Morgan Stanley downgraded Amicus Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:FOLD). Over the last year, the company has executed well commercially, met its goals financially by achieving nonGAAP profitability for 2024, and settled its Galafold patent litigation with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
The analyst notes that Amicus is well-positioned, but expectations have increased with the company’s progress, which are now largely priced into shares.
The analyst downgraded the stock to Equal-weight from Overweight and lowered the price target from $17 to $12.
Investors have shifted focus to what will provide the company’s next leg of growth. The analyst would look to see potential updates to the company’s pipeline in 2025 and beyond, as those programs have the greatest potential to unlock further value for Amicus stock.
Morgan Stanley has also lowered the price target for Immunocore Holdings plc (NASDAQ:IMCR) from $74 to $35 on launch timing and pricing for brenetafusp given disappointing data earlier this year in cutaneous melanoma and ovarian cancer.
The analyst continues to give full credit for Kimmtrak (tebentafusp), which was approved for unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma.
Morgan Stanley sees limited upside potential from additional brenetafusp updates as the company continues to detect signals in metastatic NSCLC and combination in earlier-line NSCLC.
The analyst downgraded the stock from Overweight to Equal-Weight rating.
Morgan Stanley downgraded Immuneering Corp (NASDAQ:IMRX) shares to Underweight from Equal-weight and set a base case range of $1 to $5 versus its previous target of $4. While supporting Immuneering’s strategy of targeting the MAPK pathway with deep cyclic inhibition, the analyst notes other stronger investment opportunities in the coverage on a relative basis.
Early clinical results have been promising, but analysts emphasize the need for more robust data with a larger patient pool to confirm that these outcomes aren’t coincidental or limited to specific cases. Additionally, the analyst expressed greater caution regarding the potential of IMM-1-104 in indications outside of pancreatic cancer.
Price Action: IMRX stock is down 18% at $1.615, IMCR stock is down 5.89% at $28.53, and FOLD stock is down 6.70% at $9.47 at last check Friday.
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BofA Securities reports that the Life Sciences Tools sector struggled in fiscal year 2024.
Spending by pharmaceutical and biotech companies dropped after pandemic-related overspending, and demand in China stayed weak. This led some Life Sciences companies to lower their already-conservative fiscal year revenue forecasts as the year progressed.
For most of fiscal year 2024, Life Sciences company valuations remained higher than pre-COVID levels but declined after the U.S. elections.
Looking ahead to fiscal year 2025, initial forecasts and management comments suggest a mixed outlook.
The first half of the year is expected to mirror the challenges of late fiscal year 2024, while the second half could see improvement due to easier year-over-year comparisons, potential economic stimulus in China, and a broader market recovery.
After being cautious for most of the past year, the analyst sees some positive signs. The bioprocess market, important for certain Core Tools vendors, has been improving steadily and is expected to stabilize in 2025.
Although China’s stimulus has taken longer than expected, it is starting to lead to some new orders.
Valuations are still higher than the historical average, but they aren’t as high as in previous years, creating some good opportunities for stock picking.
BofA upgraded Danaher Corp (NYSE:DHR) to Buy from Neutral, maintaining the price target of $290.
In 2024, Danaher struggled with challenges like reduced bioprocessing inventory, a slowdown in China, and lower spending from biotech and pharma customers.
Also Read: Danaher’s Q3 Earnings Boosted By Bioprocessing Order Growth, Analyst Maintain Stock Rating
Analysts believe that bioprocessing, an important market, is nearly back to normal and should see steady demand in 2025.
Although China is still facing difficulties, BofA expects a strong increase in orders in the fourth quarter due to stimulus efforts, with positive effects likely starting in 2025.
BofA has also upgraded Revvity (NYSE:RVTY) from Neutral to Buy with a price target of $138.
The company is at a turning point after making significant business changes in recent years. While management did not provide guidance for fiscal year 2025 at the recent Analyst Day, the long-term strategy remains largely the same.
Even though the market is stabilizing in FY25, Revvity’s growth is expected to be below its 6-8% target range. As short-term industry challenges continue to lessen, BofA expects Revvity to perform well, bolstered by recent acquisitions.
Price Action: At last check Friday, DHR stock was down 0.15% at $234.14, and RVTY stock was down 1.56% at $114.21.
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Wedbush initiated coverage on Solid Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:SLDB), a gene therapy company focused on treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
DMD is a genetic disease that causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting.
SGT-003 is the leading program in Solid Biosciences’ pipeline, with plans to advance additional projects toward clinical trials in 2025.
The therapy uses the AAV-SLB101 capsid and a specialized cargo (nNOS binding domain) to potentially boost dystrophin expression compared to earlier-generation treatments.
While first-generation gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) opens new treatment possibilities, there is still room for improvement. The analyst writes that Solid Biosciences’ innovative approach and novel capsid technology could enhance microdystrophin delivery.
Although the company’s pipeline offers multiple opportunities, current projections focus only on SGT-003 for DMD.
The most significant near-term milestone for Solid Biosciences is the initial Phase 1/2 INSPIRE DUCHENNE trial results, expected in the first quarter of 2025.
Approving Sarepta Therapeutics Inc’s (NASDAQ:SRPT) Elevidys was a key milestone in treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), but it’s only the beginning. Newer treatments with better and more reliable results are still needed.
Wedbush analyst writes, “We see Solid Biosciences in a “solid” position to deliver a next-gen therapeutic option.”
Wedbush writes that Solid Biosciences’ stock trade at around $5 each, with about $4 per share in cash providing some downside protection.
Assuming Solid Biosciences’ SGT-003 program follows a timeline similar to Sarepta’s Elevidys, even a one-year delay would lower the price target to $11 per share (current price target of $16)—still above the current trading price.
With other programs yet to be included in the valuation, the analyst sees strong potential and initiates with an Outperform rating.
Solid Biosciences ended the third quarter of 2024 with approximately $171.1 million in cash, cash equivalents, and available-for-sale securities, with an anticipated cash runway into 2026.
Price Action: SLDB stock is up 3.21% at $4.83 at the last check on Friday.
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Barclays analyst Brandt Montour highlights that the re-energized consumer and low tariff exposure will benefit the travel and experiences sectors in 2025.
The analyst points out that the cruise industry has potential for growth, leading to a reshuffling of ratings for cruise and timeshare companies.
Amid such a scenario, the analyst upgraded Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH) to Overweight from Equal-Weight, boosting the price forecast from $28 to $32.
The analyst underscores the upgrade, citing its higher beta in a recovering macro environment, exposure to cross-Atlantic travel, and unique multi-year cost opportunities within the cruise industry.
Also Read: Broadcom Hits $1 Trillion Milestone: The Next Magnificent Tech Giant?
In a recovering macro environment with a potentially extended cycle, the company is seeing strong demand in European and Alaska sailings for 2025, according to proprietary pricing data.
The analyst writes that the company’s multi-year cost savings program could drive earnings growth and balance sheet improvements, while concerns about pricing power in a more balanced cruise market are seen as minimal due to the cruise industry’s continued value compared to alternatives.
Despite short-term challenges, the analyst sees the company as an attractive entry point with strong long-term potential.
Montour also notes that, based on 2026 estimates, the company is particularly undervalued compared to its peers.
Price Action: NCLH shares are trading lower by 0.62% to $26.65 at last check Friday.
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Ciena Corp (NYSE:CIEN) stock surged after BofA Securities upgraded it from Neutral to Buy and raised its price target from $70 to $95.
Needham analyst Ryan Koontz maintained Ciena with a Buy and raised the price target from $80 to $95.
Additionally, Northland Capital Markets, and Stifel raised their respective price targets on the stock.
On Thursday, Ciena reported a fiscal fourth-quarter 2024 revenue decline of 0.5% to $1.12 billion, beating the analyst estimate of $1.10 billion. The adjusted EPS of $0.54, missing the consensus estimate of $0.66.
Also Read: Affirm Secures $4 Billion Loan Deal With Sixth Street to Boost BNPL Growth
BofA Securities: Last quarter, Liani downgraded its rating to Neutral, noting that long-term growth opportunities were overshadowed by risks related to high implied second-half growth and valuation considerations.
However, trends are turning out better than expected, with stabilizing demand at North American Service Providers (SPs) and Hyperscalers’ AI bandwidth needs driving accelerated order momentum.
The 3-year outlook seems brighter than anticipated and modeled 9.5% fiscal 2025 revenue growth versus his prior 8% estimate.
SP inventory digestion is primarily complete, orders are improving, and B2B of North American SPs was higher than 1 in the fourth quarter.
With Cloud providers, AI deployments are driving demand for core networking applications, Data Center Interconnect (DCI) solutions, pluggable devices, and potential coherent optics penetration inside the data center by fiscal 2027.
Management expects Hyperscalers to account for more than 30% of fiscal 2025 revenues, with another 10%- 15% of indirect exposure through Managed Optical Fiber Network (MOFN) and submarine applications.
MOFN, currently 5% of revenue, is expected to grow significantly next year, driven by SPs building capacity to support Cloud providers.
Lastly, Ciena is also growing its share of the optical networking market outside China, up from 22% in 2022 to 27% and 28% in 2023 and the first half of 2024, respectively. The company holds roughly a 60% share of the 800G coherent optical equipment ports, a market that will likely grow materially.
Liani projected first-quarter revenue of $1.05 billion and EPS of $0.35.
Needham: Ciena reported mixed fourth-quarter results, with revenue +2% above consensus and EPS -$0.11 below, but strong fiscal 2025 and long-term revenue guidance (+8%-11%) was above consensus.
Fourth-quarter strength in Webscale benefited from share growth in 400ZR. However, a one-time E&O charge negatively impacted quarter margins, which Koontz found reasonable.
Strong fiscal 2025 guidance also benefited from improving demand from North American SP.
Strong execution paired with best-in-class technology and customer relationships should allow Ciena to continue to gain meaningful market share in its core TAM. However, Koontz needs to be bullish on its two new product segments.
Koontz projected first-quarter revenue of $1.05 billion and EPS of $0.39.
Price Action: CIEN stock is up 6.43% at $89.96 at the last check Friday.
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A recent cohort study conducted in Denmark and Norway reveals a potential link between the use of semaglutide for type 2 diabetes and an increased risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
Semaglutide is the key ingredient in Novo Nordisk A/S’ (NYSE:NVO) Ozempic and Wegovy, popularly used for diabetes and weight loss.
NAION is a condition that causes sudden vision loss in one eye due to insufficient blood flow to the optic nerve.
Also Read: Eli Lilly’s Zepbound Vs. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy – Which Shows Greater Weight Loss?
While the study underscores this association, it emphasizes that the absolute risk remains low.
The analysis included 44,517 semaglutide users in Denmark and 16,860 in Norway, compared to initiators of SGLT-2is. Over the study period, 32 NAION events were recorded among semaglutide users—24 in Denmark and 8 in Norway.
Unadjusted incidence rates of NAION among semaglutide users were 2.19 per 10,000 person-years in Denmark and 2.90 in Norway, compared to 1.18 and 0.92 among SGLT-2i users.
After adjustment, the pooled hazard ratio (HR) for semaglutide users was 2.81, with an absolute risk increase of 1.41 events per 10,000 person-years.
While estimates were higher and less precise in Norway, results from Denmark provided more robust data. Sensitivity and supplementary analyses consistently supported these findings.
A supplementary self-controlled study examined NAION risk further, finding standardized incidence ratios of 1.14 in Denmark and 2.67 in Norway.
While these results indicated potential risks, they reinforced the rarity of the condition.
Semaglutide users in both countries were younger and had fewer comorbidities, aside from a higher prevalence of obesity, compared to SGLT-2i users.
The adjusted analyses accounted for these differences. A post hoc per-protocol analysis further strengthened the observed association, reporting a hazard ratio of 6.35.
The study concludes that while there is a measurable link between semaglutide use and NAION, the absolute increase in risk is minimal.
Researchers call for continued monitoring and further studies to explore these findings in larger, more diverse populations.
According to research published in JAMA Network Open, the use of anti-obesity medications, including glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, was associated with lower incidence and recurrence of alcohol use disorder.
On Thursday, the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use adopted a positive opinion on updating Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic (once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide) label to reflect data from the FLOW kidney outcomes trial.
Price Action: NVO stock is down 2.63% at $105.75 at the last check on Friday.
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BofA Securities analyst Peter T. Galbo upgraded General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) to Buy from Neutral, raising the price forecast to $80 from $78.
The analyst suggests that General Mills is expected to return to organic sales growth at a faster and more sustainable rate compared to other center-store food peers.
This growth will be driven by factors such as the re-acceleration in the Pet segment (specifically Blue Buffalo) and stabilization in North America Retail, as issues in the dough category are moving behind the company, Galbo writes.
The analyst also highlights that General Mills offers investors exposure to the recovery in the U.S. Pet market and a surge in value stocks, with its fundamentals appearing more attractive when compared to other food industry peers.
The analyst expresses increasing optimism about the turnaround of Blue Buffalo following a challenging FY24, which saw a -4% organic growth.
Galbo highlights that initiatives in the dog food segment are fostering greater confidence, with the Life Protection Formula experiencing high-single-digit percentage growth and the Wilderness line showing signs of stabilization, partly due to more grain-free options and smaller pack sizes. While the pet treats category remains a challenge, the second half of the year offers easier comparisons, which could lead to a more pronounced recovery.
Since FY19, the pet segment has experienced a faster growth rate (averaging +8.7%) compared to the overall General Mills portfolio (averaging +4.7%), contributing to valuation gains; if pet growth continues to lead the overall portfolio, the analyst believes valuation should rise accordingly.
Price Action: GIS shares are trading higher by 1% to $66.74 at last check Friday.
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Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) stock surged Friday after it reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter adjusted EPS results and raised its quarterly common stock dividend.
The company reported a topline of $14.05 billion, up from $9.3 billion, compared to the analyst estimate of $14.57 billion. EPS of $1.42 missed the analyst consensus of $1.46.
Also Read: T-Mobile’s Premium Valuation Prompts Downgrade As Growth Projections Decelerate: Analyst
Broadcom expects first-quarter revenue of ~$14.60 billion, almost in line with the $14.61 billion consensus estimate.
Multiple Wall Street analysts rerated the stock after the print:
- Rosenblatt analyst Hans Mosesmann maintained Broadcom with a Buy and raised the price target from $240 to $250.
- B of A Securities analyst Vivek Arya reiterated Broadcom with a Buy and raised the price target from $215 to $250.
- JP Morgan analyst Harlan Sur maintained Broadcom with an Overweight and raised the price target from $210 to $250.
Rosenblatt: Broadcom came in with a slight beat on continued AI and networking momentum and some VMWare first-quarter pushouts. Non-AI dynamics continue to demonstrate modest cyclical recovery.
The Street will pivot on management’s disclosure of the line-of-sight AI serviceable available market (SAM) at its current custom ASIC (XPU) 3 hyperscaler customers of $60 billion—$90 billion by 2027, up from the $15 billion—$20 billion level in 2024.
Interestingly, Broadcom has two new potential engagements that could eventually match the size of the current three.
The AI 3-year outlook supports the ~60% CAGR of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AMD) TAM of $500 billion for the 2027 and 2028 timeframes.
Management implied strong prospects for maintaining AI custom ASIC leadership and share gains over Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA) GPUs.
Broadcom already has working custom ASIC 3nm silicon that will ship this Spring, well ahead of anybody in the market.
While custom ASIC sister Marvell Technology, Inc (NASDAQ:MRVL) is also in the 3nm race, it is roughly a year behind Broadcom. Mosesmann’s fiscal 2025 revenue and adjusted EPS estimates remain unchanged.
B of A Securities: The rerating reflects Broadcom’s expanding custom-chip (ASIC) AI, surging AI opportunity, and potential to maintain a position at large wireless customer Apple.
Near-term results were inline, though the pushout of some software deals from the fourth to the first quarter helped Broadcom guide the first quarter inline versus concerns of missing due to seasonal headwinds, the analyst said.
Arya projected fiscal 2025 revenue of $61.1 billion (prior $59.3 billion) and EPS of $6.27 (prior $6.00). He expects fiscal 2026 revenue of $70.2 billion (prior $68.5 billion) and EPS of $7.50 (prior $7.31).
His forecast implies a growth trajectory of about 15% sales and 20% EPS over the next three years across a diversified silicon and infrastructure software base.
Based on Broadcom’s leading capabilities and IP in leading-edge logic, networking, memory, and interface design, Arya projected its AI sales to grow from $12 billion in the current year to about $30 billion by calendar 2027.
However, Arya noted an upside to a 30% EPS CAGR towards $11-$12/share by calendar 2027, assuming AI sales get to $53 billion instead, based on Broadcom maintaining its current 70% share of a larger $75 billion SAM.
There could be further upside since, per Broadcom, the stated range is only for its current three customer’s “line-of-sight” intention to each build 1 million unit custom accelerator (XPU) clusters requiring an 80% and 20% mix of compute and networking.
JP Morgan: Broadcom delivered solid fourth-quarter quarterly results on continued strong sequential growth in its AI semiconductor segment, which offset lower software revenues.
For the first quarter, Broadcom guided revenues in line with consensus expectations and better than market expectations on sustained strong AI demand and software revenue acceleration.
The fiscal 2024 AI revenues were $12.2 billion, up 3 times year-on-year. Sur expects them to grow to $17 billion-$18 billion (+40% Y/Y) in fiscal 2025, given continued strong cloud and hyperscaler capex spending trends with a focus on AI infrastructure build-out and second-half ramp of Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google’s next-gen TPU v6 3nm AI accelerator ASIC.
More importantly, Broadcom expects the AI SAM opportunity for its three existing cloud/hyperscalers to accelerate, driven by continued substantial investments in multi-generational XPU road maps and larger cluster sizes.
Even applying a more conservative market share assumption, Sur noted that Broadcom’s AI business is growing at a 40%- 50%+ revenue CAGR over the next several years.
In the near term, despite a product handoff from the TPU v6 inference chip at 5nm to the TPU v6 training chip at 3nm, Broadcom is still guiding for sequential growth in its AI revenues for the first quarter.
The TPU v6 3nm training chip will likely move into a high volume ramp in the second half of next fiscal year, and this one SKU Sur noted can drive $8 billion+ for Broadcom in fiscal 2025.
Given its portfolio breadth, diversification, and product cycles, Broadcom continues to drive a stable revenue growth profile even during macro volatility. Broadcom generated strong free cash flow for the year, which resulted in an 11% dividend increase.
Sur projected fiscal 2025 revenue of $62.7 billion and EPS of $6.50.
Price Action: AVGO stock is up 19.7% at $216.20 at last check Friday.
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Goldman Sachs analyst Ati Modak downgraded Weatherford International plc (NASDAQ:WFRD) to Neutral and lowered the target price to $98 from $132.
While WFRD remains a high-quality stock with a solid execution record, the analyst notes the current environment makes international-focused exposure less compelling compared to other energy investment options.
Meanwhile, the analyst anticipates earnings growth driven by increased adoption of Managed Pressure Drilling and innovations like RFID technology, alongside margin expansion even in a flat revenue growth environment.
The analyst estimates a total return potential of 4% for every dollar invested in Weatherford over the next 12 months, comprising a 1% dividend yield, ~1% from share repurchases, and ~2% upside to consensus estimates.
Based on their estimates, the analyst says that WFRD’s planned ~$500 million debt reduction in 2025 could theoretically add ~$9 per share in implied value.
However, Modak expects the current environment to prioritize incremental improvements in shareholder returns driven by ongoing deleveraging efforts.
The analyst lowered the 2025/2026 EBITDA estimates by -3%/-8%, reflecting adjusted activity expectations and reduced capital returns.
Investors can gain exposure to the stock via Invesco Dorsey Wright Energy Momentum ETF (NASDAQ:PXI) and Invesco Dorsey Wright Energy Momentum ETF (NYSE:PXJ).
Price Action: WFRD shares are down 1.99% at $76.49 at the last check Friday.
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Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:FANG), Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) and VoltaGrid LLC inked a major deal to deploy four advanced electric simul-frac fleets in the Permian Basin.
As part of the agreement, VoltaGrid will deploy its next-generation, high-capacity simul-frac generators and expand its compressed natural gas (CNG) infrastructure at Diamondback Energy’s microgrid facility.
This expansion ensures a reliable natural gas supply, especially when pipeline gas is unavailable, enhancing operational reliability while reducing emissions.
The electric simul-frac fleets will combine Halliburton’s ZEUS 6,000-horsepower all-electric fracturing technology with VoltaGrid’s advanced power generation systems, offering a high-performance, low-carbon solution for the Permian Basin.
This collaboration highlights a significant commitment to clean and efficient energy solutions, with VoltaGrid providing approximately 200 MW of electric power for Diamondback Energy’s field operations.
Danny Wesson, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Diamondback Energy, said, “The integration of Halliburton’s innovative electric fracturing technology and VoltaGrid’s cutting-edge power systems allows us to achieve superior performance while significantly reducing our environmental impact.”
Nathan Ough, CEO of VoltaGrid, added, “Our expanded infrastructure and advanced power systems provide the reliability and performance required to support the most demanding completion designs while driving meaningful emissions reductions.”
Price Action: HAL shares are down 0.11% at $28.86, while FANG shares rose 0.47% at $162.99 at the last check Friday.
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The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has identified five prescription drugs whose price increases in 2023 lacked sufficient clinical evidence to justify the hikes.
Gilead Sciences Inc’s (NASDAQ:GILD) Biktarvy, Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) Darzalex, Novartis AG’s (NYSE:NVS) Entresto, Exelixis Inc (NASDAQ:EXEL) Cabometyx, and Pfizer Inc’s (NYSE:PFE) Xeljanz are among the five drugs flagged for unsupported price increases.
These five drugs’ unsupported net price increases produced $815 million in incremental added costs to U.S. payers in 2023. These price increases contributed significantly to the overall spending surge.
ICER’s analysis revealed that the other five drugs on the list did demonstrate new clinical evidence to justify their increased costs.
Merck & Co Inc’s (NYSE:MRK) Keytruda, AstraZeneca Plc’s (NASDAQ:AZN) Imfinizi and Tagrisso, Bristol Myers Squibb & Co’s (NYSE:BMY) Opdivo, and Amgen Inc’s (NASDAQ:AMGN) Prolia
The findings are part of ICER’s latest Unsupported Price Increases (UPI) report, which examines the top 10 drugs with significant net price increases in the past year.
ICER’s Vice President of Research, Dr. Foluso Agboola, highlighted the impact of these price hikes, noting they exceed inflation rates and strain the healthcare system.
The ICER report highlighted that Gilead’s Biktarvy saw its wholesale acquisition cost increase by 5.9%, with its hike costing U.S. payers $359 million in additional drug spending.
According to the ICER report, the Darzalex price before discounts increased by 7.6%, compared to 6.2% for Entresto, 7.5% for Cabometyx, and 6% for Xeljanz.
Those price increases added an additional $190 million, $108 million, $86 million, and $72 million to 2023 U.S. drug spending, respectively.
Methodology Behind ICER’s Findings
- ICER’s evaluation followed a detailed protocol introduced in April 2024. The organization assessed drugs meeting criteria such as ranking among the top 250 by U.S. sales revenue and exceeding consumer price index growth plus 2% in their Wholesale Acquisition Cost.
- The analysis focused on distinguishing price increases driven by value from those unrelated to new clinical evidence.
- Manufacturers provided input, and ICER reviewed published studies for evidence of additional health benefits.
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On Thursday, Repare Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:RPTX) revealed data from its MYTHIC Phase 1 gynecologic expansion trial evaluating the combination of lunresertib and camonsertib (Lunre+Camo) for endometrial cancer and platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) harboring lunre-sensitizing biomarkers.
As of the data cut-off date of November 14, 51 evaluable patients were enrolled in the gynecologic cancer expansion cohort of the MYTHIC trial.
Across all tumor types treated at the optimized RP2D (n=67), Lunre+Camo therapy showed a favorable and differentiated tolerability profile compared to current and emerging therapies.
The most common adverse event was anemia (26.9%, Grade 3).
Key Cohort Clinical Findings
Key efficacy outcomes from 27 evaluable patients with endometrial cancer show:
- Overall response rate was 25.9% (confirmed ORR in 5 out of 7 patients).
- Clinical benefit was observed in 48.1% of patients, with responses frequently occurring after 12 weeks or more.
- At the 24-week landmark analysis, nearly half of patients experienced durable clinical benefit (24-week PFS [PFS24w] = 43%.
Key efficacy outcomes in 24 evaluable Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer patients show:
- Overall response rate was 37.5% (confirmed ORR in 4 out of 9 patients).
- Clinical benefit was observed in 79% of patients.
- PFS at the 24-week landmark analysis was PFS24w = 45%.
Repare has consulted with the FDA and the European Medicines Agency, who have guided the company’s registrational development plans for Lunre+Camo in gynecologic tumors.
Repare plans to provide the final Phase 3 trial protocols for regulatory clearance imminently and intends to start the first Phase 3 Lunre+Camo trial in endometrial cancer in the second half of 2025.
Additionally, the company expects to initiate a small contribution of components trial in up to 40 patients with endometrial cancer in the first quarter of 2025.
Price Action: RPTX stock is down 52.4% at $1.89 at last check Friday.
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JP Morgan analyst Christopher Horvers reiterated the Overweight rating on Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) with a price forecast of $1,090.
The analyst suggests that the ongoing global momentum in the business, share gains across various sectors and geographies (including e-commerce growth), and the company’s leverage to a cyclical upswing in big-ticket items (about 20% of the comp) contribute to its strong performance.
Additionally, the emerging benefits from advertising revenue make Costco’s fundamental story a challenge to the top companies covered by the analyst, including those in the consumer sector.
Per Horvers, no other major retailer has succeeded in every country it entered, and the club model ranks near autoparts, the top of the best sector in retail.
The analyst estimates Costco to report FY25 EPS of $18.24 and FY26 EPS of $19.67.
Also Read: Nvidia, AMD, Taiwan Semi Gain As Broadcom’s Q4 Performance Sparks Sector-Wide Surge
Morgan Stanley analyst Simeon Gutman maintained the Overweight rating on the stock, raising the price forecast to $1,150 from $950.
The analyst notes that Costco’s results have consistently been among the best in retail, with the company delivering average comp growth of about 6% and EBIT growth of around 10% over the past decade.
Gutman suggests that the company’s earnings momentum is likely to continue accelerating in the next few quarters, driven by the appeal of its value proposition to a healthy upper-income consumer, the impact of past eCommerce work on conversion rates in 2025, and the upcoming flow of membership fee increases through the P&L.
It is highlighted that finding a business with Costco’s solid comp and membership growth is rare, and its relative insulation from e-commerce challenges sets its value proposition apart from other retailers. In the near term, the analyst expects incremental sales increases, and believes the company’s earnings power appears stronger despite elevated inflation.
Price Action: COST shares are trading higher by 0.98% to $998.06 at last check Friday.
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NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) shares are trading lower on Friday.
The Chinese EV manufacturer hit its 60 millionth battery swap service, just four months after achieving the 50 millionth milestone, CnEV Post reports.
The new achievement was recorded on December 13, according to NIO’s real-time charging map data. As of today, NIO operates 2,785 battery swap stations across China, including 909 strategically located along highways.
This success comes as NIO also hosted its year-end media event in Shanghai, where the company’s founder, chairman, and CEO, William Li, answered more than 200 questions in a three-hour session, according to a news report by CnEV Post.
The event, which serves as a prelude to Nio Day 2024, highlighted the company’s growth plans, including its ambitious goal of doubling sales in 2025 to around 440,000 units.
According to Benzinga Pro, NIO stock has lost over 39% in the past year.
NIO may face challenges as it heads into 2025. While Beijing has assured fiscal and monetary stimulus to support economic recovery, concerns remain about the effectiveness of these measures, given rising debt levels and geopolitical uncertainties. The EV sector is capital-intensive, and NIO’s ability to maintain its growth trajectory may be tested by tightening economic conditions and sluggish consumer spending.
As Nio Day 2024 approaches, the company’s ability to navigate these macroeconomic challenges will be crucial in sustaining its position in the competitive EV market.
Price Action: NIO shares are trading lower by 2.18% to $4.49 at last check Friday.
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Apple Inc’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) upcoming switch to in-house chips for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections from 2025 will likely impact its partner Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO).
The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips will enable Apple devices to go online via wireless networks, pair with headphones, and more.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (NYSE:TSM) manufactured Proxima, which will power Apple’s first products in 2025, Bloomberg cites familiar sources.
Also Read: STMicroelectronics and Qualcomm Launch New IoT Module to Simplify Wireless Connectivity
Apple is developing an end-to-end wireless approach that is integrated with its other components. This will give it an edge in connecting devices to cellular networks and Wi-Fi hubs, paving the way for new device formats.
According to the report, Apple’s component will be compatible with the Wi-Fi 6E standard.
Apple will launch the combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip in 2025 under its new home devices, including refreshed TV set-top box and HomePod mini smart speaker versions.
Apple aims to introduce the components to iPhones in 2025 and iPads and Macs by 2026. However, Broadcom will still provide the radio frequency filter for modems.
Reportedly, Apple tapped Broadcom to develop a server chip designed for AI tasks to help meet the computing demands of its new AI features.
Prior reports indicated that the iPhone company had worked on its Apple Chips in Data Center project for several years. This project focused on developing AI inference, an area dominated by Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA). The company also tapped Taiwan Semiconductor for the chip’s design and production.
Wedbush’s Dan Ives expects Apple to reach a $4 trillion market cap by early 2025 as consumers resonate with the AI revolution.
Apple stock surged 34% year-to-date. Investors can gain exposure to the stock through Vanguard Information Tech ETF (NYSE:VGT) and Fidelity MSCI Information Technology Index ETF (NYSE:FTEC).
Price Action: AAPL stock is down 0.48% at $246.76 at the last check on Friday.
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