SPYR Techs Stock (OTC:SPYR), Trade Ideas

SPYR Technologies is a diversified technology company. The company develops products leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT) for consumer use and large-scale applications and industries. The Company operates two segments in the Internet of Things (IoT) market. The company through its wholly-owned subsidiary GeoTraq division, develops and manufactures entirely self-contained and ultra-small Mobile IoT (Internet of Things) modules for asset tracking, location-based services, and sensor modules for remote monitoring.

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Smart home technology is a high-growth market that is still in the early innings of its future potential. New technological advances, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence, have given way to many new devices and capabilities.

Here Is Why SPYR&#39;s Focus On MATTER Smart Home-Enabled Devices Is Important

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Despite containing fewer than 20 trading days throughout the month, February has been an exercise in brinksmanship and control across my trading accounts.

February&#39;s Comeback: Recovering From My Biggest Loss

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Spyre Therapeutics Inc

Financial giants have made a conspicuous bullish move on Barrick Gold. Our analysis of options history for Barrick Gold (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOLD#NYSE">GOLD</a>) revealed 21 unusual trades.
Delving into the details, we found 57% of traders were bullish, while 38% showed bearish tendencies. Out of all the trades we spotted, 11 were puts, with a value of $1,351,379, and 10 were calls, valued at $508,821.
<h3>Expected Price Movements</h3>
Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $11.0 to $25.0 for Barrick Gold over the last 3 months. 
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for Barrick Gold options trades today is 10980.81 with a total volume of 11,440.00.
In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for Barrick Gold's big money trades within a strike price range of $11.0 to $25.0 over the last 30 days.
<h3>Barrick Gold Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1714156268_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>GOLD</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$2.44</td>
<td>$2.34</td>
<td>$2.33</td>
<td>$17.00</td>
<td>$405.5K</td>
<td>13.6K</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GOLD</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$2.37</td>
<td>$2.35</td>
<td>$2.37</td>
<td>$17.00</td>
<td>$200.2K</td>
<td>13.6K</td>
<td>2.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GOLD</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/21/25</td>
<td>$8.0</td>
<td>$7.9</td>
<td>$7.9</td>
<td>$25.00</td>
<td>$177.7K</td>
<td>152</td>
<td>225</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GOLD</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$5.15</td>
<td>$5.1</td>
<td>$5.1</td>
<td>$22.00</td>
<td>$168.3K</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>110</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GOLD</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>08/16/24</td>
<td>$0.97</td>
<td>$0.95</td>
<td>$0.95</td>
<td>$18.00</td>
<td>$95.0K</td>
<td>950</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Barrick Gold</h3>
Based in Toronto, Barrick Gold is one of the world's largest gold miners. In 2023, the firm produced nearly 4.1 million attributable ounces of gold and about 420 million pounds of copper. At end 2023, Barrick had about two decades of gold reserves along with significant copper reserves. After buying Randgold in 2019 and combining its Nevada mines in a joint venture with competitor Newmont later that year, it operates mines in 19 countries in the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company also has growing copper exposure. Its potential Reko Diq project in Pakistan, if developed, could double copper production by the end of the decade.
In light of the recent options history for Barrick Gold, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.
<h3>Current Position of Barrick Gold</h3>
<ul>
<li>Currently trading with a volume of 13,611,866, the GOLD's price is up by 0.7%, now at $17.2. </li>
<li>RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Anticipated earnings release is in 5 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About Barrick Gold</h3>
1 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $26.0.
<ul>
<li>An analyst from BMO Capital persists with their Outperform rating on Barrick Gold, maintaining a target price of $26. </li>
</ul>
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 Barrick Gold with <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.

Options

GOLD

Barrick Gold Options Trading: A Deep Dive into Market Sentiment

Financial giants have made a conspicuous bullish move on Viking Therapeutics. Our analysis of options history for Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VKTX#NASDAQ">VKTX</a>) revealed 27 unusual trades.
Delving into the details, we found 48% of traders were bullish, while 44% showed bearish tendencies. Out of all the trades we spotted, 3 were puts, with a value of $142,317, and 24 were calls, valued at $1,477,692.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $20.0 and $115.0 for Viking Therapeutics, spanning the last three months.
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for Viking Therapeutics options trades today is 1418.18 with a total volume of 16,148.00.
In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for Viking Therapeutics's big money trades within a strike price range of $20.0 to $115.0 over the last 30 days.
<h3>Viking Therapeutics Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1714156263_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Biggest Options Spotted:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>VKTX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/21/24</td>
<td>$6.6</td>
<td>$6.5</td>
<td>$6.6</td>
<td>$75.00</td>
<td>$209.2K</td>
<td>1.5K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">601</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>VKTX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$10.0</td>
<td>$8.7</td>
<td>$8.7</td>
<td>$65.00</td>
<td>$132.2K</td>
<td>2.8K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">330</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>VKTX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$6.3</td>
<td>$6.1</td>
<td>$6.2</td>
<td>$100.00</td>
<td>$124.0K</td>
<td>381</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">201</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>VKTX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/21/24</td>
<td>$6.6</td>
<td>$6.5</td>
<td>$6.6</td>
<td>$75.00</td>
<td>$110.2K</td>
<td>1.5K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">117</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>VKTX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$21.3</td>
<td>$19.7</td>
<td>$20.12</td>
<td>$70.00</td>
<td>$100.9K</td>
<td>742</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Viking Therapeutics</h3>
Viking Therapeutics Inc is a healthcare service provider. The company specializes in the area of biopharmaceutical development focused on metabolic and endocrine disorders. The company's clinical program pipeline consists of VK2809, VK5211, VK0214 products. VK2809 and VK0214 are orally available, tissue and receptor-subtype selective agonists of the thyroid hormone receptor beta. VK5211 is an orally available, non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Viking Therapeutics, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
<h3>Viking Therapeutics's Current Market Status</h3>
<ul>
<li>Currently trading with a volume of 2,266,930, the VKTX's price is up by 4.23%, now at $71.77. </li>
<li>RSI readings suggest the stock is currently is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Anticipated earnings release is in 89 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for Viking Therapeutics</h3>
In the last month, 1 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $90.0.
<ul>
<li>An analyst from HC Wainwright &amp; Co. has revised its rating downward to Buy, adjusting the price target to $90. </li>
</ul>
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.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Viking Therapeutics, <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

VKTX

Viking Therapeutics Unusual Options Activity

Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bullish stance on Dollar Gen.
Looking at options history for Dollar Gen (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DG#NYSE">DG</a>) we detected 10 trades.
If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 80% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 20% with bearish.
From the overall spotted trades, 8 are puts, for a total amount of $889,903 and 2, calls, for a total amount of $174,480.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $125.0 to $155.0 for Dollar Gen over the recent three months. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Development</h3>
In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of Dollar Gen stands at 639.43, with a total volume reaching 5,779.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Dollar Gen, situated within the strike price corridor from $125.0 to $155.0, throughout the last 30 days.
<h3>Dollar Gen Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1714156257_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>DG</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/07/24</td>
<td>$1.81</td>
<td>$0.96</td>
<td>$1.5</td>
<td>$125.00</td>
<td>$405.7K</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>3.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DG</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/21/24</td>
<td>$4.35</td>
<td>$4.25</td>
<td>$4.25</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>$158.9K</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
<td>399</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DG</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/21/24</td>
<td>$4.85</td>
<td>$4.75</td>
<td>$4.85</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
<td>$145.5K</td>
<td>670</td>
<td>303</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DG</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/07/24</td>
<td>$1.5</td>
<td>$1.47</td>
<td>$1.52</td>
<td>$125.00</td>
<td>$90.4K</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>686</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DG</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$4.05</td>
<td>$4.0</td>
<td>$4.0</td>
<td>$143.00</td>
<td>$63.6K</td>
<td>75</td>
<td>301</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Dollar Gen</h3>
With over 20,000 locations, Dollar General's banner is nearly ubiquitous across the rural United States. Dollar General serves as a convenient shopping destination for fill-in store trips, with its value proposition most relevant to consumers in small communities with a dearth of shopping options. The retailer operates a frugal store of about 7,500 square feet and primarily offers an assortment of branded and private-label consumable items (80% of net sales) such as paper and cleaning products, packaged and perishable food, tobacco, and health and beauty items at low prices. Dollar General also offers a limited assortment of seasonal merchandise, home products, and apparel. The firm sells most items at a price point of $10 or lower.
After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Dollar Gen, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.
<h3>Where Is Dollar Gen Standing Right Now?</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a volume of 727,192, the price of DG is down -0.08% at $142.53. </li>
<li>RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be oversold.</li>
<li>Next earnings are expected to be released in 34 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for Dollar Gen</h3>
A total of 4 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $166.5.
<ul>
<li>Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Argus Research continues to hold a Buy rating for Dollar Gen, targeting a price of $175. </li>
<li>An analyst from JP Morgan persists with their Neutral rating on Dollar Gen, maintaining a target price of $161. </li>
<li>An analyst from Evercore ISI Group has decided to maintain their In-Line rating on Dollar Gen, which currently sits at a price target of $160. </li>
<li>Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Telsey Advisory Group keeps a Outperform rating on Dollar Gen with a target price of $170. </li>
</ul>
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 Dollar Gen with <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.

Check Out What Whales Are Doing With Dollar Gen

TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles reiterates Dutch Bros (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BROS#NYSE">BROS</a>) with a Hold and maintains $33 price target.

Price Target

Reiteration

Analyst Ratings

BROS

TD Cowen Reiterates Hold on Dutch Bros, Maintains $33 Price Target

Elevance Health (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ELV#NYSE">ELV</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 3.78% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 15.39%. Currently, Elevance Health has a market capitalization of $125.43 billion. 
Buying $100 In ELV: If an investor had bought $100 of ELV stock 5 years ago, it would be worth $202.11 today based on a price of $539.68 for ELV at the time of writing.
<h3>Elevance Health's Performance Over Last 5 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1714156218_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
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.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

streetTRACKS Dow Jones U.S. Large Cap Value Index Fund

Here's How Much You Would Have Made Owning Elevance Health Stock In The Last 5 Years

Oracle (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 4.75% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 16.36%. Currently, Oracle has a market capitalization of $324.35 billion. 
Buying $100 In ORCL: If an investor had bought $100 of ORCL stock 5 years ago, it would be worth $214.25 today based on a price of $118.01 for ORCL at the time of writing.
<h3>Oracle's Performance Over Last 5 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1714156213_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
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.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

ORCL

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

Friday, the FDA approved&nbsp;Pfizer Inc&#8217;s&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>) Beqvez (fidanacogene&nbsp;elaparvovec-dzkt) for moderate to severe hemophilia B in adult patients who currently use factor IX (FIX) prophylaxis therapy or have current or historical life-threatening hemorrhage, or have repeated,&nbsp;serious spontaneous&nbsp;bleeding episodes, and do not have neutralizing antibodies to&nbsp;adeno-associated&nbsp;virus&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/04/b38455420/u-s-fda-approves-pfizers-beqvez-fidanacogene-elaparvovec-dzkt-a-one-time-gene-therapy-for-adults-w" rel="noreferrer noopener">serotype Rh74var capsid</a>.&nbsp;
Beqvez is a one-time treatment designed to enable hemophilia B patients to produce FIX themselves rather than the current standard of care, which requires regular intravenous infusions of FIX that&nbsp;are often administered&nbsp;multiple times a week or&nbsp;multiple&nbsp;times a month.
Hemophilia B is a rare genetic bleeding disorder that prevents normal blood clotting because of a deficiency in FIX that causes those with the disease to bleed more frequently and longer than others.
The approval is based on the&nbsp;BENEGENE-2 Phase 3A study, which showed that a single dose of Pfizer&#8217;s therapy helped eliminate bleeding in 60% of patients​​ compared to 29% in the prophylaxis arm.
A median annualized bleeding rate (ABR) of zero (range of 0 to 19)&nbsp;was observed&nbsp;during the efficacy evaluation period compared to the prophylaxis arm, in which a median ABR of 1.3 (range of 0 to 53.9) was observed.
Pfizer said it will continue to monitor the long-term durability and safety of the treatment over 15 years.
With Beqvez now approved for use, Pfizer is launching a warranty program based on the durability of patient response to treatment.&nbsp;
The warranty aims to provide greater certainty to payers, maximize access for eligible patients who receive Beqvez, and offer financial protection by insuring against the risk of efficacy failure.
Beqvez is currently under review with the European Medicines Agency, and the treatment recently received regulatory approval in Canada.&nbsp;
Reuters noted that Pfizer has set a list price for Beqvez at $3.5 million in the U.S., similar to Australian drugmaker&nbsp;CSL Ltd&#8217;s&nbsp;(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSLLY#OTC">CSLLY</a>)&nbsp;rival gene therapy Hemgenix.
Price Action: PFE shares are up 0.88% at $25.48 at the last check Friday.
Photo via Shutterstock

Biotech

Large Cap

Health Care

CSLLY

FDA Green Lights Pfizer's Gene Therapy For Rare Bleeding Disorder Hemophilia

Fitch Believes Near-Term Financial Pressures Will Be Mostly Offset Also By Longer-Term Synergies If Boeing Takes Control Of Spirit; Believes Boeing To Operate At Slower Production Pace In Line With Early 2024 Levels Until Late-May While Co Develops Plan To Address FAA Concerns

Fitch Says Near-Term Financial Pressures Of Boeing To Be Mostly Offset By Near-Term Reduction Of Inventory, Production Optimization; Also Forecast Around 75 787 Aircraft Deliveries During Year, With Low-To-Mid Single Digit Production Per Month

Fitch On Boeing Says Has Also Affirmed Company's Long-Term Unsecured Notes And Revolvers At 'BBB-' And CP Program At 'F3'; Negative Outlook Reflects Boeing's Heightened Execution Risks Over Next 1-2 Years; Forecasts Around Low-400s 737max Deliveries In 2024 And Expects Production Rate To Remain Constrained Below 20 Per Month For H1

Fitch Revises Boeing's Outlook To Negative; Affirmed Boeing's 'BBB-' Long-Term IDR And 'F3' Short-Term IDR; Fitch Says Outlook Incorporates Expectation That Boeing Could Issue New Debt To De-Risk Early-2025 Cash Flow Risks And Bolster Financial Flexibility

WIIM

CGEM

Cullinan Therapeutics shares are trading higher. The company this week announced that clinical data from its Phase 1 trial of CLN-619 in patients with advanced solid tumors will be presented at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting.

Wells Fargo analyst Michael Turrin maintains Microsoft (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) with a Overweight and raises the price target from $480 to $500.

MSFT

Wells Fargo Maintains Overweight on Microsoft, Raises Price Target to $500

Benchmark&nbsp;analyst Mark Miller upgraded&nbsp;Western Digital Corp&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WDC#NASDAQ">WDC</a>) from Hold to Buy and a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/WDC/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">$85&nbsp;price target</a>.
Miller said Western Digital produced&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/04/38447222/western-digital-q3-earnings-revenue-beat-higher-asp-upbeat-q4-guidance-and-more" rel="noreferrer noopener">significant upside results</a>, driven by improving flash pricing and nearline drive sales.&nbsp;
He noted continued improvements in NAND pricing and Nearline sales as 2024 progresses.&nbsp;
Also Read:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/03/37968399/western-digital-poised-for-breakout-analyst-sees-10-estimate-beat-and-powerful-nand" rel="noreferrer noopener">Western Digital Poised For Breakout, Analyst Sees 10% Estimate Beat And Powerful NAND&nbsp;Recovery</a>
Miller now projects fiscal 2025 adjusted EPS of $6.84 on sales of $16.5 billion.&nbsp;
Western Digital's third-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.63 was an upside to investor expectations by $0.58, while sales of $3.46 billion were $100 million above investor expectations, the analyst stated.
HDD sales were up 28.2% sequentially and 17.1% year over year to $1.75 billion. Improving nearline sales aided results driven by&nbsp;hyperscale&nbsp;customers. Shipments of 24 TB and 28 TB SMR drives represented 50% of Nearline shipments, he noted.
Driven by higher ASPs, flash sales grew by 2.4% sequentially to $1.71 billion and were up by 30.5% year over year. Miller added that&nbsp;NAND ASPs sequentially increased by 18% on both a like-for-like and blended basis.
Cloud sales were up 43.1% year over year and 27.2% year over year to $1.53 billion, representing 44% of total sales. HDD ASPs increased by $23 sequentially to $145. Miller said the sequential growth&nbsp;was attributed&nbsp;to higher Nearline shipments and better pricing.
Client sales grew by 4.6% year over year to $1.17 billion and by 20.4% sequentially, representing 34% of March quarter sales. An increase in flash ASPs was more than offset by a decline in flash shipments.&nbsp;
Miller said the Y/Y increase&nbsp;was driven&nbsp;by growth in both flash and HDD ASPs and flash bit shipments.
Consumer sales fell 13% sequentially to $0.73 billion but were up 17.2% year over year. Flash and HDD were down by approximately similar rates and in line with seasonality.&nbsp;Miller added that the year-over-year increase&nbsp;was driven&nbsp;by&nbsp;growth in&nbsp;flash bit shipments and ASPs.
March quarter adjusted gross margins were 29.3% versus 15.5% in&nbsp;the&nbsp;December&nbsp;quarter.&nbsp;HDD adjusted&nbsp;gross margins sequentially improved from 24.8% to 31.1%, while&nbsp;Flash adjusted&nbsp;gross margins&nbsp;sequentially&nbsp;improved&nbsp;from 7.9% to 27.4%.&nbsp;
Miller projected fourth-quarter revenue and EPS of $3.75 billion and $1.17.
Western Digital stock gained over 113% in the last 12 months.&nbsp;Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;IShares Future&nbsp;Cloud 5G And Tech ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IDAT#NYSE">IDAT</a>) and&nbsp;Columbia ETF&nbsp;Trust I Columbia Seligman Semiconductor And Technology ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SEMI#NYSE">SEMI</a>).
Price Actions: WDC shares traded higher by 1.87% at $70.74 on the last check Friday. 
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Upgrades

IDAT

SEMI

Western Digital Analyst Highlights Growth in Nearline Drive and NAND Market Recovery, Upgrades Stock

Wells Fargo analyst Aaron Rakers maintains Intel (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) with a Equal-Weight and lowers the price target from $43 to $38.

INTC

Wells Fargo Maintains Equal-Weight on Intel, Lowers Price Target to $38

HC Wainwright &amp; Co. analyst Emily Bodnar reiterates Purple Biotech (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PPBT#NASDAQ">PPBT</a>) with a Buy and maintains $10 price target.

PPBT

HC Wainwright & Co. Reiterates Buy on Purple Biotech, Maintains $10 Price Target

Wells Fargo analyst Ken Gawrelski maintains Snap (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNAP#NYSE">SNAP</a>) with a Overweight and raises the price target from $16 to $18.

SNAP

Wells Fargo Maintains Overweight on Snap, Raises Price Target to $18

HC Wainwright &amp; Co. analyst Douglas Tsao reiterates Apellis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APLS#NASDAQ">APLS</a>) with a Buy and maintains $92 price target.

APLS

HC Wainwright & Co. Reiterates Buy on Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Maintains $92 Price Target

Asset Sales

General Mills Explores Sale Of North America Yogurt Portfolio That Could Be Worth Over $2B

Roku, Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROKU#NASDAQ">ROKU</a>) shares are trading lower today. Analysts slashed their price targets after the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/04/38446113/roku-exceeds-q1-earnings-expectations-provides-upbeat-guidance" rel="noreferrer noopener">first-quarter print&nbsp;on Thursday.</a>
Wedbush&nbsp;analyst Michael Pachter maintained Roku with an Outperform rating and lowered the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ROKU/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">price target from&nbsp;$80&nbsp;to&nbsp;$75</a>.
The reiteration reflected significant opportunities for growth in Roku&#8217;s business and its commitment to expanding profitably.
Roku reached positive annual EBITDA in 2023, one year earlier than it guided, is on a path to exceed $100 million in annual EBITDA in 2024 and should accelerate from there. Pachter&nbsp;noted Roku will not revert to excessive spending for long-term growth. Instead, Roku has re-focused on balancing new initiatives that result in near-term ROI with expanding FCF and tracking toward positive net income. Pachter said that&nbsp;Roku continues taking market share as ad dollars shift from linear to digital-connected TV (&#8220;CTV&#8221;).
Roku is also capturing an expanding share of&nbsp;newfront&nbsp;ad bookings as it adds incremental ad inventory to its platform, and it has begun to benefit from the rebound in scatter demand and pricing. Roku is also expanding beyond its OneView platform and opening up to other demand-side platforms (DSPs) to drive more advertising, Pachter noted.
Its focus on curated sports pages should also drive incremental advertising and subscription revenue in the near and long term. Pachter projected second-quarter revenue of $935 million (prior $941 million) and EBITDA of $32.9 million (prior $21.1 million).
Piper Sandler&nbsp;analyst Matt Farrell reiterated Roku with a Neutral and lowered the price target from&nbsp;$81&nbsp;to&nbsp;$65.
Roku delivered first-quarter platform revenue and EBITDA ahead of expectations, with guidance slightly above consensus. However, Farrell noted that investors are left looking for more, as platform revenue acceleration will not be until 2025, and sales and marketing spending in the second half will weigh on EBITDA. Management has a clear strategy, focused on a three-pronged approach to accelerate platform revenue next year.
Roku sits at an exciting spot in the CTV transition, but Farrell would rather wait for revenue to inflect to get more constructive on the story. Farrell projected second-quarter revenue of $930.1 million and EBITDA of $30.8 million.
Benchmark&nbsp;analyst Daniel Kurnos maintained Roku with a Buy and lowered the price target from&nbsp;$115&nbsp;to&nbsp;$105.
Roku remains firmly in the show-me camp, with fears of disruption from Walmart Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>) &#8211; VIZIO Holding Corp (NYSE: VZIO), Amazon.Com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) ad-supported, and any other number of headlines continuing to outweigh what he noted is growing evidence that Roku is a must-advertise platform. Kurnos projected second-quarter revenue of $936 million and EBITDA of $31 million.
Oppenheimer analyst Jason Helfstein reiterated a Perform rating. While Helfstein remained positive on programmatic integrations, now integrated with most DSPs, revenue tailwinds lag as SVOD advertising and Media and Entertainment remain headwinds.
Helfstein&nbsp;projected second-quarter revenue of $935.7 million (prior $909.4 million) and adjusted EBITDA of $30.1 million (prior $12.95 million).
JP Morgan&nbsp;analyst Cory A Carpenter remained Overweight-rated on Roku but lowered his price target from $100 to $90.
Roku remains a show-me story as it works through tough comps and overhangs from potential CPM compression and WMT &#8211; VZIO. Still, the analyst remained optimistic about management&#8217;s ability to re-accelerate Platform growth as 3P DSP partnerships ramp up and ad dollars increasingly shift from linear to streaming.
Carpenter projected second-quarter revenue of $935 million (prior $969 million) and adjusted EBITDA of $30 million (prior $34 million).
Price Action: ROKU shares are trading lower by 9.8% to $56.65 at the last check Friday.
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