [6]

Company Performance - Astrazeneca's stock closed at $71.93, reflecting a -1.24% change from the previous day, underperforming the S&P 500 which gained 0.41% [1] - Over the past month, Astrazeneca's shares increased by 0.54%, outperforming the Medical sector's decline of 3.74% but lagging behind the S&P 500's rise of 6.13% [1] Upcoming Earnings - Astrazeneca is expected to report earnings of $1.11 per share, indicating a year-over-year growth of 12.12% [2] - The consensus estimate for quarterly revenue is projected at $14.03 billion, representing an 8.42% increase from the same period last year [2] Full Year Projections - For the full year, earnings are projected at $4.49 per share and revenue at $57.68 billion, showing increases of +9.25% and +6.67% respectively from the previous year [3] - Recent analyst estimate revisions suggest a favorable outlook on Astrazeneca's business health and profitability [3] Valuation Metrics - Astrazeneca's Forward P/E ratio is currently at 16.2, which is lower than the industry average of 20.51 [6] - The company has a PEG ratio of 1.34, compared to the industry average PEG ratio of 1.47 [6] Industry Context - Astrazeneca operates within the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry, which holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 74, placing it in the top 30% of over 250 industries [7] - The Zacks Industry Rank indicates that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [7]

Core Insights - Temu's daily US users decreased by 58% in May, attributed to challenges from the US-China trade war and the end of the "de minimis" exemption for low-value shipments from China [1][10] - The company has reduced advertising spending in the US and is shifting its order fulfillment strategy in response to the changing tariff environment [1][8] - Temu's sales growth and customer growth rates have declined more sharply than its competitor Shein since the introduction of trade tariffs [4][5] Market Environment - The end of the "de minimis" provision has forced Temu and Shein to raise prices, impacting customer engagement and sales [5][10] - Despite the challenges, Shein has managed to increase spending per customer, while Temu has struggled to maintain its customer base [5][6] - Analysts suggest that if the current tariff situation persists, Temu's competitive position may continue to weaken [6] Business Model Changes - Temu's previous model involved merchants managing product orders while the company handled logistics, pricing, and marketing [9] - Following the tariff changes, Temu's merchants can now ship individual orders to US warehouses but must navigate tariffs and customs [12] - The company is focusing on a local fulfillment model to stabilize prices and support merchants [8][12] User Growth and Market Expansion - Temu's non-US market growth has accelerated, with non-US users constituting 90% of its 405 million global monthly active users in Q2 [13] - The fastest growth in new users is occurring in less affluent markets, indicating potential for expansion outside the US [13]

Core Viewpoint - Dollar General and Dollar Tree are experiencing a rebound in stock prices due to turnaround strategies aimed at improving operational efficiency, with upcoming quarterly results anticipated by investors [1]. Group 1: Turnaround Strategies - Dollar General is implementing a "Back to Basics" strategy focusing on inventory management, store remodels, and reducing shrinkage to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction [2]. - Dollar Tree plans to sell its struggling Family Dollar business to Brigade Capital for $1 billion, which is significantly lower than the original $8 billion purchase price, aiming to alleviate declining profitability and overhead costs [3]. Group 2: Performance Overview - Dollar General stock is currently trading 30% below its 52-week high of $141, while Dollar Tree shares are 25% below their one-year high of $121. Both stocks have rebounded over 20% year to date, with a surge of more than 30% in the last three months [4]. Group 3: Q1 Expectations - Dollar General's Q1 sales are projected to increase by 4% year over year to $10.29 billion, with an expected EPS decline to $1.47 from $1.65 a year ago. However, there is potential for Dollar General to surpass earnings expectations with a more accurate estimate of $1.51 [5]. - Dollar Tree's Q1 sales are expected to drop to $4.54 billion from $7.63 billion in the prior year, with earnings anticipated to decrease by 17% to $1.19 per share. The most accurate estimate suggests a potential EPS of $1.25, which is 5% above the Zacks Consensus [7][8]. Group 4: Valuation Comparison - Both Dollar General and Dollar Tree are trading at 17X forward earnings, which is a discount compared to the S&P 500 and the Zacks Retail-Discount Stores Industry average of 22X. They also trade under the optimal level of less than 2X sales [9]. Group 5: Investment Outlook - Both companies hold a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) ahead of their Q1 reports, with future upside dependent on demonstrating a turnaround in operational efficiency and meeting or exceeding Q1 expectations [11][12].

The most recent trading session ended with VALE S.A. (VALE) standing at $9.27, reflecting a +1.53% shift from the previouse trading day's closing. This move outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.41%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of 0.08%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq increased by 0.67%.Shares of the company witnessed a loss of 2.56% over the previous month, trailing the performance of the Basic Materials sector with its gain of 2.3% and the S&P 500's gain of 6.13%.The investment commun ...

Anand Chokkavelu, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Lou Whiteman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Tyler Crowe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Accenture Plc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. ...