Short interest for Southern States gives investors a sense of the degree to which investors are betting on the decline of Southern States's stock. Short interest data is updated every two weeks.

Southern States Stock (NASDAQ:SSBK), Short Interest Report

Southern States

Southern States Bancshares Inc is a full-service community banking institution, that offers an array of deposit, loan, and other banking-related products and services to businesses and individuals in communities. It has three portfolio segments Real estate, Commercial and industrial, Consumer and other.

Senator Tommy Tuberville

Government

Options

Politics

AAPL

ADBE

AMAT

HUMA

PARA

PARAA

QCOM

SSBK

Tommy Tuberville is one of the most active traders as a member of Congress. Here&#39;s a look at what he recently bought and sold.

Tommy Tuberville Trades Raise Eyebrows Again: Senator Sells Put Options, Buys Small Biotech Linked To Ukraine-Russia War

capitol ai

INTC

SBLK

Stock trades made by Senator Tommy Tuberville are drawing scrutiny on social media with potential conflicts of interest.

Senator Tommy Tuberville&#39;s Latest 2 Stock Trades Attract The Wrong Kind Of Attention: &#39;Should This Be Allowed?&#39;

Southern States Bancshares, Inc. - Common Stock

Southern States Bancshares Inc

<p><strong>Viking Therapeutics </strong>(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/vktx#NASDAQ">VKTX</a>), a clinical-stage company focused on developing novel therapeutics for metabolic and endocrine disorders, has been in the news, owing to updates from its obesity program.</p>
<p>The company, with a market cap of about $8 billion, is developing its lead candidate, VK2735, a dual GLP-1/GIP agonist. The candidate is being developed both as a subcutaneous injection and as an oral pill in a mid-stage study and an early-stage study, respectively.</p>
<p>The investigational drug is expected to reflect blockbuster potential, having demonstrated superior weight reduction capabilities in both clinical studies, coupled with the massive demand for obesity drugs. Biotech firms have been competing fiercely to enter the obesity market due to the huge untapped opportunity it represents amid increasing demand.</p>
<p>In early 2024, Viking Therapeutics reported that the phase II VENTURE study, which evaluated a subcutaneous formulation of VK2375, achieved its primary and all secondary endpoints, with statistical significance. Patients treated with this formulation achieved a mean weight reduction of 14.7% after 13 weeks compared with 1.7% in the placebo group.</p>
<p>Year to date, shares of VKTX have skyrocketed 289.6% against the&nbsp;industry&#39;s 5.7% decline.</p>
<p><img alt="Zacks Investment Research" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/articles/charts/c6/66778.jpg?v=555967424" style="height:350px; width:600px" /><br />
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research</p>
<p>What&#39;s particularly impressive is that weight loss in all treated cohorts gradually progressed through 13 weeks and did not show evidence of&nbsp;plateauing.</p>
<p>This suggests that VK2375 has the potential to induce further weight loss over a longer treatment period and at higher doses.</p>
<p>Based on such encouraging results, Viking Therapeutics plans to advance both formulations into further development later this year.</p>
<p>Consequently, the company also reported data from the phase I study evaluating the oral formulation of the drug in March 2024, which demonstrated promising dose-dependent reductions in mean body weight after 28 days of daily dosing.</p>
<p>Patients who received the drug at the highest dose level (i.e., 40mg) lost up to 5.3% of their body weight compared with 2.1% in the placebo group. In fact, 57% of patients who received the 40mg dose lost at least 5% of their body weight.</p>
<p>Notably, in both studies, VK2735 was well-tolerated across all doses, with no serious adverse events.</p>
<p>Such impressive results should instill faith in investors regarding the potential of Viking&#39;s VK2735 development program for obesity.</p>
<p>Of the two formulations of VK2735, which are currently being investigated, the oral formulation is more interesting as it is much easier to use. Patients will most likely prefer a daily weight loss pill to a weekly injection, thereby having the potential to increase the company&#39;s customer base, which will contribute to strong sales, subject to approval.</p>
<p>Viking Therapeutics also enjoys a comfortable cash position. It had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of&nbsp;$963 million as of Mar 31, 2024, which should be able to fund the company&#39;s clinical program for VK2735, along with other pipeline programs, simultaneously. The company currently has no debt (short + long term) in its balance sheet, which is also encouraging.</p>
<p>VKTX&#39;s pipeline comprises two other promising candidates, which are undergoing clinical-stage development. This ensures that its entire growth prospect is not just dependent on the success of its obesity program.</p>
<p>Viking Therapeutics is evaluating its investigational candidate, VK2809, in an ongoing mid-stage study for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. On the other hand, a separate ongoing early-stage study is currently evaluating VK0214 for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy.</p>
<div class="chart_embed">
<h3>Viking Therapeutics, Inc. Price and Consensus</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/chart/VKTX/price-consensus-chart?icid=chart-VKTX-price-consensus-chart"><img alt="Viking Therapeutics, Inc. Price and Consensus" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/charts/bb/1715781132.png" style="height:350px; width:600px" title="" /> </a></p>
<p>Viking Therapeutics, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Viking Therapeutics, Inc. Quote</p>
</div>
<p>However, there are several risk factors that investors should consider before making a decision.</p>
<p>One cannot simply overlook the tremendous competition in the obesity market, especially from pharma bigwigs like <strong>Eli Lilly</strong> (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/lly#NYSE">LLY</a>) and <strong>Novo Nordisk</strong> (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvo#NYSE">NVO</a>).</p>
<p>Both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have massive infrastructures and resources, far greater than that of Viking Therapeutics, which will likely allow these large caps to outmaneuver competition in the obesity market in the long run.</p>
<p>Wegovy, a GLP-1 agonist, is NVO&#39;s blockbuster chronic weight management injection approved for adults with obesity or overweight. The drug received FDA approval in 2021 and has witnessed stellar performance ever since. In 2023, Wegovy sales were up 407% to DKK 31.3 billion compared with the DKK 6.2 billion recorded in 2022 on a reported basis.</p>
<p>Wegovy is seeing strong prescription trends and is generating impressive revenues and profits for Novo Nordisk. NVO recently announced that the FDA has approved Wegovy for reducing the risk of serious heart problems in obese/overweight adults in March 2024. In the first quarter of 2024, Novo Nordisk generated revenues of DKK 9.4 billion from Wegovy sales, representing a surge of 107% year over year.</p>
<p>Eli Lilly launched its obesity drug, Zepbound, a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist in November 2023. Zepbound has seen strong uptake since its launch. The drug generated revenues of $175.8 million in 2023. The first quarter of 2024 marked the first full quarter of commercialization following Zepbound&#39;s launch generating $517.4 million in revenues.</p>
<p><strong>Amgen&nbsp;</strong>(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amgn#NASDAQ">AMGN</a>) also has a GLP-1 receptor candidate, MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide), for obesity in its pipeline. Earlier this month, Amgen stated that it was &quot;very encouraged&quot; with the interim data from the phase II study on MariTide. Top-line 52-week data from the phase II study is expected in late 2024. AMGN is planning to conduct a comprehensive phase III program on the candidate across obesity, obesity-related conditions and diabetes.</p>
<p>Despite the intense competition, the obesity market is still far from being saturated, which will likely provide enough breathing room for Viking Therapeutics to operate in the market and develop additional medicines.</p>
<p>However, in the absence of a marketed product, VKTX does not have a regular income stream to support clinical activities. All pipeline candidates are still a few years away from commercialization. Any developmental setback for the company&#39;s pipeline programs will be detrimental to the stock, driving up operating expenses that will significantly increase loss margins. The pharma industry is especially prone to such failures.</p>
<p>These above-discussed factors indicate that Viking Therapeutics is a good stock to hold on to. In fact, any major dip in stock price can be used as an opportunity to buy the stock. This could drive significant growth for investors&#39; portfolios as the company targets a lucrative market space. It has consistently reported positive results from the clinical studies of VK2735 for the obesity indication.</p>
<h3>Zacks Rank</h3>
<p>VKTX currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).</p>
<p><a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2274279/should-you-hold-viking-therapeutics-vktx-in-your-portfolio?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-analyst_blog|rank_focused-2274279">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a></p>


News

Markets

Analyst Ratings

Trading Ideas

AMGN

VKTX

Should You Hold Viking Therapeutics in Your Portfolio?

<p><strong>Lifeway Foods, Inc</strong>. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/lway#NASDAQ">LWAY</a>) posted first-quarter 2024 results, wherein the top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate, while the bottom line missed the same. Both net sales and earnings experienced a year-over-year increase.<br />
Amid macro headwinds, LWAY has notably achieved a significant boost in net sales, particularly driven by strategic sales and marketing investments. These investments are evidently driving volume growth and increasing awareness among consumers. Lifeway Foods has achieved 18th consecutive quarter of growth and reported fourth consecutive quarter of record sales.<br />
The company has demonstrated remarkable strength on the back of strong operational execution, favorable transportation cost, gross margin expansion and net income growth. These strategic initiatives position it well to capitalize on emerging opportunities and further solidify its position in the market.<br />
The Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company&#39;s shares have rallied 115.1% in the past three months compared with the industry&#39;s growth of 22.2%</p>
<p><img alt="Zacks Investment Research" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/articles/charts/da/66779.jpg?v=1393491047" /><br />
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research</p>
<h3>Q1 Details</h3>
<p>Lifeway Foods, the leading producer of probiotic-based products, delivered earnings of 16 cents per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 24 cents. However, the figure increased from earnings of 6 cents in the same period last year.<br />
Net sales of $44.6 million jumped 17.8% from $37.9 million in the prior-year quarter. Net sales also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $43 million. The uptick was attributable to increased sales volumes of branded drinkable kefir.<br />
Gross profit of $11.5 million witnessed a significant improvement of 40.2% year over year. Gross margin of 25.8% expanded 410 basis points from 21.7% in the year-earlier quarter. Higher volumes of Lifeway branded products and the favorable impact of transportation costs played a key role in driving growth.<br />
SG&amp;A expenses of $7.8 million increased 17.8% from $6.7 million a year ago.</p>
<h3>Other Financial Aspects</h3>
<p>LWAY ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $12 million and total stockholders&#39; equity of $63.5 million. Net cash provided by operating activities amounted to $1.5 million.</p>
<div class="chart_embed">
<div class="chart_embed">
<h3>Other Key Picks</h3>
</div>
</div>
<p>Here, we have highlighted three other top-ranked stocks, namely, <strong>Tyson Foods </strong>(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsn#NYSE">TSN</a>), <strong>Hormel Foods </strong>(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/hrl#NYSE">HRL</a>) and <strong>Colgate-Palmolive Company </strong>(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cl#NYSE">CL</a>).<br />
Tyson Foods, which operates through the Beef, Pork, Chicken and Prepared Foods segments, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. TSN delivered an average earnings surprise of 24.4% in the trailing four quarters.<br />
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Tyson Foods&#39; current fiscal-year sales and earnings calls for growth of 0.03% and 85.1%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.<br />
Hormel Foods develops, processes and distributes various meat, nuts and other food products. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. HRL has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 3.5%, on average.<br />
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Hormel Foods&#39; current financial-year sales suggests growth of 1.2% from the prior-year levels.<br />
Colgate, a general manufacturer and retailer of consumer products, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. CL has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 4.4%, on average.<br />
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CL&#39;s current fiscal-year earnings and sales suggests growth of 9.3% and 3.9% from the year-ago actuals.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2274401/lifeway-foods-lway-q1-earnings-miss-sales-beat-estimates?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-analyst_blog|earnings_article-2274401">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a></p>


Earnings

Earnings Misses

Small Cap

LWAY

Lifeway Foods Q1 Earnings Miss, Sales Beat Estimates

<p>All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it&#39;s through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. However, when you&#39;re an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.</p>
<p>While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company&#39;s earnings paid out to shareholders; it&#39;s often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.</p>
<p><strong>Exxon Mobil in Focus</strong></p>
<p><strong>Exxon Mobil</strong> (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xom#NYSE">XOM</a>) is headquartered in Spring, and is in the Oils-Energy sector. The stock has seen a price change of 17.69% since the start of the year. The oil and natural gas company is paying out a dividend of $0.95 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 3.23% compared to the Oil and Gas - Integrated - International industry&#39;s yield of 2.3% and the S&amp;P 500&#39;s yield of 1.58%.</p>
<p>Looking at dividend growth, the company&#39;s current annualized dividend of $3.80 is up 3.3% from last year. In the past five-year period, Exxon Mobil has increased its dividend 4 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 1.67%. Any future dividend growth will depend on both earnings growth and the company&#39;s payout ratio; a payout ratio is the proportion of a firm&#39;s annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Exxon&#39;s current payout ratio is 43%, meaning it paid out 43% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.</p>
<p>Earnings growth looks solid for XOM for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 is $9.57 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 0.53%.</p>
<p><strong>Bottom Line</strong></p>
<p>Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. It&#39;s important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.</p>
<p>High-growth firms or tech start-ups, for example, rarely provide their shareholders a dividend, while larger, more established companies that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, XOM is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold).</p>
<p><a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2274296/why-exxon-mobil-xom-is-a-great-dividend-stock-right-now?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-tale_of_the_tape|yseop_template_5-2274296">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a></p>


Why Exxon Mobil is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now

<p>Five startups have been chosen to join <strong>Mastercard&#39;s</strong> (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ma#NYSE">MA</a>) Start Path blockchain and digital assets program to develop blockchain use cases and user experiences. The program will see Mastercard connect with industry experts and fintech firms to explore different use cases for digital assets and blockchain technology for solving real-world problems.</p>
<p>Read the <a href="https://www.theblock.co/post/294660/mastercard-picks-five-startups-for-program-on-blockchain-use-case-development?utm_source=benzinga&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=Mastercard+picks+five+startups+for+program+on+blockchain+use-case+development">full story</a> at The Block.</p>


Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

Cryptocurrency

Fintech news covering the emerging Financial Technology services sector

Fintech

Global

Mastercard Picks Five Startups for Program on Blockchain Use-Case Development

WIIM

Constellation Energy shares are trading higher after Wells Fargo maintained an Overweight rating on the stock and raised its price target from $215 to $250.

<p>The web3 digital identity firm Humanity Protocol raised $30 million in funding, bringing the startup to a $1 billion valuation.&nbsp; The venture firm Kingsway Capital led the round, which had additional support from Animoca Brands, Blockchain.com and Shima Capital, Bloomberg reports, adding that Humanity Protocol also raised $1.5 million from &quot;influential crypto figures.&quot;</p>
<p>Read the <a href="https://www.theblock.co/post/294631/web3-digital-identity-startup-humanity-protocol-raises-30-million-at-a-1-billion-valuation?utm_source=benzinga&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=Web3+digital+identity+startup+Humanity+Protocol+raises+%2430+million+at+a+%241+billion+valuation">full story</a> at The Block.</p>


Tech

Web3 Digital Identity Startup Humanity Protocol Raises $30 Million at a $1 Billion Valuation

<p><strong>Bitfarms Ltd.</strong> (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bitf#NASDAQ">BITF</a>) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.02 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.03. This compares to loss of $0.01 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.</p>
<p>This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 33.33%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post a loss of $0.04 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.06, delivering a surprise of -50%.</p>
<p>Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once.</p>
<p>Bitfarms, which belongs to the Zacks Technology Services industry, posted revenues of $50.32 million for the quarter ended March 2024, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.39%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $30.05 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.</p>
<p>The sustainability of the stock&#39;s immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management&#39;s commentary on the earnings call.</p>
<p>Bitfarms shares have lost about 44.7% since the beginning of the year versus the S&amp;P 500&#39;s gain of 10%.</p>
<p><strong>What&#39;s Next for Bitfarms?</strong></p>
<p>While Bitfarms has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors&#39; minds is: what&#39;s next for the stock?</p>
<p>There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company&#39;s earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.</p>
<p>Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.</p>
<p>Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Bitfarms: mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company&#39;s just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future.</p>
<p>It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is -$0.05 on $53.4 million in revenues for the coming quarter and -$0.09 on $268.66 million in revenues for the current fiscal year.</p>
<p>Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Technology Services is currently in the top 24% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.</p>
<p><strong>Sprinklr</strong> (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cxm#NYSE">CXM</a>), another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended April 2024.</p>
<p>This customer experience software developer is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.07 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +16.7%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.</p>
<p>Sprinklr&#39;s revenues are expected to be $194.54 million, up 12.2% from the year-ago quarter.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2273918/bitfarms-ltd-bitf-reports-q1-loss-lags-revenue-estimates?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-tale_of_the_tape|yseop_template_4-2273918">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a></p>


Penny Stocks

BITF

Bitfarms Ltd. Reports Q1 Loss, Lags Revenue Estimates

Commodities

ETFs

AMEGF

SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust

FTZFF

VMSSF

Whither the Junior Miners?

<p>European and US futures are trading cautiously higher as traders wait for the most important economic data for this week, which is the US CPI number. Yesterday, the Fed Chairman, Jerome Powell, displayed his disappointments with respect to inflation and especially its progress over the last few months. Another disappointing reading for the US CPI data could make investors and traders lose their confidence, who are very optimistic that the Fed has no other option but to lower the interest rate as the employment market in the US has started to show weakness.</p>
<p>Yesterday, we saw another positive day for the Nasdaq index, which jumped to a record close and scored gains of 0.75%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also recovered some of its losses, moving higher by 0.32%, while the S&amp;P 500 index added 0.8%. All of this happened on the back of the US PPI numbers, as well as somewhat hawkish commentary from the Fed Chairman. The thing about the US equity market is that there seems to be some disconnect between reality and what market players are expecting, and this is because inflation numbers continue to show their stubborn nature while the Fed is sending a message that they are comfortable with higher rates, but market players are of a different mind set, and for them, it is clear that the Fed cannot keep the rates where they are. Since markets are addicted to dovish monetary policy, the US equity markets are roaring on the back of this.</p>
<p>The concern here is that if the markets get a reality check, i.e., we get an inflation reading that shows zero to no performance while the Fed shows further disappointment and confirms their stance that rates should stay higher for longer, then the market players have no other options but to face reality and experience heavy losses.</p>
<p>Going into today&rsquo;s important data, the PPI data released yesterday has given us an indication of today&rsquo;s market play. The data could disappoint, which means the inflation reading could exceed the forecast of 3.4% and potentially surpass the previous number of 3.5%. The initial reaction would be massive disappointment, but then hope for a rate cut could surface again, as traders would discount the reading because of the potential threats that higher interest rates could cause to the US economy. On the other hand, market players will greet a better reading than the forecast of 3.4% for CPI y/y with great excitement, potentially leading to further side moves.</p>
<h3>Meme Stock</h3>
<p>Speaking of further upside, it seems that the meme stock saga is back in full swing, as retail traders have not only shown their enthusiasm towards mainstream names like AMC and GameStop, but in fact, now the focus is also on other heavily shorted stocks among hedge funds. Again, there are no specific fundamentals that can support the current investment thesis, other than FOMO. When retail traders see a headline that a stock is up 20%, they want to throw their money in with the hope that it will do at least five times more. We&#39;ve seen this practice among speculators before, and we&#39;re seeing it again now.</p>
<h3>Gold</h3>
<p>Gold traders seem to be in a pin-drop silence zone with pretty much no activity. The focus for them is the US CPI data, and the hope is that the economic number will bring weakness to the dollar index, which would be positive for the yellow metal. The weakness in the price can happen if the inflation number shows an encouraging reading, the price weakness can happen; however, if we do not see that, we could still see a further upside as traders may discount the bad reading. We have seen this for yellow metal on the back of the PPI data and the Fed&rsquo;s speech. However, we think that gold traders should think carefully in terms of speculation, and this is because Jerome Powell said last night that there is no rush to change their current monetary policy stance.</p>
<p>The gold price chart below shows potential important price levels that the yellow metal may test today. The red line represents the resistance which the price may test in terms weak inflation data and the green line represents the support zone which the price may test if the inflation data comes hotter than the expectations&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.zayecapitalmarkets.com">Gold chart by Zaye Capital Markets&nbsp;</a></p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u1724330/gold_-_zc_-_15-05.png" style="height:267px; width:624px" /></p>
<p class="contributor-disclaimer"><em>This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga&#39;s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.</em></p>


General

Pin Drop Silence For Markets Ahead Of US CPI Data. Gold Traders Are In A Zombie Mode

<p class="articleSource"><strong>Source: <a href="https://www.streetwisereports.com/article/2024/05/13/copper-explorer-gathers-experts-for-untapped-ariz-project.html?utm_medium=feed">Streetwise Reports 05/13/2024</a></strong></p>
<p>A Canadian copper company is putting together a team of experts to meet the challenge of providing the red metal needed for the energy transition. Find out which research firm has rated the stock a top performer.</p>
<p>As copper prices continue to rise on fears of shortages, one Canadian copper company is putting together a team of experts to meet the challenge of providing the red metal needed for the energy transition.</p>
<p>Vancouver-based <strong>World Copper Ltd.</strong> (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/wcuff#OTC">WCUFF</a>) is focused on the exploration and development of its coppery porphyry projects in Arizona and Chile.</p>
<p>The Technical Advisory Committee announced Monday will work on the development of the Zonia project in Arizona to guide development issues such as permitting, construction, and ramp-up of the project.</p>
<p>Two committee members, mining executives Joe Phillips and Derek White, have been appointed, the company said.</p>
<p>&quot;The copper market is in desperate need of lower cost, faster to market copper oxide projects like Zonia&quot; said World Copper Chief Executive Officer Gord Neal. &quot;Mr. White and Mr. Phillips both understand the outstanding value proposition this asset offers and they bring a great deal of knowledge and experience in developing and building mines effectively.&quot;</p>
<h2><strong>A Top-5 Performer</strong></h2>
<p>Copper has climbed above US$10,000 a ton on the predictions of tighter supplies and rising consumption for use in electric vehicles (EVs) and power grides.</p>
<p>&quot;Prices of copper have risen 17% this year on fears of shortages, with aging mines forecast to struggle to keep pace with demand&quot; Mining.com reported.</p>
<p>ANZ Group Holdings Ltd. analysts, including Daniel Hynes, told the site that supply growth is stagnating.</p>
<p>Taylor Combaluzier of Red Cloud Securities has noted that Zonia &quot;has lots of untapped potential&quot; for copper.</p>
<p>&quot;It could either be rapidly developed for nearer-term production or potentially be expanded through exploration to increase the scale of the project&quot; Combaluzier wrote.</p>
<p>In March, WCU was named among Fundamental Research Corp.&#39;s (FRC) Top five performers of the week, the equity research firm reported in its March 4 note, taking the fifth spot after a week-over-week (WOW) return of 17%.</p>
<p>An updated mineral resource estimate (MRE) filed for Zonia by World Copper increased total resources by about 90% to about 198 million tonnes from a 2017 estimate, with contained copper increasing by 55% to about 1.03 billion pounds.</p>
<p>Escalones is about 100 kilometers from Santiago. Its PEA (preliminary economic assessment) estimates an inferred resource of 426 million tonnes of 0.367% copper, containing 3,447 pounds of copper. A coming catalyst includes a preliminary</p>
<p>feasibility study (PFS) of Zonia&#39;s main deposit.</p>
<h2><strong>The Catalyst: An &#39;Underappreciated&#39; Critical Mineral</strong></h2>
<p>EVs use more than three times as much copper, a preferred material for electrical conductors, as gas-burning cars. New copper production &mdash; and investment in exploration &mdash; will be needed to fuel the supply of those vehicles in the long term, analysts have said.</p>
<p>BMI analysts believe copper deficits could grow at an extreme pace over the coming decade as the clean energy revolution takes hold, predicting prices of US$11,500 per ton by 2032.</p>
<p>&quot;In the longer term, we expect the copper market to remain in deficit as the green transition accelerates along with the demand for &#39;green&#39; metals, including copper&quot; BMI&#39;s analysts said, according to Stockhead.</p>
<p>&quot;Based on industry-wide capital intensity data, we calculate that some US$196 billion of investment will be required&quot; a market analysis issued by RFC Ambrian said. &quot;Of this, US$80 billion is for greenfield projects, and US$116 billion is for brownfield projects, of which US$71 billion is simply for replacement capacity. A further US$35 billion of investment will be required to close the supply gap.&quot;</p>
<p>An S&amp;P report called copper &quot;one of the most underappreciated critical minerals.&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;Deeper electrification requires wires, and wires are primarily made from copper&quot; the report said.</p>
<p>Billionaire Robert Friedland, founder and executive co-chairman of <strong>Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.</strong> (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ivpaf#OTC">IVPAF</a>), has told Bloomberg that he feared copper prices could jump tenfold eventually.</p>
<p>&quot;We&#39;re heading for a train wreck here&quot; he said.</p>
<h2><strong>New Committee Members</strong></h2>
<p>According to the company, Joe Phillips has a &quot;distinguished track record in achieving revenue, profit, and business growth objectives for mining and manufacturing companies in the U.S. and 10 other countries globally. He has successfully built 14 mining projects in 11 different jurisdictions.&quot;</p>
<p>He was chief operating officer of Minera Tres Valles in Chile, where he designed and implemented the upgrade and expansion of its SX-EW copper operation, and has held senior management roles at <strong>Pan American Silver</strong> (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/paas#NYSE">PAAS</a>), <strong>Coeur Mining</strong> (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cde#NYSE">CDE</a>), and Carpathian Gold.</p>
<p>Phillips holds an undergraduate degree from the Colorado School of Mines and graduate studies in engineering management at the University of South Florida.</p>
<p>Derek White has more than three decades of experience in the mining and metals industry, World Copper said. Currently, he is president and CEO of Ascot Resources Ltd. Highlights of his career include the development and construction of the Carlota copper oxide mine in Arizona, Premier gold mine in British Columbia, and the world-class Sierra Gorda mine in Chile.</p>
<p>He has an undergraduate degree in Geological Engineering from the University of British Columbia and is also a chartered accountant, the company said.</p>
<h2><strong>Ownership and Share Structure</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Wealth Minerals Ltd. </strong>(OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/wmllf#OTC">WMLLF</a>) owns about 11.51% of World Copper. About 27% is owned by management and insiders, including Director Robert Kopple with 8.37% and Board Chairman Hendrik van Alphen with 1.14% or 3.25 million shares. CEO Neal holds about 0.96%. The rest is retail.</p>
<p>Its market cap is CA$26.88 million. It has 178 million shares outstanding, including 126 million of them free-floating. It trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.20 and CA$0.055.</p>
<p>Important Disclosures:</p>
<ol>
<li>World Copper Ltd. is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports and pays SWR a monthly sponsorship fee between US$4,000 and US$5,000.</li>
<li>As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of World Copper Ltd.</li>
<li>Steve Sobek wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee.</li>
<li>This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports&#39; terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.</li>
</ol>


IVPAF

PAAS

WCUFF

WMLLF

Copper Explorer Gathers Experts for 'Untapped' Ariz. Project

<p><strong>Sony Group Corporation</strong> (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/sony#NYSE">SONY</a>) reported fiscal fourth-quarter 2023 net income per share (on a GAAP basis) of &yen;153.60, which increased from &yen;113.89 a year ago. Adjusted net income came in at &yen;175.1 billion compared with &yen;141 billion in the prior-year quarter.</p>
<p>Quarterly total revenues increased 14% year over year to &yen;3,481 billion. The uptick was driven by an increase in revenues in the Game &amp; Network Services (G&amp;NS), Music, Pictures and Imaging &amp; Sensing Solutions (I&amp;SS) segments&#39; sales.</p>
<div class="chart_embed">
<h3>Sony Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/chart/SONY/price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart?icid=chart-SONY-price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart"><img alt="Sony Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/charts/15/1715684302.png" style="height:265px; width:577px" title="" /> </a></p>
<p>Sony Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Sony Corporation Quote</p>
</div>
<h3>Segmental Results</h3>
<p>In the quarter under review, G&amp;NS sales were up 2.2% year over year to &yen;1097.3 billion. Segmental sales increased on the back of positive impacts of the forex movement and higher sales of non-first-party titles. Operating income rose to &yen;106 billion from &yen;38.9 billion in the prior-year quarter.</p>
<p>Music sales improved 23% year over year to &yen;429.9 billion in the fiscal fourth quarter on the back of higher revenues from streaming services, primarily from paid subscriptions, in recorded music and music publishing. Operating income was &yen;71.2 billion, up from &yen;60.4 billion in the prior-year quarter.</p>
<p>Pictures sales increased 13.3% year over year to &yen;406.7 billion, mainly due to an increase in theatrical releases and higher revenues for Crunchyroll. Operating income was &yen;30.7 billion compared with &yen;15.5 billion a year ago.</p>
<p>ET&amp;S sales totaled &yen;532.7 billion, up 7.8% year over year. The top-line performance increased on the back of positive impacts of the forex movement. Operating loss was &yen;6.4 billion compared with &yen;33 billion in the year-ago quarter.</p>
<p>I&amp;SS sales rose 14.3% year over year to &yen;398.5 billion, owing to an increase in sales of image sensors for mobile products. Operating income was &yen;34.7 billion compared with &yen;31.7 billion in the year-ago quarter owing to favorable forex impact.</p>
<p>Financial Services sales were &yen;672.9 billion compared with &yen;470.6 billion a year ago. The uptick was caused by a significant revenue increase at Sony Life. Also, there is an improvement in net gains and losses on investments related to market fluctuations for separate accounts. Operating income came in at &yen;26.1 billion compared with &yen;51.9 billion in the year-ago quarter.</p>
<p>All Other sales were down 3.1% to &yen;21.8 billion in the fiscal fourth quarter. Operating loss was &yen;5.5 billion against operating income of &yen;0.1 billion in the year-ago quarter.</p>
<h3>Other Details</h3>
<p>For the quarter under review, total costs and expenses were &yen;3,251.1 billion, up 12.1% year over year. Operating income was &yen;229.4 billion, up 57% year over year.</p>
<h3>Cash Flow &amp; Liquidity</h3>
<p>For the twelve months ended on Mar 31, 2024, Sony generated &yen;1,373.2 billion of cash from operating activities compared with &yen;314.6 billion in the prior-year period.</p>
<p>As of Mar 31, 2024, the company had &yen;1,907.1 billion in cash and cash equivalents with &yen;2,058.1 billion of long-term debt.</p>
<h3>Fiscal 2024 Outlook</h3>
<p>Sony has provided its outlook for the fiscal year ending Mar 31, 2025. It expects sales of &yen;12,310 billion, down 5% year over year. The top-line performance is likely to be driven by strengthening momentum in the I&amp;SS and Music segments&#39; sales.</p>
<p>Net income is estimated to be &yen;925 billion. The metric is expected to decrease year over year, mainly due to an expected increase in income taxes resulting from a decrease in tax credits in Japan and the United States. Operating income is expected to be &yen;1,1275 billion.</p>
<h3>Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider</h3>
<p>Sony currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).</p>
<p>Some better-ranked stocks from the broader technology space are <strong>Woodward</strong> (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/wwd#NASDAQ">WWD</a>), <strong>Arista Networks</strong> (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/anet#NYSE">ANET</a>) and <strong>Super Micro Computer </strong>(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/smci#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>). Woodward and Super Micro Computer sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), whereas Arista Networks carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).</p>
<p>The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Woodward&#39;s fiscal 2024 earnings per share has moved up 9.3% in the past 60 days to $5.76. WWD&#39;s long-term earnings growth rate is 16.3%.</p>
<p>Woodward&#39;s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 26.1%. WWD shares have risen 62.3% in the past year.</p>
<p>The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ANET&#39;s 2024 EPS has increased 0.9% in the past 60 days to $7.53. ANET&#39;s long-term earnings growth rate is 17.5%.</p>
<p>Arista Networks&#39; earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters, delivering an average earnings surprise of 13.3%. Shares of ANET have gained 62.2% in the past year.</p>
<p>The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Super Micro Computer&#39;s fiscal 2024 EPS has improved 8.3% in the past 60 days to $23.51. SMCI&#39;s long-term earnings growth rate is 52.3%.</p>
<p>SMCI&#39;s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 6.9%. Shares of SMCI have risen 479.3% in the past year.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2273686/sony-s-q4-earnings-and-revenues-up-y-y-2024-outlook-issued?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-analyst_blog|earnings_article-2273686">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a></p>


ANET

SMCI

Sony Group Corporation American Depositary Shares

SONY

SONY's Q4 Earnings and Revenues Up Y/Y, 2024 Outlook Issued

<p><strong>Koninklijke Philips </strong>(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/phg#NYSE">PHG</a>) notified its customers about a possible power malfunction in its Trilogy Evo continuous ventilators and initiated a software update to resolve the same in March. The FDA classified this action as Class I level recall, the most serious type of recall, as the use of these devices without the software update may cause serious injuries or death. This recall is a correction and not a product removal. It includes all susceptible devices &mdash; Trilogy EVO, Trilogy EV300, Trilogy Evo O2, and Trilogy Evo Universal.</p>
<p>The company also informed that these ventilators can issue a &quot;Battery Depleted&quot; or &quot;Loss of Power&quot; alarm while sufficient power is still available due to the software issue.</p>
<h3>Price Performance</h3>
<p>For the past six months, PHG&#39;s shares have gained 29.5% compared with the industry&#39;s rise of 13.3%. The S&amp;P 500 increased 16.2% in the same time frame.</p>
<p><img alt="Zacks Investment Research" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/articles/charts/6c/66690.jpg?v=1588539637" /><br />
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research</p>
<h3>More on the Trilogy Ventilators</h3>
<p>The Trilogy ventilators use a microprocessor-controlled blower to provide pressure support, pressure control, or volume control during breathing support. These devices are designed to aid those who need help breathing, and they can offer ongoing or sporadic support. They can be used in non-emergency, home, and medical transport environments, such as an ambulance, wheelchair, or personal automobile.</p>
<h3>Reasons for Recall</h3>
<p>Philips Respironics, a subsidiary of Koninklijke Philips, notified customers to update to the latest software version of its Trilogy Evo continuous ventilator devices due to a possible power malfunction. The Trilogy Evo ventilators&#39; software malfunction can result in a sudden loss of ventilation while the device alarms.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The patient may not receive therapy if the afflicted ventilators are used; this could happen even if the battery is not completely exhausted. Death and hypoventilation are just two of the grave health effects that could result from this.</p>
<p>Philips had sent all the affected customers an Urgent Medical Device Notice notifying customers to update the devices to the latest software version in March.</p>
<h3>Notable Developments</h3>
<p>In April 2024, Philips received a warning letter from the FDA that outlined issues regarding imaging technology manufacturing practices in China for the Philips Incisive CT patient interface monitor.</p>
<p>Philips also announced a final consent decree between the FDA and the U.S. Department of Justice. The consent decree primarily focuses on Philips Respironics&#39; business operations in the United States. It offers clarity and a defined roadmap to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements and restore the Philips Respironics business.</p>
<div class="chart_embed">
<h3>Koninklijke Philips N.V. Price</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/chart/PHG/fundamental/price?icid=chart-PHG-fundamental/price"><img alt="Koninklijke Philips N.V. Price" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/charts/99/1715691413.png" style="height:252px; width:538px" title="" /> </a></p>
<p>Koninklijke Philips N.V. price | Koninklijke Philips N.V. Quote</p>
</div>
<h3>Zacks Rank &amp; Stocks to Consider</h3>
<p>PHG carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present.</p>
<p>Some better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space that have announced quarterly results are&nbsp;<strong>Align Technology, Inc.&nbsp;</strong>(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/algn#NASDAQ">ALGN</a>),&nbsp;<strong>Ecolab</strong>&nbsp;(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ecl#NYSE">ECL</a>) and&nbsp;<strong>Boston Scientific Corporation</strong>&nbsp;(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bsx#NYSE">BSX</a>).</p>
<p>Align Technology, carrying a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), reported first-quarter 2024 adjusted EPS of $2.14, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.1%. Revenues of $997.4 million outpaced the consensus mark by 2.6%.</p>
<p>Align Technology has a long-term estimated growth rate of 6.9%. ALGN&#39;s earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, the average surprise being 5.9%.</p>
<p>Ecolab, carrying a Zacks Rank of 2 at present, has an estimated long-term growth rate of 13.3%. ECL&#39;s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 1.7%.</p>
<p>Ecolab&#39;s shares have rallied 33.8% against the&nbsp;industry&#39;s 9.3% decline in the past year.</p>
<p>Boston Scientific reported first-quarter 2024 adjusted EPS of 56 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 9.8%. Revenues of $3.86 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.9%. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.</p>
<p>Boston Scientific has a long-term estimated growth rate of 12.5%. BSX&#39;s earnings surpassed estimates in all the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 7.5%.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2273683/philips-phg-gets-fda-recall-for-trilogy-ventilator-glitch?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-analyst_blog|company_news_-_medical_sector-2273683">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a></p>


ALGN

Philips' Gets FDA Recall for Trilogy Ventilator Glitch

Shares of Mizuho Financial Group are trading higher in sympathy with Sumitomo Mitsui, which gained after reporting FY23 financial results.

<p>Investors interested in Consumer Discretionary stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has <strong>Hasbro</strong> (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/has#NASDAQ">HAS</a>) been one of those stocks this year? A quick glance at the company&#39;s year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Consumer Discretionary sector should help us answer this question.</p>
<p>Hasbro is a member of our Consumer Discretionary group, which includes 286 different companies and currently sits at #10 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.</p>
<p>The Zacks Rank emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings outlooks. This system has a long record of success, and these stocks tend to be on track to beat the market over the next one to three months. Hasbro is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).</p>
<p>Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for HAS&#39; full-year earnings has moved 6.1% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.</p>
<p>Our latest available data shows that HAS has returned about 19.4% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Consumer Discretionary companies have returned an average of -2.5%. This shows that Hasbro is outperforming its peers so far this year.</p>
<p><strong>Rush Street Interactive, Inc.</strong> (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rsi#NYSE">RSI</a>) is another Consumer Discretionary stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 92.2%.</p>
<p>Over the past three months, Rush Street Interactive, Inc.&#39;s consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 83.1%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).</p>
<p>Looking more specifically, Hasbro belongs to the Toys - Games - Hobbies industry, a group that includes 6 individual stocks and currently sits at #14 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 5.2% so far this year, so HAS is performing better in this area.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Rush Street Interactive, Inc. belongs to the Gaming industry. This 37-stock industry is currently ranked #165. The industry has moved -5.2% year to date.</p>
<p>Hasbro and Rush Street Interactive, Inc. could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Consumer Discretionary stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2273487/is-hasbro-has-outperforming-other-consumer-discretionary-stocks-this-year?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-tale_of_the_tape|yseop_template_1-2273487">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a></p>


Is Hasbro Outperforming Other Consumer Discretionary Stocks This Year?

<p>Investors with significant funds have taken a bearish position in Welltower (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WELL#NYSE">WELL</a>), a development that retail traders should be aware of.</p>
<p>This was brought to our attention today through our monitoring of publicly accessible options data at Benzinga. The exact nature of these investors remains a mystery, but such a major move in WELL usually indicates foreknowledge of upcoming events.</p>
<p>Today, Benzinga's options scanner identified 8 options transactions for Welltower. This is an unusual occurrence. The sentiment among these large-scale traders is mixed, with 37% being bullish and 50% bearish. Of all the options we discovered, 7 are puts, valued at $386,200, and there was a single call, worth $69,000.</p>
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
<p>Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $90.0 to $100.0 for Welltower during the past quarter. </p>
<h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
<p>Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Welltower's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Welltower's significant trades, within a strike price range of $90.0 to $100.0, over the past month.</p>
<h3>Welltower 30-Day Option Volume &amp; Interest Snapshot</h3>
<p><img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1715801525_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" /></p>
<h3>Noteworthy Options Activity:</h3>
<p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th><strong>Symbol</strong></th>
<th><strong>PUT/CALL</strong></th>
<th><strong>Trade Type</strong></th>
<th><strong>Sentiment</strong></th>
<th><strong>Exp. Date</strong></th>
<th><strong>Ask</strong></th>
<th><strong>Bid</strong></th>
<th><strong>Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Strike Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Total Trade Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Open Interest</strong></th>
<th style="text-align: right;"><strong>Volume</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>WELL</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$6.8</td>
<td>$4.0</td>
<td>$6.1</td>
<td>$90.00</td>
<td>$82.3K</td>
<td>276</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">502</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WELL</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$6.3</td>
<td>$6.1</td>
<td>$6.1</td>
<td>$90.00</td>
<td>$69.5K</td>
<td>276</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">367</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WELL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/21/24</td>
<td>$2.3</td>
<td>$2.2</td>
<td>$2.3</td>
<td>$100.00</td>
<td>$69.0K</td>
<td>2.1K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">400</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WELL</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$8.3</td>
<td>$4.6</td>
<td>$6.1</td>
<td>$90.00</td>
<td>$62.8K</td>
<td>276</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">250</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WELL</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$6.4</td>
<td>$4.7</td>
<td>$6.0</td>
<td>$90.00</td>
<td>$57.6K</td>
<td>276</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">670</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</p>
<h3>About Welltower</h3>
<p>Welltower owns a diversified healthcare portfolio of 2,096 in-place properties spread across the senior housing, medical office, and skilled nursing/post-acute care sectors. The portfolio includes over 100 properties in both Canada and the United Kingdom as the company looks for additional investment opportunities in countries with mature healthcare systems that operate similarly to that of the United States.</p>
<p>After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Welltower, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.</p>
<h3>Current Position of Welltower</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a volume of 1,253,141, the price of WELL is up 1.8% at $100.6. </li>
<li>RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be overbought.</li>
<li>Next earnings are expected to be released in 75 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What The Experts Say On Welltower</h3>
<p>A total of 1 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $105.0.</p>
<ul>
<li>Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Mizuho keeps a Buy rating on Welltower with a target price of $105. </li>
</ul>
<p>Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.</p>
<p>If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Welltower, <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.</p>


WELL

Unpacking the Latest Options Trading Trends in Welltower

<p>Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bullish stance on <strong>Nu Holdings</strong>.</p>
<p>Looking at options history for Nu Holdings (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NU#NYSE">NU</a>) we detected 16 trades.</p>
<p>If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 75% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 12% with bearish.</p>
<p>From the overall spotted trades, 3 are puts, for a total amount of $166,413 and 13, calls, for a total amount of $669,546.</p>
<h3>What's The Price Target?</h3>
<p>Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $7.0 to $14.0 for Nu Holdings during the past quarter. </p>
<h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
<p>Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Nu Holdings's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Nu Holdings's significant trades, within a strike price range of $7.0 to $14.0, over the past month.</p>
<h3>Nu Holdings Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<p><img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1715801520_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" /></p>
<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</h3>
<p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th><strong>Symbol</strong></th>
<th><strong>PUT/CALL</strong></th>
<th><strong>Trade Type</strong></th>
<th><strong>Sentiment</strong></th>
<th><strong>Exp. Date</strong></th>
<th><strong>Ask</strong></th>
<th><strong>Bid</strong></th>
<th><strong>Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Strike Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Total Trade Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Open Interest</strong></th>
<th><strong>Volume</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NU</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>08/16/24</td>
<td>$1.05</td>
<td>$0.87</td>
<td>$0.89</td>
<td>$12.00</td>
<td>$102.1K</td>
<td>18.5K</td>
<td>3.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NU</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$1.08</td>
<td>$1.06</td>
<td>$1.07</td>
<td>$14.00</td>
<td>$80.5K</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>779</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NU</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$5.5</td>
<td>$4.6</td>
<td>$5.5</td>
<td>$7.00</td>
<td>$60.5K</td>
<td>9.6K</td>
<td>121</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NU</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$0.26</td>
<td>$0.23</td>
<td>$0.23</td>
<td>$12.00</td>
<td>$60.4K</td>
<td>9.9K</td>
<td>7.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NU</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>08/16/24</td>
<td>$1.21</td>
<td>$1.1</td>
<td>$1.18</td>
<td>$12.00</td>
<td>$58.7K</td>
<td>18.5K</td>
<td>1.7K</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</p>
<h3>About Nu Holdings</h3>
<p>Nu Holdings Ltd is engaged in providing digital banking services. It offers several financial services such as Credit cards, Personal Account, Investments, Personal Loans, Insurance, Mobile payments, Business Accounts, and Rewards. The company earns the majority of its revenue in Brazil.</p>
<p>After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Nu Holdings, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.</p>
<h3>Where Is Nu Holdings Standing Right Now?</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 43,292,092, with NU's price up by 3.51%, positioned at $11.96.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 90 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What The Experts Say On Nu Holdings</h3>
<p>Over the past month, 2 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $13.5.</p>
<ul>
<li>Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Keybanc keeps a Overweight rating on Nu Holdings with a target price of $13. </li>
<li>Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Susquehanna continues to hold a Positive rating for Nu Holdings, targeting a price of $14. </li>
</ul>
<p>Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Nu Holdings with <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.</p>


A Closer Look at Nu Holdings's Options Market Dynamics

<p>Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on <strong>Micron Technology</strong> (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MU#NASDAQ">MU</a>).</p>
<p>And retail traders should know.</p>
<p>We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.</p>
<p>Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with MU, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.</p>
<p>So how do we know what these investors just did? </p>
<p>Today, <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?utm_source=insights">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 75 uncommon options trades for Micron Technology.</p>
<p>This isn't normal.</p>
<p>The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 50% bullish and 38%, bearish.</p>
<p>Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 12 are puts, for a total amount of $528,959, and 63 are calls, for a total amount of $3,936,463.</p>
<h3>Predicted Price Range</h3>
<p>Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $65.0 to $180.0 for Micron Technology during the past quarter. </p>
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
<p>Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Micron Technology's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Micron Technology's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $65.0 to $180.0 over the preceding 30 days.</p>
<h3>Micron Technology Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days</h3>
<p><img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1715801515_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" /></p>
<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</h3>
<p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th><strong>Symbol</strong></th>
<th><strong>PUT/CALL</strong></th>
<th><strong>Trade Type</strong></th>
<th><strong>Sentiment</strong></th>
<th><strong>Exp. Date</strong></th>
<th><strong>Ask</strong></th>
<th><strong>Bid</strong></th>
<th><strong>Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Strike Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Total Trade Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Open Interest</strong></th>
<th style="text-align: right;"><strong>Volume</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>MU</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$40.1</td>
<td>$40.1</td>
<td>$40.1</td>
<td>$90.00</td>
<td>$160.4K</td>
<td>3.5K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">54</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MU</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$42.05</td>
<td>$41.75</td>
<td>$41.87</td>
<td>$97.50</td>
<td>$125.6K</td>
<td>308</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">30</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MU</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$5.35</td>
<td>$5.25</td>
<td>$5.25</td>
<td>$180.00</td>
<td>$118.1K</td>
<td>2.0K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">580</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MU</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$11.4</td>
<td>$11.3</td>
<td>$11.3</td>
<td>$120.00</td>
<td>$113.0K</td>
<td>275</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">101</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MU</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$8.5</td>
<td>$8.45</td>
<td>$8.5</td>
<td>$118.00</td>
<td>$109.6K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">330</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</p>
<h3>About Micron Technology</h3>
<p>Micron is one of the largest semiconductor companies in the world, specializing in memory and storage chips. Its primary revenue stream comes from dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, and it also has minority exposure to not-and or NAND, flash chips. Micron serves a global customer base, selling chips into data centers, mobile phones, consumer electronics, and industrial and automotive applications. The firm is vertically integrated.</p>
<p>Having examined the options trading patterns of Micron Technology, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance</p>
<h3>Micron Technology's Current Market Status</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 9,352,309, with MU's price up by 1.75%, positioned at $127.0.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 42 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About Micron Technology</h3>
<p>2 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $147.5.</p>
<ul>
<li>An analyst from Baird has elevated its stance to Outperform, setting a new price target at $150. </li>
<li>Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Barclays continues to hold a Overweight rating for Micron Technology, targeting a price of $145. </li>
</ul>
<p>Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Micron Technology options trades with real-time alerts from <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a>.</p>


This Is What Whales Are Betting On Micron Technology

<p>Hess (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HES#NYSE">HES</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 5.59% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 18.63%. Currently, Hess has a market capitalization of $48.89 billion. </p>
<p><strong>Buying $100 In HES:</strong> If an investor had bought $100 of HES stock 5 years ago, it would be worth <strong>$239.17</strong> today based on a price of $158.68 for HES at the time of writing.</p>
<h3>Hess's Performance Over Last 5 Years</h3>
<p><img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1715801426_0.png" alt="comp_fig" /></p>
<p>Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.</p>
<p><em>This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.</em></p>


Here's How Much $100 Invested In Hess 5 Years Ago Would Be Worth Today

<p>W.W. Grainger (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GWW#NYSE">GWW</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 15.41% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 28.45%. Currently, W.W. Grainger has a market capitalization of $46.73 billion. </p>
<p><strong>Buying $1000 In GWW:</strong> If an investor had bought $1000 of GWW stock 5 years ago, it would be worth <strong>$3,517.73</strong> today based on a price of $952.32 for GWW at the time of writing.</p>
<h3>W.W. Grainger's Performance Over Last 5 Years</h3>
<p><img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1715801420_0.png" alt="comp_fig" /></p>
<p>Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.</p>
<p><em>This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.</em></p>


$1000 Invested In This Stock 5 Years Ago Would Be Worth $3,500 Today

<p>Flanigan'S Enterprises (AMEX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BDL#AMEX">BDL</a>) reported quarterly earnings of $1.04 per share. This is a 1.96 percent increase over earnings of $1.02 per share from the same period last year. The company reported $48.07 million in sales this quarter. This is a 9.74 percent increase over sales of $43.80 million the same period last year.</p>


Flanigan'S Enterprises Q2 EPS $1.04 Up From $1.02 YoY, Sales $48.07M Up From $43.80M YoY

Southern States Bancshares (SSBK) just unveiled an update. Southern States Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of Southern States Bank, announced ...

Southern States Bancshares Announces Merger and Board Expansion

Analysts have been eager to weigh in on the Financial sector with new ratings on Heartland Financial USA (HTLF – Research Report), BRP Group (BRP –...

Analysts Have Conflicting Sentiments on These Financial Companies: Heartland Financial USA (HTLF), BRP Group (BRP) and Southern States Bancshares (SSBK)

KBW upgrades Southern States Bancshares to Outperform on M&A deal

Southern States Bancshares Inc (SSBK) stock is up 9.26% over the last 12 months, and the average rating from Wall Street analysts is a Hold. InvestorsObserver's proprietary ranking system, gives SSBK stock a score of  34 out of a possible 100. That rank is mainly influenced by a short-term technical score of 14. SSBK's ran

Is Southern States Bancshares Inc (SSBK) Stock a Smart Investment Monday?

Southern States Bancshares announces retirement of COO Jack Swift

Southern States Bancshares Non-GAAP EPS of $0.90 beats by $0.07, revenue of $22.12M beats by $0.52M

<p><a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice &amp; Trading Tips</a></p>
<p><strong>Southern States</strong> (NASDAQ:<span><a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/ssbk-stock-quote/"><strong>SSBK</strong></a></span>) just reported results for the first quarter of 2024.</p><ul><li>Southern States reported earnings per share of 90 cents. This was above the analyst estimate for EPS of 83 cents.</li><li>The company reported revenue of $22.11 million.</li><li>This was 2.35% better than the analyst estimate for revenue of $21.60 million.</li></ul><div><p>InvestorPlace Earnings is a project that leverages data from <a href="https://www.tradesmith.com">TradeSmith</a> to automate coverage of quarterly earnings reports. InvestorPlace Earnings distills key takeaways including earnings per share and revenue, as well as how a company stacks up to analyst estimates. These articles are published without human intervention, allowing us to inform our readers of the latest figures as quickly as possible. To report any concerns or inaccuracies, please contact us at <a href="mailto:editor@investorplace.com">editor@investorplace.com</a>.</p></div><h3>More From InvestorPlace</h3>
		<ul><li>
						<a href="https://investorplace.com/2023/10/no-1-ai-investment-might-be-this-company-youve-never-heard-of/?cid=MKT764787&amp;eid=MKT771245">The #1 AI Investment Might Be This Company You&rsquo;ve Never Heard Of</a>
					</li>
																<li>
						<a href="https://investorplace.com/2023/07/elon-musks-project-omega-stuns-silicon-valley-insiders/?cid=MKT738510&amp;eid=MKT771236">Musk&rsquo;s &ldquo;Project Omega&rdquo; May Be Set to Mint New Millionaires. Here&rsquo;s How to Get In.</a>
					</li>
																<li>
						<a href="https://investorplace.com/2021/01/one-percenter-issues-urgent-warning/?cid=MKT499868&amp;eid=MKT793997">It doesn&rsquo;t matter if you have $500 or $5 million. Do this now.</a>
					</li>
									</ul><div>
			<div></div>
						<div></div>
					</div>
	<p>The post <a href="https://investorplace.com/earning-results/2024/04/ssbk-stock-earnings-southern-states-for-q1-of-2024/">SSBK Stock Earnings: Southern States Beats EPS, Beats Revenue for Q1 2024</a> appeared first on <a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace</a>.</p>

SSBK Stock Earnings: Southern States Beats EPS, Beats Revenue for Q1 2024

KBW analyst Catherine Mealor assigned a Buy rating to Southern States Bancshares (SSBK – Research Report) yesterday and set a price target of $35.0...

Southern States Bancshares (SSBK) Gets a Buy from KBW

Southern States Bancshares (SSBK) has issued an announcement. Southern States Bank has released its first-quarter results for 2024, providing inves...

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Southern States Stock (NASDAQ:SSBK), Short Interest Report

People Also Watch