The South Asian neighbours have been locked in an increasingly bitter dispute since the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021, with Islamabad accusing Afghanistan of harbouring the militants behind cross-border attacks -- charges the Taliban government denies. Abdul Ghani Baradar, Afghanistan's deputy prime minister for economic affairs, urged traders last week to "redirect their trade toward other alternative routes instead of Pakistan". Pakistan is landlocked Afghanistan's top trading partner, supplying rice, ...

Summary of Lepu's 3Q25 Earnings Call Company Overview - **Company**: Lepu (300003.SZ) - **Industry**: Medical devices and pharmaceuticals in China Key Financial Results - **Revenue**: Rmb1,569 million, up 12% year-over-year, but missed Goldman Sachs estimates (GSe) of Rmb1,937 million due to softer pharmaceutical sales growth of 53% year-over-year compared to GSe's expectation of 70% [1][9] - **Net Profit**: Rmb291 million, up 176% year-over-year, in line with GSe's estimate of Rmb277 million [1][9] - **Selling Expense Ratio**: 17.3%, lower than GSe's estimate of 21.6% [1][9] Business Segments - **Medical Aesthetics**: Generated Rmb86 million in revenue from just two months of sales since August, with management reaffirming a full-year guidance of Rmb300 million for this segment [1][9] - **Future Projections**: Expected revenue from medical aesthetics to reach Rmb1 billion by 2026 [1][9] Product Development and Pipeline - **PDRN Product and Thermage**: Anticipated approval in Q1/Q2 of the following year [1][9] - **Innovative Drug Pipeline**: Two new assets added, with existing assets progressing as planned [1][9] Forecast Revisions - **Short-term Revenue Forecast**: Slightly lowered to reflect 3Q25 results [1][9] - **Long-term Revenue and Net Profit Forecast**: Increased due to optimistic R&D progress in innovative drugs [1][9] - **Updated Price Target**: Raised to Rmb19 from Rmb18, maintaining a Buy rating [1][9] Investment Thesis - **Market Position**: Lepu is positioned as a cardiovascular disease treatment and diagnostics solution provider, expanding into consumer medical products [1][9] - **Concerns**: Investors are wary due to the impact of the volume-based procurement (VBP) policy and anti-corruption campaigns affecting revenue growth [1][9] - **Long-term Growth Potential**: Innovative products and the medical aesthetic business are expected to offset revenue losses from VBP, providing long-term growth momentum [1][9] Key Catalysts 1. Successful launch of innovative products in 2025 2. Rapid ramp-up of pulsed sonic balloons and degradable PFO occluders, and TAVR [1][9] Risks - **Price Cuts**: Potential price reductions for innovative medical devices due to VBP [1][10] - **R&D Progress**: Risks associated with slower-than-expected R&D progress [1][10] - **Goodwill Impairment**: Possible losses from lower-than-expected earnings from subsidiaries [1][10]

Core Insights - Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) is recognized as a reliable healthcare company, with positive remarks from Jim Cramer, who described the stock as "terrific" and noted the company's long-standing presence in his investment trust [1] Financial Performance - Abbott Labs reported mixed results in their latest earnings update, which was perceived as disappointing in an otherwise positive market [1] - The company tightened its full-year earnings guidance instead of raising it, indicating a cautious outlook [1] - Abbott also lowered its organic sales growth forecast and operating margin outlook, suggesting potential challenges ahead [1]

Core Viewpoint - President Trump announced plans to impose new tariffs on pharmaceuticals and large trucks, aiming to protect American jobs and industries [1] Group 1: Pharmaceuticals - The proposed tariffs are part of a broader strategy to reduce dependency on foreign-made drugs and encourage domestic production [1] - The pharmaceutical industry is expected to face increased costs, which may lead to higher prices for consumers [1] Group 2: Trucking Industry - New levies on big trucks are intended to support American manufacturers and address trade imbalances [1] - The trucking industry may experience disruptions as companies adjust to the new tariffs, potentially impacting supply chains [1]

Group 1 - Fred Alger Management's "Alger Weatherbie Specialized Growth Fund" reported a 10.94% gain for Q2 2025, with Class A shares outperforming the Russell 2500 Growth Index [1] - Initial market volatility in April was due to trade policy uncertainty following President Trump's tariffs, but stability returned with a 90-day pause on new duties [1] - Market sentiment improved in May after the White House suspended reciprocal tariff hikes on China, contributing to the S&P 500 reaching a record high in June [1] Group 2 - Neogen Corporation (NASDAQ:NEOG) focuses on food and animal safety, but its stock experienced a -2.44% return over the last month and a 65.98% decline over the past 52 weeks [2] - As of September 23, 2025, Neogen's stock closed at $5.60 per share, with a market capitalization of $1.217 billion [2] - Neogen's performance was negatively impacted by fiscal third-quarter revenue and profitability falling below expectations, leading to a modest reduction in full-year 2025 guidance due to a weaker macroeconomic environment [3] Group 3 - Neogen Corporation was held by 28 hedge fund portfolios at the end of Q2 2025, an increase from 15 in the previous quarter, indicating growing interest [4] - Despite the potential of Neogen as an investment, certain AI stocks are viewed as having greater upside potential and lower downside risk [4]

Financial Results Announcement - Cardinal Health plans to release first-quarter financial results for fiscal year 2026 on October 30, prior to the opening of trading on the New York Stock Exchange [1] - A webcast discussion of these results will begin at 8:30 a.m. Eastern [1] Webcast Access - The webcast and corresponding slide presentation can be accessed via Cardinal Health's Investor Relations page without an access code [2] - Presentation slides and a webcast replay will be available on the Investor Relations page for 12 months [2] Company Overview - Cardinal Health is a distributor of pharmaceuticals and specialty products, a supplier of home-health and direct-to-patient products and services, and an operator of nuclear pharmacies and manufacturing facilities [3] - The company provides performance and data solutions and is a global manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory products [3] - Cardinal Health's customer-centric focus drives continuous improvement and leads to innovative solutions that improve people's lives [3]

Group 1 - Merck & Co., Inc. has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA for raludotatug deruxtecan, targeting platinum-resistant ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancers expressing CDH6 after bevacizumab treatment [2][3] - The designation is based on data from a phase 1 trial and the ongoing REJOICE-Ovarian01 phase 2/3 study, aimed at accelerating development for patients with significant unmet needs [3] - Approximately 65% of ovarian cancer patients express CDH6, and up to 80% experience relapse after standard therapies, highlighting the drug's potential impact [3] Group 2 - Merck & Co., Inc. is recognized as one of the best stocks to invest in for financial stability and is involved in developing pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biologics, and animal health products [1][4] - The collaboration between Merck and Daiichi Sankyo marks the second breakthrough designation for their oncology partnership, which began in October 2023 [3]

Core Viewpoint - Novartis AG has significantly increased its stockpiles of pharmaceuticals in the United States to prepare for potential tariffs [1] Company Summary - The Chief Executive Officer Vas Narasimhan indicated that the company is positioning itself strategically to withstand potential tariffs [1]

Core Viewpoint - Novartis has proactively increased its stockpiles of pharmaceuticals in the United States to mitigate potential impacts from President Donald Trump's tariffs on its products [1] Company Summary - The chief executive of Novartis indicated that the company is well prepared for any adverse effects that may arise from the tariffs imposed by the U.S. government [1]

Trade & Tariffs - A deal exists involving \$600 billion for unspecified investments, aimed at recouping past losses [1] - The speaker expressed frustration over a \$41 billion deficit with Switzerland, despite minimal tariffs [2] - Tariffs on specific excluded classes like steel and aluminum will be announced soon [4] Semiconductor & Pharmaceutical Industries - Tariffs will be imposed on semiconductors and chips to encourage domestic production in the United States [5] - A major Taiwanese company is investing \$300 billion in Arizona to build a large chip and semiconductor plant [5] - Initially small tariffs on pharmaceuticals will increase to 150% within one year and up to 250% within one and a half years to promote domestic production [6]