Stock Of The Day: Will Estee Lauder Fill The Gap?
Benzinga· 2025-06-17 19:42
The stock of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. EL is consolidating Tuesday. This comes after the shares gained more than 10% on Monday. The move higher ended when they slammed into resistance around $74.75.Estee Lauder is our Stock of the Day. It isn't a coincidence yesterday's rally ended where it did, and the shares may be about to fill a gap.Some analysts believe the market follows a “random walk.” They believe that it is impossible to time the market.These analysts are wrong.If the market followed a rando ...
U.S. Steel Stock Burns the Bears With Surprise Upside Move
MarketBeat· 2025-06-17 19:41
Core Viewpoint - United States Steel is experiencing significant short interest, indicating bearish sentiment among traders, while the stock is trading near a 52-week high, suggesting potential opportunities for investors [4][7]. Group 1: Stock Performance and Market Sentiment - United States Steel stock has seen a 19.6% increase in short interest over the past month, indicating a strong belief among bearish traders that the stock will decline [4]. - The current short positions amount to approximately $1.2 billion, presenting a substantial challenge for potential buyers [5]. - Despite bearish sentiment, the stock is trading near a new 52-week high, which raises questions about the validity of the bearish outlook [7]. Group 2: Strategic Developments - President Trump has authorized the sale of United States Steel to Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel, contingent on a national security disclosure agreement, which could alleviate previous concerns about the deal [8]. - The finalization of this deal remains uncertain, leaving investors unsure of the potential sale price for United States Steel [9]. Group 3: Analyst Ratings and Forecasts - The 12-month stock price forecast for United States Steel is $43.80, indicating a potential downside of 20.10% from the current price of $54.81 [10]. - Institutional investors, such as Dimensional Fund Advisors, have increased their stakes in United States Steel by 7.3%, suggesting confidence in the stock's future performance [11]. - The stock currently has a high P/E ratio of 36.8x compared to the industry average of 18.0x, indicating that the market may be willing to pay a premium for perceived future outperformance [13].
SAGE to be Acquired by Supernus Pharmaceuticals in $795 Million Deal
ZACKS· 2025-06-17 19:41
Core Insights - Supernus Pharmaceuticals (SUPN) has agreed to acquire Sage Therapeutics (SAGE) for $8.50 per share in cash, totaling approximately $561 million, with potential additional value through a contingent value right (CVR) of up to $3.50 per share, bringing the total potential value to $12 per share or around $795 million [1][7] Acquisition Details - The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025, pending customary closing conditions [2] - Following the announcement, SAGE's shares increased by 35.4%, with the offer price representing a nearly 32% premium over SAGE's closing price of $9.07 on June 16 [2] - Year-to-date, SAGE shares have risen by 23.4%, contrasting with a 0.8% decline in the industry [4] Strategic Implications - The acquisition will provide SUPN with rights to SAGE's new depression drug, Zurzuvae (zuranolone), which is the first oral treatment approved for adults with postpartum depression (PPD) [5] - Zurzuvae was approved in August 2023 and launched commercially in December 2023 [5] - SAGE and Biogen (BIIB) share profits and losses from Zurzuvae's commercialization in the U.S., while Biogen records product sales in ex-U.S. markets and pays royalties to SAGE [6] Financial Projections - SAGE's collaboration revenues from Zurzuvae were $13.8 million in Q1 2025 and $36.1 million in 2024, with initial uptake exceeding expectations [8] - SUPN anticipates the acquisition to be accretive in 2026 and to enhance its neuroscience-focused portfolio [7][9] Competitive Landscape - Sage Therapeutics previously rejected a takeover offer from Biogen in January 2025, which was deemed to undervalue the company [10] - Biogen had offered $7.22 per share, representing a 30% premium over SAGE's closing price of $5.55 on January 10, 2025 [11] - It can be inferred that Supernus has outbid Biogen to acquire Sage Therapeutics [11]
Slowing Gardasil Sales Hurt MRK's Top Line: Is Recovery in the Cards?
ZACKS· 2025-06-17 19:41
Core Insights - Merck's Gardasil vaccine, crucial for preventing HPV-related cancers, has seen a significant decline in sales, particularly in China, leading to a revised sales outlook [1][2][9] - The company has temporarily halted Gardasil shipments to China to manage high inventory levels, impacting its long-term sales guidance [2][9] - Despite challenges in China, Gardasil sales remain strong in other major markets, although global growth is expected to slow [3] Sales Performance - Gardasil sales fell 40% year-over-year to $1.33 billion in Q1 2025, with a 3% decline to $8.58 billion in 2024 [1][9] - The economic slowdown in China has led to elevated inventory levels, prompting Merck to pause shipments [2][9] Market Competition - Merck's new monoclonal antibody, Enflonsia, for RSV prevention is set to launch in the U.S. but will face competition from AstraZeneca/Sanofi's Beyfortus, which achieved blockbuster status in its first year [5][6] - Other RSV vaccines, including Pfizer's Abrysvo and GSK's Arexvy, have also been approved, increasing competitive pressure [6][7] Valuation and Estimates - Merck's shares have underperformed, losing 17.8% year-to-date compared to a 2.6% industry increase [8] - The company's price/earnings ratio stands at 8.79, significantly lower than the industry average of 15.63 [10] - Consensus earnings estimates for 2025 and 2026 have been revised downwards, indicating a potential decline in profitability [11]
JetBlue CEO: More Cuts Ahead As Airline Faces Prolonged Losses
Benzinga· 2025-06-17 19:39
Company Overview - JetBlue Airways is implementing additional cost-saving measures due to weaker travel demand, making it unlikely to achieve break-even margins this year [1] - The company continues to rely on borrowed funds to maintain operations, indicating a longer path to profitability than initially expected [2] Financial Outlook and Profitability - CEO Joanna Geraghty expressed hope for improved demand and bookings, but acknowledged that any rebound would not fully recover the losses incurred so far [2] - The airline's last reported annual profit was in 2019, highlighting ongoing financial challenges [5] Industry Context - U.S. airlines, including JetBlue, are reducing capacity in response to lower-than-anticipated domestic travel bookings and declining ticket prices, with airfares in May being 7.3% lower than the previous year [4] Strategic Challenges - JetBlue is facing strategic challenges after courts blocked its planned acquisition of Spirit Airlines and ended its partnership with American Airlines in the Northeast [5] - The airline is seeking ways to boost revenue and cut costs amid these challenges [5] Additional Pressures on Airlines - Airline stocks have declined following geopolitical tensions, particularly after Israel's strikes against Iran, which have driven up oil prices and created uncertainty around future travel demand [6] - The recent crash of Air India Flight AI171 has further negatively impacted sentiment in the aviation industry [7] Operational Adjustments - JetBlue plans to further decrease flights during off-peak times and eliminate unprofitable routes [8] - The airline has put on hold plans to upgrade four older Airbus A320 aircraft, while still proceeding with the refurbishment of six other jets scheduled for next year [8] - The company is reviewing its hiring strategy, may consolidate leadership roles, and is looking to reduce travel expenses for staff [8]
Meta is reportedly building AI smart glasses with Prada, too
TechCrunch· 2025-06-17 19:38
Group 1 - Meta is collaborating with Prada to develop AI smart glasses, expanding its technology beyond its existing partnership with EssilorLuxottica [1][2] - The partnership with Prada indicates Meta's strategy to engage more fashion brands in the smart glasses market [2] - Meta has previously sold millions of Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses and is also working on a collaboration with Oakley, which may be announced soon [3] Group 2 - The upcoming Oakley smart glasses are expected to be priced around $360 [3] - The renewed partnership between Prada and EssilorLuxottica highlights the ongoing relationship between fashion and eyewear industries [2] - Meta's efforts to diversify its collaborations suggest a broader ambition to integrate AI technology into various fashion segments [2]
Keep an Eye on This Chip Stock Next Week
Schaeffers Investment Research· 2025-06-17 19:37
Group 1 - Micron Technology Inc is set to report its fiscal second-quarter earnings on July 25, with options traders showing bullish sentiment ahead of the event [1] - Historically, Micron has experienced volatile post-earnings movements, with five out of the last eight reports resulting in lower stock prices the following day, including significant drops of 8% in March and 16.2% in December [2] - The average post-earnings swing for Micron has been 9.7%, while the options market is currently pricing in a larger move of 12.3% for the upcoming earnings report [2] Group 2 - Micron's stock has increased by 42% in 2025 and is approaching its highest closing price in nearly a year, with a notable recovery since the lows around $60 on April 7 [3] - The 20-day moving average has effectively contained significant pullbacks in the stock price [3] - There is a growing popularity of short-term puts, as indicated by Micron's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.84, which is in the 92nd percentile of readings from the past month [5]
JD.Com: Hidden Value In A Fragile Environment
Seeking Alpha· 2025-06-17 19:12
Editor's note: Seeking Alpha is proud to welcome Alessio Garzone as a new contributing analyst. You can become one too! Share your best investment idea by submitting your article for review to our editors. Get published, earn money, and unlock exclusive SA Premium access.I am a finance professional with over ten years of experience in the markets, specializing in macroeconomic analysis, portfolio management, and equity research. I work as a portfolio manager at an Italian asset management firm, where I over ...
Microsoft partners with AMD on next generation of Xbox
VentureBeat· 2025-06-17 19:07
Microsoft announced a strategic, multi-year agreement with AMD to co-engineer silicon across a portfolio of devices, including the next-generation Xbox consoles. The company said it will deliver deeper visual quality, immersive gameplay, and AI-powered experiences — grounded in a platform designed for players, not tied to a single store or device, and fully compatible with your existing Xbox game library, said Sarah Bond, president of Xbox. It’s no surprise, considering AMD has also partnered with Xbox on t ...
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy admits AI will ‘reduce' corporate workforce
New York Post· 2025-06-17 19:06
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy ominously warned Tuesday that he expects the rise of generative artificial intelligence to “reduce” the company’s corporate workforce in the next few years.The Amazon boss, who replaced Jeff Bezos as CEO in 2021, said generative AI is a “once in a lifetime” technology that “should change the way our work is done” as the company integrates it into its business operations.As a result, Amazon will “need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing o ...