FT Vest International Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - March (BATS: YMAR)

FT Vest International Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - March (BATS:YMAR), Trade Ideas

FT Vest International Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - March

Source: <a href="https://www.streetwisereports.com/article/2024/04/23/testing-at-project-in-spain-shows-high-grades-of-zinc-copper.html?utm_medium=feed">Streetwise Reports 04/23/2024</a>
Emerita Resources Corp. (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/emotf#OTC">EMOTF</a>) has announced preliminary test results from its ongoing metallurgical testing program at its wholly owned Iberian Belt West (IBW) project in Spain. Find out why one analyst called the company a &quot;very attractive resource stock play.&quot;
Emerita Resources Corp.&nbsp;has announced an update and test results from its ongoing metallurgical testing program at its wholly owned Iberian Belt West (IBW) project in Spain.
Preliminary results, including zinc (Zn) concentrates grading 52.4% with a project average zinc recovery of 84%, indicate that commercial grade concentrates can be produced at the project with the same traditional methods used at other operations in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, the company said.
&quot;We have taken a very comprehensive approach to get to this point, which has extended the timeline&quot; Chief Executive Officer David Gower said. &quot;However, this is a very critical component of developing polymetallic deposits, and it is critical to have optimal results. It is important to note, initial results have indicated opportunities to optimize concentrate grade versus metal recoveries within a future economic model.&quot;
The IBW project hosts three massive sulfide deposits: La Infanta, La Romanera, and El Cura.
Technical Analyst Clive Maund noted that the stock&#39;s current dip is &quot;viewed as presenting what will likely turn out to be the last opportunity to pick up the stock at these sorts of low prices before it moves ahead to break out of the entire pattern against the background of a strengthening broad metals bull market that is expected to include not just gold and silver of course, but also base and industrial metal(s) like copper and zinc.&quot;
Maund called Emerita a &quot;very attractive resource stock play at this juncture&quot; and rated it a Strong Buy for all timeframes, &quot;especially now with it being at an excellent entry point.&quot;
&quot;The price is currently a little below the midpoint of this long-term trading range, and it is clear that if it should succeed in breaking out the top of it by breaking above the key resistance in the CA$1 area, and this is what is expected to happen sooner rather than later, a major bull market will be &#39;on the cards.&#39;&quot;
<h2>Projected Average Zinc Recovery of 84%</h2>
Emerita noted that its projected average zinc recovery of 84% is about 5% to 10% higher than reported results for other mines in the Iberian Pyrite Belt.
Tests on the La Romanera deposit returned a zinc concentrate grade of 49.3% at 85% recovery, and tests of La Infanta deposit have returned 60% Zn concentrate grade with 81% Zn recovery, the company said in its release.
Testing continues, and final results will be released when they are completed.
Copper (Cu)-focused tests of La Romanera (0.67% copper head grade) and La Infanta deposits (0.86% Cu head grade) have shown that commercial-grade copper concentrates of 22.26% Cu and 24.87% Cu with 69.4% and 51.69% copper recoveries, respectively, can be produced, the company said. These results are similar to operating mines in the region and would be expected to improve for ores with significantly higher copper grades.
Both copper concentrates have reported gold and silver content at payable levels of 1.94 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) and 372.8 g/t silver (Ag) for La Romanera copper concentrate, and 7.06 g/t Au and 1534.6 g/t Ag for La Infanta copper concentrate.
<blockquote class="callOut left">Maund called Emerita a &quot;very attractive resource stock play at this juncture&quot; and rated it a Strong Buy for all timeframes, &quot;especially now with it being at an excellent entry point.&quot;</blockquote>
Emerita said test work also showed the potential to produce a lead (Pb) and copper semi-bulk concentrate, increasing a potential payable Pb in concentrate and the potential to improve overall copper recoveries. Project-wide test results averaged 40% Pb and 7.2% Cu at 57% and 36.7% Pb and Cu recoveries, respectively, in semi-bulk concentrate.
These results are comparably higher lead and copper grades and higher lead and copper recoveries than regional operating mines, which are also producing a Cu-Pb bulk concentrate. Individually, La Romanera deposit tests returned Pb/Cu semi-bulk concentrate containing 38.7% Pb and 7.51% Cu with 46.10% Pb and 37.6% Cu recoveries. La Infanta tests returned 44.11% Pb and 6.03% Cu grades in concentrate with 91.6% Pb and 52.2% Cu recoveries.
&quot;We view the results contained within this press release as a baseline and look forward to continuous metallurgical performance improvement as we advance IBW towards a production decision&quot; Gower said.
<h2>The Catalyst: Switching to a Clean Economy</h2>
Both Zinc and copper are in demand as the world&#39;s economies attempt to switch from fossil fuels to cleaner sources &mdash; zinc is used in batteries, and electric vehicles (EVs) use as much as four times the copper as gas-powered cars.
According to Mordor Intelligence, the zinc market will be an estimated 13.58 Mt this year and is expected to rise to 14.68 Mt by 2029, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of greater than 1.5%.
&quot;The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the global zinc market, resulting in a reduction in supply due to mine closures and transportation restrictions, as well as a decline in demand from various sectors&quot; the report said. &quot;This resulted in price fluctuations for zinc. Nonetheless, the market rebounded in 2021 due to an increase in demand from the construction and electronics industries.&quot;
Growing demand for zinc in Zinc-based batteries and rising urbanization and industrialization are expected to provide opportunities for future market growth, Mordor noted.
Despite some cooling due to slower-than-expected electric vehicle (EV) sales, the global copper market was worth US$304.1 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% from 2023 to 2032 to US$496.8 billion, Acumen Research and Consulting reported.
&quot;The increasing demand for copper could be met through developments in mining technology, well-organized designs for ore processing, and the discovery of new copper reserves&quot; Acumen&#39;s report noted. &quot;According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), international copper reserves rose by approximately 720 million tons in 2017, and undiscovered copper reserves are estimated to be approximately 3,500 million tons.&quot;
Haywood Securities noted in a January 2024 report that based on the time it takes for new copper supply to come online, the market for the metal &quot;will be tightening for the foreseeable future [and] that could eventually lead to a new copper cycle.&quot; Haywood noted predictions are for a copper deficit this year, marked by supply shortfall of about 500,000 tons. [OWNERSHIP_CHART-10036]
<h2>Ownership and Share Structure</h2>
Refinitiv provided a breakdown of the company&#39;s ownership and share structure, where management and insiders own approximately 5.61% of the company. According to Refinitiv, Michael Lawrence Guy owns 1.84% of the company with 4.32 million shares, David Patrick Gower owns 1.18% of the company with 2.76 million shares, Joaquin Merino-Marquez owns 0.89% of the company with 2.09 million shares, Catherine Stretch owns 0.68% of the company with 1.60 million shares, Marilia Bento owns 0.43% of the company with 1.00 million shares, Gregory Duras owns 0.28% of the company with 0.65 million shares, Damian J.D. Lopez owns 0.20% of the company with 0.46 million shares, and Ian T. Parkinson owns 0.11% of the company with 0.25 million shares.
Refinitiv reports that institutions own 1.26% of the company, as Merk Investments L.L.C. owns 1.17% of the company with 2.75 million shares, and Palos Management Inc. owns 0.09% of the company with 0.20 million shares.
According to Refinitiv, there are 234.82 million shares outstanding with 221.63 million free float traded shares, while the company has a market cap of CA$90.41 million and trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.26 and CA$0.92.
Important Disclosures:
<ol>
<li>Emerita Resources Corp. is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports and pays SWR a monthly sponsorship fee between US$4,000 and US$5,000.</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>
Contributing Author Disclosures
<ol>
<li>Author Certification and Compensation: [Clive Maund of clivemaund.com] is being compensated as an independent contractor by Street Smart, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports, for writing this article. Maund received his UK Technical Analysts&#39; Diploma in 1989. The recommendations and opinions expressed in this content accurately reflect the personal, independent, and objective views of the author regarding any and all of the designated securities discussed. No part of the compensation received by the author was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendations or views expressed</li>
</ol>
Clivemaund.com Disclosures
The above represents the opinion and analysis of Mr. Maund, based on data available to him, at the time of writing. Mr. Maund&#39;s opinions are his own, and are not a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell securities. As trading and investing in any financial markets may involve serious risk of loss, Mr. Maund recommends that you consult with a qualified investment advisor, one licensed by appropriate regulatory agencies in your legal jurisdiction and do your own due diligence and research when making any kind of a transaction with financial ramifications. Although a qualified and experienced stock market analyst, Clive Maund is not a Registered Securities Advisor. Therefore Mr. Maund&#39;s opinions on the market and stocks cannot be only be construed as a recommendation or solicitation to buy and sell securities.

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Testing at Project in Spain Shows High Grades of Zinc, Copper

For the quarter ended March 2024, Western Union (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/wu#NYSE">WU</a>) reported revenue of $1.05 billion, up 1.2% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.45, compared to $0.43 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.01 billion, representing a surprise of +3.94%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +12.50%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.40.
While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company&#39;s financial health.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock&#39;s price performance more accurately.
Here is how Western Union performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
<ul>
<li>Consumer Money Transfer transactions- Total: 69 million versus 68.08 million estimated by three analysts on average.</li>
<li>Revenue- Consumer Services: $87.10 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $87.40 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +4.7%.</li>
<li>Revenue- Consumer Money Transfer: $962 million versus $920.74 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +2.5% change.</li>
<li>Segment Operating Income (Loss)- Consumer Services: $18.60 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $18.11 million.</li>
<li>Segment Operating Income (Loss)- Consumer Money Transfer: $187.60 million compared to the $176.15 million average estimate based on two analysts.</li>
</ul>
Shares of Western Union have returned -2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&amp;P 500 composite&#39;s -3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2261755/here-s-what-key-metrics-tell-us-about-western-union-wu-q1-earnings?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-fundamental_analysis|nfm-2261755">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

Earnings

Here's What Key Metrics Tell Us About Western Union Q1 Earnings

Source: <a href="https://www.streetwisereports.com/article/2024/04/18/mineral-exploration-co-makes-important-discovery.html?utm_medium=feed">Ron Struthers 04/18/2024</a>
Ron Struthers of Struthers Resource Stock Report takes a look at the hundreds of M&amp;A agreements recently signed, the current state of copper as it is breaking out, and Zonte Metals, a company that recently made an important discovery.
A sure sign of a market bottom and turnaround in mining is increased merger and acquisition M&amp;A) activity, and this is going through the roof. It does two major things that are very bullish:
<ul>
<li>Shareholders of acquired companies get higher prices and cash;</li>
<li>It reduces the number of mining companies on the market to buy.</li>
</ul>
So, basically, it increases demand and reduces supply at the same time.
How active has M&amp;A been?
Literally, hundreds of agreements have been signed, with most flying under the radar of mainstream media and retail investors. Just the last quarter of 2023 is amazing:
<ul>
<li>In the global mining industry, there were 298 M&amp;A deals announced in Q4 2023, worth a total 
	value of $33.9 billion, according to GlobalData&#39;s Deals Database;</li>
<li>In value terms, M&amp;A activity increased by 142% in Q4 2023 compared with the previous 
	quarter&#39;s total of $14 billion;</li>
<li>In the Canadian mining industry, there were 100 M&amp;A deals announced in Q4 2023 worth a 
	the total value of $8.1 billion, according to GlobalData&#39;s Deals Database;</li>
<li>According to Fitch Ratings &mdash; The rise in M&amp;A activity across the mining industry over the past 
	year is likely to continue into 2024.</li>
</ul>
<img alt="" class="No_img_class" src="https://www.theaureport.com/images/auto_up/202441875948_1.png" style="height:429px; width:838px" />
Those in the industry know the market best, and they have been buying hand over fist for the last two years at the bottom and turnaround. We should be buying, too. 
A lot of junior explorers are being bought out as well. I was surprised this week when Great Pacific Gold announced a buyout of a private copper junior, Tinya Valley Copper, for $16 million in stock. What surprised me is how grassroots the project is, as it has not had one drill hole yet. It is in a known copper belt, though, to its credit.
The key reason for this is that copper is in high demand, there will be shortages, and prices are rising. All the major mining companies are scrambling, trying to find more copper. I did a major dive into the copper market in December, which you can review&nbsp;on my Substack. I picked Capstone Mining CS, and it is our top-performing producer, up almost +50%. 
In that report, I showed the next two levels of resistance on the chart, and copper just took out the 2nd resistance level this week. Copper is in a steep rising projection and will soon reach all-time new highs around $5. And copper is going to double digits. It is not a matter of if but when.
<img alt="" class="No_img_class" src="https://www.theaureport.com/images/auto_up/202441880014_2.png" style="height:506px; width:1000px" />
About 15% of copper supply comes from scrap, and usually, higher prices will bring out more scrap, but a lot of this has already happened in the past couple of years with the recent price rise. Copper mining is different and unique.
Copper mining is very rare in Canada as only about 1% of the world mine supply is from here. That means if Zonte or other juniors in Canada prove a copper deposit, it is quite unique and will be sought after.
Another huge factor is there is really no junior copper producers, small production is coming as a byproduct of other mines such as zinc, gold and silver mines. There are a lot of junior and small gold producers that major gold miners can buy, but not so with copper. The majority of growth and acquisitions will be with juniors who have exploration projects. They are about the only real target for the big producers. That is why we see a deal like Great Pacific; more of these will come. The big producers of copper are spread out among many, many miners, as this chart reveals. The biggest producers just have around 6% of the market.
<img alt="" class="No_img_class" src="https://www.theaureport.com/images/auto_up/202441880042_3.png" style="height:549px; width:706px" />
This copper market is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Never before has there been such a strong rising demand and price for copper and mining companies at such low valuations. There are going to be 10-fold increases and more with junior copper explorers.
My two favorites right now are Zonte Metals Inc. (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/erepf#OTC">EREPF</a>), with a very low valuation, and Midnight Sun Mining Corp. (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mdngf#OTC">MDNGF</a>), with their deal with Kobold Metals and proximity to large copper mines. I am looking at others and plan on adding to the list this year. I am also planning a video interview with Zonte and Midnight Sun.
For today, Zonte had very strong news. It is mostly technical, and I will do my best to explain.
<h2>Zonte Metals</h2>
Recent Price - $0.09 
Entry Price - $0.09
Opinion &ndash; Strong Buy 
Metal deposits all have one main mineralization event in their history, and many have two events over time. Three events are not as common in the same place, and that is what Zonte Metals Inc. (ZON:TSX.V) has proven in this news. The more events of mineral injection over time means higher grades and concentration.
What is more, the third event at Zonte&#39;s Cross Hills was Chalcocite, the strongest type of copper mineralization. I talked about the types in my January 8 newsletter.
I was aware Zonte was doing more analysis on the drill core and have been eagerly waiting for this. In preparation for the follow-up drill program at the K6 target, Zonte commissioned a thin section (TS) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analyses of select samples from the recent drill core. These analyses were conducted by Hamilton Geoconsulting of Hamilton, Ontario. I am pasting Terry&#39;s comments as they explain this pretty well. It might be a bit technical for some, so read over twice. Hypogene refers to an event below the surface.
Terry Christopher, President and CEO, comments, &quot;A number of samples from the recently completed K6 drill core were analyzed via thin section and scanning electron microscope. The findings from this examination, coupled with characteristics derived from core logs, reveal several significant aspects of the copper system at K6. Firstly, there were up to three distinct pulses of mineralization, with the final one manifesting as a hypogene chalcocite event that overlaid earlier mineralization. This observation is significant as these late overprinting chalcocite events can lead to elevated grades. Moreover, changes in the overall character of the mineralization offer insights into the copper system, suggesting a potential increase in grade with depth. These features are evidenced by a progressive increase in copper grade with depth in the drill holes, along with a notable augmentation in chalcocite content, particularly evident in the deepest drill hole, CH23-05. This hole exhibited higher mineral contents, with recorded grades in individual samples reaching up to 2.64%, as noted in our February 29, 2024 press release. These observations will be used to vector in on stronger parts of the mineral system in the up coming drill program.&quot;
<img alt="" class="No_img_class" src="https://www.theaureport.com/images/auto_up/202441880115_4.png" style="height:528px; width:672px" />
Mineralization looks to start about 50 meters below surface, and higher grades begin at around 100 to 150 meters. Remember this is just early days and higher grades could come closer to surface elsewhere on the K6 target, plus there are 11 more targets to drill.
I know many have lost patience with this stock and other juniors, but you have to look ahead, not backward. History is just that, and too many project history into the future, which is quite unreliable. I find the best use of history is resistance levels on charts, and that is because too many investors judge by history, so it is good to know and make use of.
The most common comment I hear is: &quot;When it gets back to this price, I am selling.&quot;
These investors are making emotional trades based on a price that relieves their past anguish. The majority of investors trade on emotion, mostly fear and greed, and this is not easy to overcome. It took me many years.
I have a strong buy because of the low valuation and a new future now that a discovery has been made and some of Mother Nature&#39;s secrets at Cross hills now revealed.
Looking at the history on the chart, I expect resistance to be around 15 cents and then around 23 cents. There is some resistance around 10.5 cents, but 15 is more important because it would be a breakout.
<img alt="" class="No_img_class" src="https://www.theaureport.com/images/auto_up/202441880143_5.png" style="height:543px; width:830px" />
Important Disclosures:
<ol>
<li>Ron Struthers: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own securities of: Capstone, Zonte Metals, and Midnight Sun. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector.</li>
<li>Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports, Street Smart, or their officers. The author is wholly responsible for the accuracy of the statements. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Any disclosures from the author can be found below. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.</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>
Struthers Resource Stock Report Disclosures
All forecasts and recommendations are based on opinion. Markets change direction with consensus beliefs, which may change at any time and without notice. The author/publisher of this publication has taken every precaution to provide the most accurate information possible. The information &amp; data were obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but because the information &amp; data source are beyond the author&#39;s control, no representation or guarantee is made that it is complete or accurate. The reader accepts information on the condition that errors or omissions shall not be made the basis for any claim, demand or cause for action. Because of the ever-changing nature of information &amp; statistics the author/publisher strongly encourages the reader to communicate directly with the company and/or with their personal investment adviser to obtain up to date information. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results. Any statements non-factual in nature constitute only current opinions, which are subject to change. The author/publisher may or may not have a position in the securities and/or options relating thereto, &amp; may make purchases and/or sales of these securities relating thereto from time to time in the open market or otherwise. Neither the information, nor opinions expressed, shall be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any stock, futures or options contract mentioned herein. The author/publisher of this letter is not a qualified financial adviser &amp; is not acting as such in this publication.

EREPF

MDNGF

Mineral Exploration Co. Makes Important Discovery

<div>The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's (CVSA) International Roadcheck is coming up next month. It is a high-visibility, high-volume inspection and compliance enforcement initiative, and carriers should begin preparing now to avoid racking up unexpected violations.</div>

This three-day Roadcheck — which takes place in Canada, Mexico and the United States — is scheduled for May 14-16.

"Don't let this three-day event sneak up on you. Out-of-service inspections can dramatically impact a carrier's safety scores across multiple CSA BASICs" J. J. Keller Industry Business Adviser Josh Lovan said. In contrast, "clean inspections will improve safety scores, so start planning today to ensure success during Roadcheck 2024."

Each year, the CVSA International Roadcheck focuses on slightly different areas, depending on the issues and trends observed over the past 12 months. For 2024, focus areas will include:

<ol><li>Alcohol and controlled substance possession</li>
</ol>

Motor carriers must establish and strictly enforce clear policies to prevent controlled substance and alcohol possession or use in the workplace. The number of prohibited drivers listed in the U.S. Drug &amp; Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH) has been increasing. U.S. motor carriers should regularly query the DACH to ensure their drivers are not in prohibited status.

<ol><li>Tractor protection systems</li>
</ol>

Roadcheck aims to increase awareness for drivers, motor carriers, technicians and enforcement personnel of these critically important vehicle components. Emphasis will be placed on the tractor protection valve, trailer supply valve and anti-bleed-back valve.

Requirements for tractor protection systems:

<ul><li>Every commercial motor vehicle equipped with an air brake system and used to tow a trailer with air brakes must be equipped with a tractor or towing-vehicle protection system.</li>
	<li>The test will only be performed on a vehicle that is towing a trailer equipped with an air brake system.</li>
	<li>Air-braked power units converted to tow trailers equipped with air brakes from a nontowing operation must have these systems properly retrofitted into the air brake system.</li>
	<li>Air escaping from either the supply/emergency or service/control gladhand line of any vehicle equipped to tow an air brake-equipped trailer indicates the unit has a defective tractor protection system and the vehicle is in an out-of-service condition.</li>
</ul>

Carriers can take a number of steps to prepare for this Roadcheck, including ensuring all company credentials are current, verifying that all driver paperwork is up to date and making sure all necessary vehicle maintenance has been completed.

Beyond paperwork and other housekeeping steps, carriers should focus on preparing drivers for Roadcheck. This means refreshing and retraining drivers on topics like vehicle inspections, hours-of-service limits, electronic recordkeeping and qualification requirements.

Safety personnel can take a handful of practical steps ahead of time to minimize violations during the event.

<div>
Conduct your own safety blitz  
This can ensure drivers fully understand what is expected of them during a roadside inspection. A safety blitz will provide drivers — especially new drivers — with the knowledge and confidence needed to obtain clean inspections.
</div>

Conduct an audit on pre-trip inspections before drivers exit the yard

Previous experience revealed that more than 15% of drivers were failing to conduct a proper pre-trip. Safety teams should make sure drivers are walking around the trucks to assess lights, tires and placards. Drivers need to understand the importance of completing this step even when someone else hooks the set for them.

Investigate safety and maintenance collaboration

There should be a clear line of communication between a carrier's safety and maintenance teams. For example, if a brake or tire violation occurs, the safety team should collaborate with maintenance to determine when the unit was last serviced. If the brakes were examined by the maintenance team within a couple of weeks of a brake violation, then there may be an issue with the maintenance team.

It is imperative that all roadside violations are investigated to prevent the same violations from occurring frequently.

When preparing for CVSA International Roadcheck — and discussing safety in general — it is imperative that every member of a carrier's team understand and respect the scope of the job that safety personnel must perform on a daily basis. 

"Until you wear the shoes of a safety manager, there is no way to truly understand the unique challenges in safety" Lovan said. "Today's safety professionals are responsible for driver coaching, injuries and accidents. There are no excuses for lack of preparation."

The pressure safety managers face is high, but with preparation — and good partners — it is possible to keep everyone safe while minimizing violations every day, not just during Roadcheck.

Minimize downtime and out-of-service events with the J. J. Keller Encompass Fleet Management System. It can help you identify risks to your operation related to vehicle inspections and driver recordkeeping, ensuring you are prepared for every roadside inspection.

The post <a href="https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-to-prepare-for-cvsa-international-roadcheck-2024">How to prepare for CVSA International Roadcheck 2024</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.freightwaves.com">FreightWaves</a>.

Education

General

How to Prepare for CVSA International Roadcheck 2024

<div>Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/odfl#NASDAQ">ODFL</a>) said it is seeing promising signs around demand but that it isn't yet ready to call a cycle upturn. However, its operating ratio guidance for the second quarter was weaker than the historical trend, which may be the reason shares of less-than-truckload carriers sold off on Wednesday.</div>

Old Dominion reported earnings per share of $1.34 for the 2024 first quarter, which was in line with the consensus estimate and 5 cents ahead of the year-ago result when accounting for the company's March two-for-one stock split.

The in-line result wasn't enough for investors.

Shares of ODFL were down 10.9% at 12:46 p.m. EDT Wednesday compared to the S&amp;P 500, which was down 0.5%. Other LTL competitors saw shares sag as well. ArcBest (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/arcb#NASDAQ">ARCB</a>) was down 8.4%, XPO (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xpo#NYSE">XPO</a>) was down 7.3% and Saia (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/saia#NASDAQ">SAIA</a>) was off 5.9%. <script type="text/javascript">
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Old Dominion's revenue increased 1.2% year over year (y/y) to $1.46 billion as tonnage fell 3.2% (shipments and weight per shipment were down 0.5% and 2.7%, respectively), which was offset by a 4.1% increase in revenue per hundredweight, or yield. (Yield was up 6.7% excluding fuel surcharges.) Lower shipment weights helped boost the yield calculations.

Revenue per shipment (excluding fuel surcharges) was up 3.8% y/y even though weight per shipment and length of haul were detractors.

The company said revenue per day is up 5.5% to 6% so far in April as tonnage per day is 2% to 2.5% higher and yield is 4% higher (up 4.5% excluding fuel surcharges). At 48,000 shipments per day, April isn't seeing the historical sequential uptick from March when accounting for the timing of Good Friday. Over the past 10 years, Old Dominion has recorded an average sequential increase of 8.7% in revenue per day from the first to the second quarter. It's seeing about half that growth rate currently.

Management said the smaller increase in yield during April is tied to freight mix changes and that it hasn't altered its approach to pricing. It said the increase it has seen in revenue per shipment excluding fuel so far in April (not disclosed) is close to the increase it logged in the first quarter. <script type="text/javascript">
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"It feels similar to 2017 where things are kind of on the edge of getting ready to start showing improvement again, and hopefully we'll continue to see some growth as we go through the middle part of the year. Some year-over-year growth and further sequential improvement, and then things really start taking off" said CFO Adam Satterfield on a Wednesday call with analysts.

<img alt="" src="https://www.freightwaves.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/24/Old-Dominions-KPI-table.jpg" />

Table: Old Dominion's key performance indicators

The company reported a 73.5% operating ratio, which was 10 basis points worse y/y and 170 bps worse than the fourth-quarter result (150 bps worse than the fourth quarter on an adjusted basis). The unadjusted result was in line with management's guidance of 170 to 220 bps of sequential deterioration.

Salaries, wages and benefits expenses (up 60 bps as a percentage of revenue) and higher depreciation and amortization expenses (up 50 bps) were the primary headwinds in the period.

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The company's first-quarter OR was its worst since the fourth quarter of 2021. However, it is carrying some growth-related costs currently. Its head count is up 3% since the third quarter even though shipments are off roughly 6%. It is also carrying 30% excess capacity throughout the network as it plans for an eventual turnaround.

Old Dominion expects 150 bps in OR improvement from the first to the second quarter this year compared to the historical average of 350 to 400 bps of improvement. Softer sequential revenue trends so far in the quarter are the reason for the weaker guidance.

The company reiterated a long-term goal of a sub-70% annual OR as it plans to continue to price freight 100 to 150 bps above costs. However, the spread between the increases in revenue per shipment and cost per shipment was 50 bps negative during the first quarter.

Total capital expenditures guidance of $750 million for the year was reiterated. The allocation also remained unchanged with $350 million slated for real estate projects, $325 million for tractors and trailers, and $75 million for IT and other assets.

"Once we have that tailwind coming at us from an overall industry demand standpoint, we'll be able to capitalize and be able to significantly grow our volumes like we've been able to do in the past, and then leverage that growth through the operating ratio" Satterfield said.

<div>
The post <a href="https://www.freightwaves.com/news/old-dominions-q1-earnings-meet-estimate-but-ltl-stocks-fall-anyway">Old Dominion's Q1 earnings meet estimate, but LTL stocks fall anyway</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.freightwaves.com">FreightWaves</a>.
</div>

ARCB

ODFL

SAIA

Old Dominion's Q1 Earnings Meet Estimate, but LTL Stocks Fall Anyway

<div>Hawaiian Airlines (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ha#NASDAQ">HA</a>) has commenced operating a second Airbus A330-300 cargo jet for Amazon on a new route between New York's JFK airport and the retail behemoth's West Coast air logistics hub in San Bernardino, California, the company reported in quarterly earnings Tuesday.</div>

Under a  transportation services agreement that kicked in last year, Amazon (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) leases the aircraft from a dealer and transfers them to Hawaiian Airlines to fly and provide routine maintenance. Hawaiian, which is branching out to all-cargo operations for the first time, began commercial revenue service for Amazon in early October on a route connecting San Bernardino with Amazon Air's superhub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). 

Amazon plans to acquire 10 A330 converted freighters as replacements for aging Boeing 767-200s operated by other partner airlines. The original schedule called for Hawaiian Airlines to receive eight more freighters this year, but the airline said delivery flow is behind by two aircraft because the airframe repair company responsible for reconfiguring the used passenger jets to carry heavy containers is experiencing production delays. That means Hawaiian will have seven aircraft, instead of nine, in possession by the end of the year, if the current schedule remains intact.

CEO Peter Ingram said Hawaiian may postpone deploying some cargo aircraft that join the fleet this year in order not to add complexity to Amazon's network during the busiest shipping period.

"I would caution that they may not all be flying by the end of the year because during the peak period our partner doesn't necessarily want to introduce new lines of flying into the operation" he said on an earnings briefing with analysts.

Amazon has been operating Boeing 767s between New York-San Bernardino, according to a route map compiled by a team of researchers at DePaul University. Their most recent report, in March, found that Amazon is streamlining its airport network, slowing fleet growth and utilizing larger aircraft like the A330 to improve efficiency. 

Industry experts say the best use of the A330, from the standpoint of minimizing operating costs, is on the longest routes in Amazon's network.

Amazon has always been willing to overfly the CVG hub if aircraft have high load factors, said Derek Lossing, founder of e-commerce logistics consultancy Cirrus Global Advisors and a former senior manager at Amazon Logistics. 

"The hub is great for when you have to put multiple destinations on a flight to fill it up. But if there is enough New York to Los Angeles volumes, doing a sort at the hub just costs time and extra flying. So if you can fill up aircraft on point to point routes, and they are full or almost full, you actually prefer to avoid the hub" he explained by email.

During the first quarter, Hawaiian Airlines recorded an adjusted loss of $143.5 million despite a 5.4% increase in revenue to $646 million that benefited from increased system capacity. The operating loss increased 26% year over year as expense growth exceeded revenues.  Unit costs increased about 7% year over year, including a point attributed to the Amazon flying. Losses were also higher because of how the company's lower effective tax rate was booked.

High lodging rates in Hawaii and the strength of the U.S. dollar versus the Japanese yen have contributed to low travel demand from Japan, a key market. The wildfire that destroyed Maui last year has also been a drag on business.

On the bright side, Hawaiian expects all its Airbus A321neos back in service within a few weeks after several were sidelined because of problems with Pratt &amp; Whitney engines that required extensive inspections. More than 1,000 P&amp;W engines have been recalled across the industry. 

The post <a href="https://www.freightwaves.com/news/hawaiian-airlines-slowly-adds-freighters-for-amazon-business">Hawaiian Airlines slowly adds freighters for Amazon business</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.freightwaves.com">FreightWaves</a>.

Small Cap

AMZN

Hawaiian Airlines Slowly Adds Freighters for Amazon Business

Blockchain gaming platform Immutable announced it is launching what it calls &quot;the largest ever web3 gaming quest and rewards program.&quot; Dubbed &quot;The Main Quest&quot; Immutable said it has already secured $50 million in token rewards for players. The company also said the Immutable ecosystem &quot;boasts more than 270 titles currently in development&quot; including higher-profile gaming projects like &quot;Illuvium&quot; and MetalCore.&quot;&nbsp;
Read the <a href="https://www.theblock.co/post/290940/immutable-launching-crypto-gaming-rewards-program-worth-50-million?utm_source=benzinga&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=Immutable+launching+crypto+gaming+rewards+program+worth+%2450+million">full story</a> at The Block.

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

Cryptocurrency

Gaming

Immutable Launching Crypto Gaming Rewards Program Worth $50 Million

Amazon (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) is scheduled to report first-quarter 2024 results on Apr 30. 
The company has been rising on its dominant position in the online retail and cloud computing markets. It has been benefiting from the solid momentum across Prime and Amazon Web Services (&quot;AWS&quot;). In addition, expanding generative AI capabilities have been driving the stock. 
Strengthening Echo speaker, Fire TV, eero WiFi system and Blink smart security camera offerings are expanding Amazon&#39;s presence in the booming smart devices market, which has been a positive. In addition, expanding generative AI capabilities have been driving the stock. 
Let us delve into the fundamental strength of Amazon ahead of its first-quarter results.
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<h3>Amazon.com, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise</h3>
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/chart/AMZN/price-eps-surprise?icid=chart-AMZN-price-eps-surprise"><img alt="Amazon.com, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/charts/f9/1714059471.png" style="height:300px; width:620px" title="" /> </a>
Amazon.com, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Amazon.com, Inc. Quote
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<h3>Prime, Retail &amp; Streaming Momentum to Note</h3>
Amazon&#39;s solid Prime momentum, along with its strengthening distribution network, are expected to have aided its online retail business&#39; performance in the quarter under review. 
Prime benefits, including a strong loyalty system, customer-friendly offers, quick grocery delivery services, and robust Prime Free One-Day and Prime Free Same-Day Delivery services, are expected to have aided Amazon&#39;s customer momentum in the first quarter. 
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for online store sales is pegged at $54.8 billion, implying growth of 7.2% from the year-ago reported figure. 
Apart from this, strengthening relationships with third-party sellers on the back of solid solution offerings are likely to have been a positive. The consensus mark for sales generated by third-party sellers is pegged at $34.5 billion, suggesting growth of 15.6% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter. 
AMZN&#39;s growing efforts in grocery retail are expected to have benefited its quarterly performance. 
Solid momentum across the company&#39;s Fresh grocery stores across the United States is anticipated to have contributed well to AMZN&#39;s grocery sales in the first quarter. A solid network of Whole Foods Store and Amazon Go stores is likely to have driven the company&#39;s physical store sales. 
The consensus mark for the third quarter&#39;s physical store sales is pegged at $5.06 billion, indicating growth of 3.3% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter. 
The strength in Prime Video is expected to have contributed well. Expanding original content, regional content and the overall content portfolio on Prime Video are expected to have driven the Prime subscription in the to-be-reported quarter. 
We expect retail perks associated with Prime, along with strength in Prime Video, to have continued aiding Amazon&#39;s subscription revenue growth in the quarter under review. The growing momentum in Amazon Music is anticipated to have been another positive. 
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for subscription service sales is pegged at $10.7 billion, reflecting growth of 10.6% from the year-ago reported figure.
<h3>AWS Portfolio Momentum to Consider</h3>
Amazon&#39;s robust AWS segment is expected to have driven its first-quarter performance. 
The strengthening cloud services portfolio on the back of generative AI technology and expanding data center networks is likely to have aided the performance of AWS in the to-be-reported quarter. 
The increasing number of AWS regions and availability zones is expected to have been a positive. 
All these factors are expected to have helped Amazon win customers in the first quarter.
<h3>Guidance &amp; Estimates</h3>
For first-quarter 2024, Amazon expects net sales between $138 billion and $143.5 billion. Net sales are expected to grow 8-13% from the year-ago quarter&#39;s reported figure. Management projects a favorable foreign exchange impact of 40 bps. 
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for net sales is pegged at $142.53 billion, indicating growth of 11.9% from the prior-year quarter&#39;s reported figure. 
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter earnings is pegged at 82 cents per share, suggesting a significant rise from the 31 cents reported in the year-ago quarter.
<h3>What Our Model Says</h3>
Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for Amazon this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that is not the case here, as you see below. 
Amazon has an Earnings ESP of +6.19%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they&#39;re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. 
AMZN has a Zacks Rank #2 at present.
<h3>Other Stocks to Consider</h3>
Here are some stocks worth considering, as our model shows that these also have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this time around. 
APi Group (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/apg#NYSE">APG</a>) has an Earnings ESP of +2.06% and sports a Zacks Rank #1 at present. 
The company is scheduled to release first-quarter 2024 results on May 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for APG&#39;s earnings is pegged at 32 cents per share, indicating growth of 28% from the year-ago quarter&#39;s reported figure. 
Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bkng#NASDAQ">BKNG</a>) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.75% and a Zacks Rank #3. 
The company is set to announce first-quarter 2024 results on May 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BKNG&#39;s earnings is pinned at $14.02 per share, indicating a jump of 20.9% from the year-ago actual. 
Cardinal Health (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cah#NYSE">CAH</a>) has an Earnings ESP of +1.11% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. 
The company is scheduled to release third-quarter fiscal 2024 results on May 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CAH&#39;s earnings is pegged at $1.95 per share, indicating growth of 12.1% from the year-ago quarter&#39;s reported figure.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2262634/is-amazon-amzn-stock-worth-buying-ahead-of-q1-earnings?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-analyst_blog|most_popular_stocks-2262634">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

BKNG

Is Amazon Stock Worth Buying Ahead of Q1 Earnings?

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bmy#NYSE">BMY</a>) reported an adjusted loss per share of $4.40, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $4.53 per share. In the year-ago quarter, BMY posted adjusted earnings per share of $2.05.
The year-over-year deterioration can be attributed to higher acquired IPRD costs, reflecting the impact of recent acquisitions and an increase in operating expenses.&nbsp; The bottom-line was also negatively impacted due to higher interest expenses resulting from new debt issuance to fund recent acquisitions.
Total revenues of $11.9 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $11.4 billion. Revenues also increased 5% from the year-ago period&#39;s level, primarily driven by Eliquis, Reblozyl and Opdualag&#39;s encouraging performance.&nbsp; However, this was partially offset by a decline in the sales of Opdivo and Revlimid.
The stock is trading down following the quarterly earnings release.
The company&#39;s shares have lost 4.8% year to date compared with the industry&#39;s decline of 9.4%.
<img alt="Zacks Investment Research" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/articles/charts/5c/65692.jpg?v=642424254" /> 
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
<h3>Quarterly Details</h3>
Revenues increased 7% to $8.5 billion in the United States due to higher sales of Eliquis, Reblozyl and Opdualag. However, Opdivo revenues were down 10% to $1.2 billion due to inventory and the timing of orders. Lower sales of the multiple myeloma&nbsp;drug Revlimid also adversely impacted top-line growth.
International revenues were flat year over year at $3.4 billion due to lower average net selling prices. The negative impact from foreign exchange was 5%.
<h3>Growth Portfolio Revenues</h3>
Revenues from the Growth portfolio totaled $4.8 billion, up 8% from the year-ago level. The top line grew 11% year over year when adjusted for foreign exchange impacts. Growth Portfolio revenues were primarily driven by higher demand for Reblozyl, Opdualag, Yervoy, Camzyos, and Sotyktu, partially offset by Opdivo and Abecma.
Total sales of the immuno-oncology drug Opdivo, approved for multiple cancer indications, went down 6% year over year to $2.1 billion. The figure also missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate and our estimate of $2.3 billion and $2.33 billion, respectively.
Sales of the rheumatoid arthritis drug Orencia increased 4% to $798 million. 
Melanoma drug Yervoy contributed $583 million to the top line, up 15% year over year.
Reblozyl sales surged 72% year over year to $354 million. The drug&#39;s label was expanded in the European Union to include the first-line treatment of adult patients with transfusion-dependent anemia due to very low, low and intermediate-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.
Reblozyl sales beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate and our estimate of $325 million and $341.5 million, respectively.
Opdualag sales jumped 76% to $206 million.
Zeposia sales rose 41% to $110 million and Breyanzi sales rallied 51% to reach $107 million.&nbsp; Camzyos and Sotyktu sales totaled $84 million and $44 million, respectively.
Augtyro and Krazati raked in sales of $6 million and $21 million, respectively. 
However, Abecma sales declined 44% to $82 million.&nbsp;
<h3>Legacy Portfolio Revenues</h3>
Revenues for the Legacy Portfolio in the first quarter totaled $7.1 billion, up 2% year over year. This was driven by a 9% increase in global sales of blood thinner drug Eliquis.
Eliquis sales of $3.7 billion also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate and our model estimate of $3.6 billion.
Please note that Bristol-Myers has a collaboration agreement with Pfizer (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/pfe#NYSE">PFE</a>) for Eliquis. The companies collaborated in 2007. Profits and losses are shared equally on a global basis, except in certain countries where Pfizer commercializes Eliquis and pays BMY a sales-based fee.
MM drug, Pomalyst, generated sales of $865 million, up 4% year over year.
Leukemia drug Sprycel generated sales of $374 million, down 13% year over year due to a 34% decline in international sales.
Revlimid revenues declined 5% to $1.67 billion. This was due to lower demand owing to generic erosion. The top line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.23 billion and our estimate of $1.16 billion. Abraxane revenues declined 9% to $217 million.
<h3>Costs Increase</h3>
Gross margin fell to 75.5% from 77.8% in the year-ago quarter due to product mix. Adjusted research and development expenses increased 6% to $2.3 billion, primarily due to the impact of recent acquisitions and higher costs to support the overall portfolio.&nbsp; Adjusted marketing, selling and administrative expenses increased 13% to $2 billion, primarily due to the timing of spend and the impact of recent acquisitions.
Acquired IPRD increased to $12.9 billion from $75 million, primarily due to the Karuna asset acquisition and SystImmune collaboration.
<h3>2024 Guidance Update</h3>
Bristol-Myers now expects adjusted earnings in the range of $0.40-$0.70 in 2024, down from the earlier estimate of $7.10-$7.40, to reflect the dilutive impact of recent acquisitions and collaborations.&nbsp; The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 earnings per share is pegged at $0.61.
Revenues are anticipated to increase in the low single digits (no change).
<div class="chart_embed">
Bristol Myers Squibb Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise 
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/chart/BMY/price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart?icid=chart-BMY-price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart"><img alt="Bristol Myers Squibb Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/charts/cb/1714058530.png" style="height:265px; width:576px" title="" /> </a>
Bristol Myers Squibb Company price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Bristol Myers Squibb Company Quote
</div>
<h3>Recent Acquisitions</h3>
In January 2024, BMY acquired Mirati Therapeutics, further diversifying its oncology portfolio. The acquisition added commercialized lung cancer medicine, Krazati, to its oncology portfolio, as well as several promising clinical assets.
During the quarter, Bristol Myers acquired Karuna Therapeutics, Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb expanded its position in neuroscience and added important assets, including KarXT &mdash; an antipsychotic with a novel mechanism of action and differentiated efficacy and safety. The candidate is under review in the United States for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults, with a target action date of Sep 26, 2024.
BMY also acquired clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical therapeutics company RayzeBio, Inc. and gained a rich pipeline of potentially first-in-class and best-in-class drug development programs currently targeting solid tumors.
The company also completed an exclusive license and collaboration agreement with SystImmune to develop and commercialize a potentially first-in-class EGFRxHER3 bispecific antibody-drug conjugate with the potential to treat a variety of solid tumors, including lung and breast cancers.
<h3>Our Take</h3>
Bristol-Myers&#39; reported better-than-expected first-quarter results as adjusted loss was narrower than expected and sales beat estimates. However, the decline in Opdivo sales was a dampener.&nbsp; Revlimid is already facing generic competition and Eliquis, too, is likely to face challenges later.
It remains to be seen how the growth in new drugs compensates for this decline in sales of these blockbuster drugs. The uptake of Reblozyl has been strong but it is still a long way to go for BMY when its new drugs start contributing significantly.
Along with the earnings release, Bristol Myers also announced that it is undertaking a strategic productivity initiative that will drive approximately $1.5 billion in cost savings by the end of 2025.
<h3>Zacks Rank &amp; Stocks to Consider</h3>
Bristol-Myers currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
A couple of better-ranked stocks in the biotech sector are ADMA Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/adma#NASDAQ">ADMA</a>)&nbsp;and ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/anip#NASDAQ">ANIP</a>), both sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present.
In the past 60 days, estimates for ADMA Biologics&#39; 2024 earnings per share (ETF:EPS) have improved from 22 to 30 cents. Shares of ADMA have rallied 40.9% year to date.
ADMA&#39;s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and met the same once, delivering an average surprise of 85.00%.
In the past 60 days, estimates for ANI Pharmaceuticals&#39; 2024 EPS have improved from $4.12 to $4.43. Shares of ANIP have jumped 17.3% year to date.
ANIP&#39;s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 109.06%. 
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2262623/bristol-myers-bmy-q1-loss-narrower-than-expected-sales-beat?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-analyst_blog|earnings_article-2262623">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

ADMA

ANIP

Bristol-Myers Q1 Loss Narrower Than Expected, Sales Beat

3M Company (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mmm#NYSE">MMM</a>) is scheduled to release first-quarter 2024 results on Apr 30, before market open. 
The company has an impressive earnings surprise history, having outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the preceding four quarters, the average beat being 18.5%. In the last reported quarter, its earnings of $2.42 per share surpassed the consensus estimate of $2.31 by 4.8%.
<h3>Transportation &amp; Electronics Revenues to Aid Q1 Results</h3>
Solid momentum across the advanced materials business, commercial solutions business and strength across the auto original equipment manufacturer business, driven by increasing demand for global car and light truck bills, are likely to have augmented the Transportation and Electronics segment&#39;s revenues in the first quarter. 
The acquisition of technology assets of LeanTec (April 2022), which strengthened the company&#39;s ability to deliver a more connected, digital bodyshop solution via its RepairStack Performance Solutions, is also expected to have supported the company&#39;s results in the soon-to-be-reported quarter. 
3M is expected to have benefited from its restructuring actions, including headcount reduction, which are likely to have reduced costs and improved margins, in the first quarter. The company&#39;s operational execution, restructuring savings and spending discipline are likely to have positively impacted its results.
<h3>Not All Roses, Some Brickbats as Well</h3>
The decreasing demand for disposable respirators is expected to have hurt 3M&#39;s Safety and Industrial segment. The Consumer segment is expected to have put up a weak show in the upcoming earnings due to softness in home health, auto and stationery and office businesses. These setbacks are likely to have impacted the company&#39;s overall revenues in the to-be-reported quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company&#39;s first-quarter 2024 revenues is pegged at $7.6 billion, suggesting a decline of 4.8% from the year-ago quarter&#39;s reported figure. 
Higher raw material, logistics costs and energy cost inflation are likely to have dented MMM&#39;s bottom line in the to-be-reported quarter. Also, given 3M&#39;s extensive presence in international markets, foreign currency headwinds are expected to have affected its profitability in the soon-to-be-reported quarter. 
Based on the trailing 12-month EV-to-EBITDA (enterprise value to earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization), a commonly used multiple for valuing airline stocks, MMM is currently trading at 12.25X, above the 12.00X three-year median.
<div class="chart_embed">
<h3>3M Company Price and EPS Surprise <a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/chart/MMM/price-eps-surprise?icid=chart-MMM-price-eps-surprise"> <img alt="3M Company Price and EPS Surprise" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/charts/68/1714056069.png" style="height:263px; width:538px" title="" /> </a></h3>
3M Company price-eps-surprise | 3M Company Quote
</div>
<h3>What the Zacks Model Unveils</h3>
Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for MMM this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here, as elaborated below. 
Earnings ESP: 3M has an Earnings ESP of -7.95% as the Most Accurate Estimate is pegged at $1.78 per share, which is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.93. You can uncover the best stocks before they&#39;re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. 
Zacks Rank: 3M presently carries a Zacks Rank of 3.
<h3>Final Thoughts</h3>
Given the abovementioned points, we can safely conclude that investors should refrain from rushing to buy MMM, which is facing quite a few challenges. Instead, they should monitor the developments of the stock closely for a more appropriate entry point, as an erroneous and hasty decision could affect portfolio gains.
<h3>Stocks to Consider</h3>
Here are some companies, which according to our model, have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings in this reporting cycle. 
Atmus Filtration Technologies Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/atmu#NYSE">ATMU</a>) has an Earnings ESP of +0.57% and a Zacks Rank of 1, at present. 
The company is slated to release first-quarter results on May 3. ATMU delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 20.3%, on average. 
Chart Industries, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gtls#NYSE">GTLS</a>) has an Earnings ESP of +9.86% and a Zacks Rank of 2. The company is slated to release first-quarter 2024 results on May 3. 
Chart Industries&#39; earnings have surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters while missing the mark in one, the average beat being 75.9%. 
Axon Enterprise, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/axon#NASDAQ">AXON</a>) has an Earnings ESP of +5.97% and a Zacks Rank of 3, at present. 
The company is scheduled to release first-quarter 2024 results on May 6. Axon&#39;s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the preceding four quarters, the average beat being 58.7%. 
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2262648/here-s-how-you-should-play-3m-mmm-stock-ahead-of-q1-earnings?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-analyst_blog|most_popular_stocks-2262648">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

ATMU

AXON

GTLS

Here's How You Should Play 3M Stock Ahead of Q1 Earnings

An &quot;epic sat&quot;&mdash;an exceptionally rare satoshi, the smallest unit of bitcoin, from Bitcoin&#39;s (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) fourth halving block&mdash;sold for over $2 million. On April 25, the crypto mining pool ViaBTC sold &quot;Sat 1,968,750,000,000,000&quot; for 33.3 BTC, valued at $2.13 million, on the crypto exchange CoinEx Global. &quot;CoinEx&#39;s partner, the ViaBTC mining pool, has officially mined the 840,000th block. This milestone not only signifies Bitcoin&#39;s fourth halving but also includes a block identified as an epic &#39;Rare Satoshi&#39; by the Ordinals numbering system&quot; CoinEx Global wrote on the satoshi&#39;s auction page, adding on social media, &quot;This auction isn&#39;t just a bidding event; it marked the community recognition, media attention and widespread embrace of Bitcoin.&quot;
Read the <a href="https://www.theblock.co/post/290985/viabtcs-epic-sat-from-fourth-bitcoin-halving-block-sells-for-33-3-btc-2-13-million?utm_source=benzinga&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=ViaBTC%27s+%27epic+sat%27+from+fourth+Bitcoin+halving+block+sells+for+33.3+BTC+%28%242.13+million%29">full story</a> at The Block.

Global

$BTC

ViaBTC's 'Epic Sat' From Fourth Bitcoin Halving Block Sells for 33.3 BTC ($2.13 Million)

Source: <a href="https://www.streetwisereports.com/article/2024/04/24/drills-turning-at-lithium-boron-explorers-nevada-flagship-project.html?utm_medium=feed">Streetwise Reports 04/24/2024</a>
Canter Resources Corp.&nbsp;(OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cnrcf#OTC">CNRCF</a>) has started a drilling program at its Columbus lithium-boron project in Nevada. Find out why one asset manager is excited to see the results.
Canter Resources Corp. announced it has started a 10-hole Geoprobe drilling program at its Columbus lithium-boron project in Nevada, which it recently expanded from 23,000 acres to almost 30,000 acres through staking.
The drilling will focus on a substantial subsurface 5-kilometer-by-10-kilometer brine target identified through geophysical data and 3D modeling.
&quot;The low-impact and low-cost Geoprobe drilling, ideal for near-surface analysis, has been designed to collect both sediment and water samples from surface to depths exceeding 30 meters&quot; the company noted in a release. &quot;Data from this initial program are expected to provide additional stratigraphic and geochemical data that will further inform the company&#39;s geological model while targeting lithium, boron, and potassium concentrations from the shallowest brine generation layer within the primary target area.&quot;
The program is expected to take about ten days to complete, Canter said.
Geoprobe drilling, which utilizes a specialized hydraulic percussion/probing machine, is becoming increasingly popular for soil and groundwater exploration as it is non-invasive, cost-efficient, and reliable.
&quot;This program offers significant advantages over traditional drilling methods for shallow subsurface testing, including faster data collection and the ability to perform a variety of sampling techniques&quot; Canter said. &quot;The company&#39;s primary goal of this program is to obtain a range of water samples within the upper 30 m (meter) interval; however, sediment samples will also be collected as part of the campaign.&quot;
<blockquote class="callOut left">Jeff Clark of thegoldadvisor.com noted the company&#39;s large land package and numerous targets are &quot;prospective.&quot;</blockquote>
Canter Chief Executive Officer Joness Lang said the Geoprobe will test a shallow subset of favorable stratigraphic units at Columbus.
&quot;We are keen to see results from this highly conductive layer of the basin in an area that has very limited geochemical results to date&quot; Lang said.
Jeff Clark of thegoldadvisor.com noted the company&#39;s large land package and numerous targets are &quot;prospective.&quot;
&quot;I don&#39;t know if the bottom is in or not (for the stock price), but the company is moving along as planned and is now in a position to find out what exists beneath the surface at Columbus&quot; Clark wrote. &quot;I&#39;m holding on to my investment and suggest the same if you&#39;re a shareholder.&quot;
Chen Lin is the author of What Is Chen Buying? What Is Chen Selling? The asset manager said he expected to see impressive results from the company&#39;s exploration this year.
&quot;They have a huge expansion of their target&quot; Chen noted. &quot;We should see some very exciting high-grade lithium.&quot;
<h2>Company Is &#39;On to Something Here&#39;</h2>
Columbus is the junior lithium and critical metals exploration company&#39;s flagship project. It&#39;s in a Tier 1 mining jurisdiction (Nevada) that is deemed the world&#39;s best by the Fraser Institute in 2022. The property is the largest land holding in the Columbus salt marsh, after which it is named.
Canter also fully owns the Beaver Creek lithium property, covering a 1.3 km long by 0.3 km wide bed of lithium-rich outcrop near Lincoln, Montana. There, 99 surface samples returned lithium grades up to 1,500 (parts per million) ppm and averaging 500 ppm.
The Columbus project is only a three-hour drive from Tesla Inc.&#39;s gigafactory in Nevada, which supplies lithium-ion batteries and components for Tesla&#39;s electric vehicles.
<blockquote class="callOut right">&quot;They have a huge expansion of their target&quot; Chen noted. &quot;We should see some very exciting high-grade lithium.&quot;</blockquote>
Since November 2023, the company has raised CA$4.4 million in equity, submitted and received all necessary permits from the BLM and NDOM, acquired third-party data, reinterpreted geophysics and created a new 3D model, secured the same technical team that worked with the property vendor on large-scale lithium projects in the region, and secured a dirt-work contractor for site preparation and a contractor for the Geoprobe drilling.
&quot;The evidence is strong that Canter is on to something here&quot; wrote Clark in a March 20 newsletter. &quot;The geophysics here definitely suggests brine fluids are present, with the million-dollar question [being] what kind of lithium concentrations exist in those brines. It appears that answer is potentially very exciting.&quot;
Global Analyst Adrian Day wrote in December that Canter had caught his eye &quot;because of its management, technical expertise, location, strong cash balance, and favorable conditions.&quot;
<h2>The Catalyst: Lithium, Boron, and the Energy Transition</h2>
Both lithium and boron are growing sectors. Lithium-ion batteries power remote controls, cellphones, and electric vehicles (EVs), according to Eco Lithium. Other applications include digital cameras, pacemakers, laptops, watches, power packs, mobility scooters, alarm systems, backup power systems, golf carts, and energy storage.
The primary driver of lithium demand is the EV industry. The lithium market is projected to expand at a 20.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to US$6.4 billion (US$6.4B) by 2028 from US$2.5B in 2023, according to Markets and Markets.
Boron is also essential to the energy transition, but the element only makes up about 0.001% of our planet&#39;s weight.
&quot;Boron is present everywhere in the environment, but substantial deposits of borates are relatively rare&quot; noted Rio Tinto on its website. The company operates the Rio Tinto Boron Mine in Boron, California, the largest borax mine in the world, producing nearly half of the world&#39;s borates.
Rio Tinto and Turkish state-owned Eti Maden together supply the world with about 85% of the rare element.
Boron is used in heat-resistant glass for smartphones, making clearer and stronger glass, and in solar panels and solar water heating systems. It&#39;s also important to plant growth and is used in abrasives, cleaning products, insecticides, insulation, ceramics, and semiconductors.
According to Maximize Market Research, the market for Boron is expected to grow from US$2.15 billion in 2024 to US$2.89 billion by 2030.
<h2>Ownership and Share Structure</h2>
As for ownership, according to Reuters, four insiders own 5.32% of Canter Resources. From most to least shares owned, these individuals are CEO and Director Joness Lang with 3.32%, Chief Financial Officer Alnesh Mohan with 0.98%, Director and Technical Adviser Eric Saderholm with 0.59%, and Director Brian Goss with 0.49% or 0.25M shares.
Retail and institutional investors own the remaining 94.68%, including Palos Asset Management, EarthLabs Inc., Clarus Securities Inc., and Echelon Partners.
Regarding share structure, according to the company, it has 50.99M outstanding shares, 580,000 options, and 3.66M warrants, for a total of 55.23M fully diluted shares.
Canter&#39;s market cap is CA$11.86 million, and it trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.07-0.99 per share.
Important Disclosures:
<ol>
<li>Canter Resources Corp. 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 Canter Resources Corp.</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>

CNRCF

Drills Turning at Lithium & Boron Explorer's Nevada Flagship Project

Source: <a href="https://www.streetwisereports.com/article/2024/04/24/is-a-gold-and-silver-correction-underway.html?utm_medium=feed">Clive Maund 04/24/2024</a>
After a drop in gold and silver on Monday, Technical Analyst Clive Maund reviews the precious metals&#39; charts to explain why he believes it may be a good time to start adding to positions across the sector
The heavy drop in gold and silver on Monday did not come as any surprise to us. A period of correction was predicted in the last gold and silver market updates.
Fundamentally, this was triggered by an easing of tensions in the Middle East. Although portrayed in the mainstream media as a failure with the absurd claim that Israel had shot down 99% of Iran&#39;s missiles, Iran&#39;s missile battery was a carefully calculated success. Not only did they succeed in damaging some strategically important targets, but in the process, they demonstrated that Israel&#39;s defense capabilities were not invincible.
They also succeeded in depleting Israel&#39;s expensive missile inventories and did so &quot;on the cheap&quot; by lobbing all of their old, out-of-date stuff, some of which was little more than flying lawnmowers that took hours to arrive. It&#39;s estimated that the night cost Israel $1.3 billion in expended missiles, whereas all the old stuff that Iran used up only cost a tiny fraction of that.
<blockquote class="callOut left">This is, therefore, thought to be a good time to start adding to positions across the sector and to do so more aggressively if we see any further reaction.</blockquote>
Of course, the U.S. taxpayer will no doubt be keen to make good Israel&#39;s loss.
The end result of all this, apart from Iran&#39;s &quot;satisfying honor&quot; was that Israel is now starting to understand that it won&#39;t get away with attacking Iran with impunity &mdash; if it tries it again in size, it is likely to disappear from the map as Iran has much more modern and powerful missiles in its arsenal with which to hit Israel should it decide to. This realization has restored a measure of relative stability and calm, and that fundamentally is why gold and silver are reacting back.
Nevertheless, the core drivers of the gold and silver bull market remain firmly in place, which are the ongoing exponential debasement of currencies worldwide and the associated impending complete collapse of the current financial system, which will be used as the excuse to impose the already prepared CBDC&#39;s, and more recently China has turned its attention to hoarding silver.
So the &quot;executive summary&quot; is that this correction in gold and silver should be seen for what it is &mdash; the perfect opportunity to build positions further at better prices ahead of the next major upleg.
How far might gold and silver react?
In the last gold Market update, $2250 was given as a downside target for the correction, and this morning, it is not all that far above this, being at $2307 at the time of writing.
As for silver, it was pointed out in the last silver market update that it would probably react back across its uptrend channel with a target of approximately $26.50. Well, it actually got below $26.70 last night, so, for practical purposes, that is good enough.
Here are the latest gold and silver charts:
<img alt="" class="No_img_class" src="https://www.theaureport.com/images/auto_up/202442472441_1.jpg" style="height:857px; width:670px" />
<img alt="" class="No_img_class" src="https://www.theaureport.com/images/auto_up/202442472448_2.jpg" style="height:857px; width:687px" />
The conclusion is that the reaction in gold and silver is largely done. True, they could react back some more, but the downside from here is thought to be limited, whereas they could start higher again anytime, especially if Israel decides it wants to try provoking Iran again.
This is, therefore, thought to be a good time to start adding to positions across the sector and to do so more aggressively if we see any further reaction.
Important Disclosures:
<ol>
<li>
Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports, Street Smart, or their officers. The author is wholly responsible for the accuracy of the statements. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Any disclosures from the author can be found below. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.
</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>
Clivemaund.com Disclosures
The above represents the opinion and analysis of Mr. Maund, based on data available to him, at the time of writing. Mr. Maund&#39;s opinions are his own, and are not a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell securities. As trading and investing in any financial markets may involve serious risk of loss, Mr. Maund recommends that you consult with a qualified investment advisor, one licensed by appropriate regulatory agencies in your legal jurisdiction and do your own due diligence and research when making any kind of a transaction with financial ramifications. Although a qualified and experienced stock market analyst, Clive Maund is not a Registered Securities Advisor. Therefore Mr. Maund&#39;s opinions on the market and stocks cannot be only be construed as a recommendation or solicitation to buy and sell securities.

Commodities

Is a Gold and Silver Correction Underway?

Source: <a href="https://www.streetwisereports.com/article/2024/04/24/barricks-production-miss-not-so-bad.html?utm_medium=feed">Adrian Day 04/24/2024</a>
Global Analyst Adrian Day looks at more first-quarter results from some resource companies, as well as some positive exploration results that, according to him, could extend a mine&#39;s life.
Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gold#NYSE">GOLD</a>)&nbsp;maintained its full-year guidance after first-quarter production in both gold and copper, which came in lower than expected. Part of the lower production was because of planned maintenance at the Nevada Gold Mines, but other causes were unexpected, including lower grades at Lumwana.
The lower production, with copper output in particular weak, about 15% lower than the consensus estimates, meant higher per-unit costs. Barrick estimated that its costs for gold at about $1,473 per ounce (for All-In Sustaining Costs) would come in about 8% higher than the previous quarter, while copper would jump about 15%. Once again, Barrick will not generate meaningful free cash flow for the quarter.
As usual, Barrick said it expected production to increase throughout the year, with the first quarter usually being its lowest. It pointed to Pueblo Viejo&#39;s expansion ramping up in the second quarter and the restart of Porgera.
<h2>Potential Bad News From Mali</h2>
Just as Barrick was reporting its first-quarter production (with full results scheduled for May 1) came a report that Mali&#39;s military government was planning to expropriate its Loulo-Gounkoto gold mine, which represents about 9% of the company&#39;s NAV. Mali&#39;s junta has been targeting the mining sector with a controversial audit of the industry as well as a proposed new mining code.
Barrick has not commented on the report. Separately, there are reports that Saudi Arabia is close to a deal to acquire a minority stake in Barrick&#39;s Reko Diq mine in Pakistan, investing at least $1 billion to buy part of the government&#39;s stake.
Saudi Arabia&#39;s interest has been public. Though any deal would not affect Barrick&#39;s interest in the project, it would be a positive, bringing in a wellfunded partner. Barrick&#39;s stock sunk sharply on the one-two punch from the production shortfall and Mali report, falling from over $18 to under $16.50 before a partial recovery.
In truth, it was an overreaction. The higher costs were for the most partly simply a function of lower production, while the production miss, beyond the planned Nevada maintenance, was quite minor, and the company reiterated its full-year guidance, backed by solid reasons. In truth, I think investor sentiment was less about the specifics of the quarter but more a not-illegitimate sense of d&eacute;j&agrave; vu since Barrick has missed its often-optimistic forecasts on more than one occasion. As for the Mali report, expropriation would indeed be serious, but there was little that was new in the widely publicized report. In short, our position has not changed.
We would hold here but look for opportunities to buy.
<h2>Royal Gold Offers Weak Guidance, but Likely Low</h2>
Royal Gold Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rgld#NASDAQ">RGLD</a>) announced its 2024 guidance of between 290K and 315K Gold Equivalent Ounces (GEOs), more-or-less flat versus 2023 actual GEOs of 312K, and meaningfully lower than expected. However, there are several headwinds that are taken into account with Royal&#39;s guidance, which may turn out to be conservative.
It should be emphasized that there are several possibilities for upside, including improvements at Goldrush and Robertson in Nevada and some new assets coming on stream, including IAMGOLD&#39;s new C&ocirc;te gold mine in Ontario.
Royal has also continued to pay down its credit facility, which it used to make major acquisitions in 2022 and 2023; it has repaid $125 million this year, bringing its balance down to $125 million.
We are holding after a better-than-20% jump since the end of February.
<h2>Strong Royalty Quarter for Altius</h2>
Altius Minerals Corp. (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/atusf#OTC">ATUSF</a>) said its attributable royalty revenue for the first quarter is expected at $17.4 million, up from less than $16 million in the previous quarter, though down from the first quarter of 2023. The year-ago quarter benefited greatly from high potash prices.
The main gains quarter-on-quarter are from renewal energy (almost doubling) and base metals, while the revenue from coal was eliminated as the Genesee Mine ceased operations at the end of the year. The company continues to buy back shares.
Separately, the eagerly-awaited arbitration hearing over the extent of its royalty on AngloGold&#39;s Beaty project in Nevada has taken place, but the company has not commented on it yet. A ruling may take months.
Altius is a core holding for us; we are holding after a nearly 30% stock price appreciation in the last two months.
<h2>Positive Drilling Could Extend Fortuna Mexican Mine</h2>
Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fsm#NYSE">FSM</a>)&nbsp;reported positive exploration results on its Yessi vein discovery at the San Jose mine in Mexico.
Exploration since the initial discovery last August is intended to test the limits of the vein as well as do in-fill drilling to support a resource estimate. Fortuna earlier said it was bringing forward the planned closure of the San Jose mine to the end of this year, but contingent on any additional resources.
Continued success of the program on the Yessi vein suggests that the closure could be pushed back.
We are holding.
TOP BUYS this week include, in addition to above, Orogen Royalties Inc. (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ognrf#OTC">OGNRF</a>) and Midland Exploration Inc. (MD:TSX.V).
Important Disclosures:
<ol>
<li>As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Barrick Gold Corp., Altius Minerals Corp., Fortuna Silver Mines Inc., Orogen Royalties Inc., and Midland Exploration Inc.</li>
<li>Adrian Day: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own securities of: All. My company has a financial relationship with: All. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector.</li>
<li>Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports, Street Smart, or their officers. The author is wholly responsible for the accuracy of the statements. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Any disclosures from the author can be found below. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.</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>
Adrian Day Disclosures
Publisher: Adrian Day. Owner: Investment Consultants International, Ltd. Staff may have positions in securities discussed herein. Adrian Day is also President of Global Strategic Management (GSM), a registered investment advisor, and a separate company from this service. In his capacity as GSM president, Adrian Day may be buying or selling for clients securities recommended herein concurrently, before or after recommendations herein, and may be acting for clients in a manner contrary to recommendations herein. This is not a solicitation for GSM. Views herein are the editor&#39;s opinion and not fact. All information is believed to be correct, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The owner and editor are not responsible for errors and omissions. &copy; 2023. Adrian Day&#39;s Global Analyst. Information and advice herein are intended purely for the subscriber&#39;s own account. Under no circumstances may any part of a Global Analyst e-mail be copied or distributed without prior written permission of the editor. Given the nature of this service, we will pursue any violations aggressively.

ATUSF

GOLD

OGNRF

RGLD

Barrick's Production Miss Not So Bad?

Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/smci#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>) is scheduled to report its third-quarter fiscal 2024 results on Apr 30. 
The company has been benefiting from its diverse business model, which encompasses Graphics Processing Units (GPU), AI, core computing, storage, 5G telco, edge and Internet of Things solutions. Its expanding pipeline of AI-backed software solutions continues to strengthen its foothold in the booming AI market in the to-be-reported quarter. 
Strength in the Server &amp; Storage Systems segment, owing to continuous AI integrations into its storage systems, is expected to have been the key growth driver of the company during the quarter under review. 
Strong momentum across its H100-based systems and AI inferencing systems are likely to have boosted the performance of the Subsystems &amp; Accessories segment in the third quarter. 
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter fiscal 2024 Subsystems and accessories revenues is pegged at $277.71 million, indicating a significant jump from the year-ago quarter&#39;s reported figure of $119.60 million. 
The company&#39;s solid traction across top-tier data centers, emerging cloud service providers, enterprise/channel, and edge/IoT/telco customers, owing to its robust next-generation AI and CPU platforms, is expected to have boosted its performance in the to-be-reported quarter. 
Strengthening demand and improving supply conditions for GPU and rack-scale total IT solutions are likely to have continued aiding its top-line growth in the quarter under review. 
However, macroeconomic uncertainties and a growing competitive scenario are likely to have been major headwinds for the company.
<div class="chart_embed">
<h3>Super Micro Computer, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise</h3>
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/chart/SMCI/price-eps-surprise?icid=chart-SMCI-price-eps-surprise"><img alt="Super Micro Computer, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/charts/7b/1714058224.png" style="height:299px; width:620px" title="" /> </a>
Super Micro Computer, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Super Micro Computer, Inc. Quote
</div>
<h3>Estimates Trend</h3>
For the third quarter of fiscal 2024, SMCI expects revenues between $3.7 billion and $4.1 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales is pegged at $4.11 billion, indicating a significant jump from the year-ago fiscal quarter&#39;s reported value of $1.28 billion. 
SMCI anticipates non-GAAP earnings between $5.20 and $6.01 per share. The consensus mark for earnings is pegged at $5.97 per share, indicating growth from the year-ago quarter&#39;s reported figure of $1.63 per share.
<h3>What Our Model Says</h3>
Per the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. That&#39;s exactly the case here. 
Super Micro Computer has an Earnings ESP of +16.35% and a Zacks Rank #3.
<h3>Stocks to Consider</h3>
Here are some stocks worth considering, as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this season. 
APi Group (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/apg#NYSE">APG</a>) has an Earnings ESP of +2.06% and a Zacks Rank #1 at present. 
APi Group is scheduled to release first-quarter 2024 results on May 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for APG&#39;s earnings is pegged at 32 cents per share, indicating growth of 28% from the year-ago quarter&#39;s reported figure. 
Amazon (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) has an Earnings ESP of +11.66% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. 
Amazon is set to announce first-quarter 2024 results on Apr 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMZN&#39;s earnings is pinned at 82 cents per share, indicating a jump from the year-ago quarter&#39;s reported figure of 31 cents per share. 
Cardinal Health (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cah#NYSE">CAH</a>) has an Earnings ESP of +1.11% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. 
CAH is scheduled to release third-quarter fiscal 2024 results on May 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CAH&#39;s earnings is pegged at $1.95 per share, indicating growth of 12.1% from the year-ago quarter&#39;s reported figure. 
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2262644/assessing-super-micro-computer-smci-ahead-of-q3-earnings?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-analyst_blog|most_popular_stocks-2262644">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

Tech

SMCI

Assessing Super Micro Computer Ahead of Q3 Earnings

Alphabet Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) CEO&nbsp;Sundar Pichai&nbsp;on Thursday expressed satisfaction with the development of the company&#8217;s&nbsp;Gemini AI, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/02/37258050/elon-musk-pushes-xais-grok-ai-chatbot-after-google-gemini-comes-under-fire-truth-never-been-more-ess">despite recent controversies</a>.
What Happened: During the company&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/04/38445001/alphabet-q1-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-70b-buyback-first-ever-dividend-ai-leadership-and-more">first-quarter earnings call</a>, Pichai highlighted the significant advancements made in the development of the Gemini AI and other models. 
He specifically mentioned the release of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/02/37256429/gemini-ai-takes-a-timeout-google-halts-image-generation-after-historical-figure-controversy">Gemini 1.5 Pro in February</a>, which demonstrated substantial performance improvements across various dimensions. 
He pointed out the model&#8217;s long-context understanding breakthrough, which achieved&nbsp;the longest context window of&nbsp;any large-scale foundation model to date.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38421280/metas-stock-plunge-after-q1-numbers-an-overreaction-to-zuckerbergs-capex-move-says-gene-munster-he-w?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Meta&#8217;s Stock Plunge After Q1 Numbers An &#8216;Overreaction&#8217; To Zuckerberg&#8217;s CapEx Move, Says Gene Munster: &#8216;He Wants to Get Investors on the Same Page</a>
&#8220;We are already seeing developers&nbsp;and enterprise customers enthusiastically embrace&nbsp;Gemini 1.5 and use it&nbsp;for a wide range of&nbsp;things. Beyond Gemini, we have&nbsp;built other useful models, including&nbsp;our Gemma open models as&nbsp;well as Imagine visual models,&nbsp;and others,&#8221; Pichai said. 
The Google CEO then also expressed <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/content/37174562/googles-gemini-ai-chatbot-expands-reach-to-android-users-in-india-heres-how-to-use-it">satisfaction with the progress</a> of&nbsp;Gemini, saying, &#8220;We are also pleased with the progress we are seeing with Gemini and Gemini Advanced through the Gemini app on Android and the Google app on iOS.&#8221;
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: The Gemini AI has been the subject of both praise and controversy. Despite its innovative features, the AI has faced criticism for generating <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/02/37356467/google-ceo-sundar-pichai-admits-gemini-ai-errors-completely-unacceptable-no-ai-is-perfect-we-got-it">historically inaccurate images and text</a>. This led to Google temporarily disabling the AI&#8217;s ability to generate images.
In February, Pichai reportedly addressed the issue in an internal memo and called it &#8220;completely [unacceptable].&#8221; Gemini AI was producing <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/02/37233234/gemini-is-a-joke-googles-ai-chatbot-doesnt-even-know-how-its-own-founders-larry-page-and-sergey-brin">racially varied depictions</a> of Nazi-era German soldiers, misrepresenting the U.S. Founding Fathers and Google's own co-founders.
The image generation capability in Gemini which was launched in February earlier this year aimed to compete with OpenAI&#8217;s ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot. However, in their own word, Google admitted that Gemini had been &#8220;missing the mark.&#8221; 
Price Action: At the time of writing, Alphabet&#8217;s Class A shares soared 11.6% in the after-hours session at $174.24, while the company&#8217;s Class C shares shot up 11.4% at $176. The Class A and Class C shares closed nearly 2% lower at $156 and $157.95 respectively in the regular session, according to<a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/lxquj26b2sag"> Benzinga Pro data</a>.
Photo courtesy: World Economic Forum on Flickr
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/24/04/38397316/elon-musk-says-morgan-freeman-is-awesome-after-american-actor-says-hes-a-huge-fan-of-tesla-?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk Says Morgan Freeman Is &#8216;Awesome&#8217; After American Actor Says He&#8217;s A Huge Fan Of Tesla CEO: &#8216;What He&#8217;s Done, Nobody Else Has Ever Done&#8217;</a>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

GOOG

GOOGL

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai Lauds 'Progress' Despite Controversies Surrounding Google Gemini: Developer And Enterprise Customers Use It For 'Wide Range Of Things'

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) has recently witnessed a significant technical indicator, prompting a sell-off signal. This development has raised concerns among traders and investors.
What Happened: On Wednesday, crypto analyst Ali Martinez took to social media platform X to alert the community about the TD Sequential indicator signaling a sell-off on Bitcoin&#8217;s 12-hour chart. 
The digital currency is also encountering resistance at the mid-level of a parallel channel, Martinez warned. &#8220;Exercise caution, given this indicator&#8217;s track record. Particularly watchful if $BTC drops below the $65,500 support level,&#8221; he wrote. 
<a href="https://twitter.com/ali_charts/status/1783011223304376355/photo/1"></a>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The TD Sequential indicator has flashed a sell signal on the 12-hour chart, with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> facing resistance at the mid-level of a parallel channel! Exercise caution, given this indicator&#39;s track record. Particularly watchful if <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> drops below the $65,500 support level. <a href="https://t.co/m7iquoi1L5">pic.twitter.com/m7iquoi1L5</a>
&mdash; Ali (@ali_charts) <a href="https://twitter.com/ali_charts/status/1783011223304376355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
The TD Sequential is a crucial technical analysis tool that helps traders identify potential price reversals and trend exhaustion. By understanding its calculation and interpretation, traders can incorporate it into their trading strategies to improve their market timing.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38376705/doge-shiba-and-other-memecoins-fueling-mass-adoption-of-bases-l2-network-coinbase-e?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dogecoin, Shiba Inu And Other Memecoins Fueling Mass Adoption Of Base&#8217;s L2 Network, Coinbase Exec Says: &#8216;They Are Going To Be One Of The Biggest Drivers&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: Despite the recent sell signal, some traders remain optimistic about Bitcoin&#8217;s future. Pseudonymous cryptocurrency trader Tim believes that the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/04/38442912/bitcoins-consolidation-phase-best-met-with-zoom-out-perspective-patience-approach-says-tra">current consolidation phase is healthy</a> and anticipates a bullish continuation. He points to several indicators, including Bitcoin&#8217;s rally over the past 14 months, as evidence of a potential upswing.
In a related development, Morgan Stanley <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/04/38431467/morgan-stanley-considers-broader-bitcoin-etf-sales-through-broker-network">is considering expanding</a> its Bitcoin ETF offerings through its broker network. This move could potentially increase Bitcoin&#8217;s accessibility to a broader investor base.
Meanwhile, for those looking to access liquidity without selling their Bitcoin, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/partner/cryptocurrency/24/04/38432330/no-need-to-sell-bitcoin-get-a-crypto-backed-loan-instead">crypto-backed loans</a> offer a strategic avenue for maintaining ownership of their digital assets while accessing liquid funds in the form of fiat or stablecoins.
Price Action: Based on data sourced <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">from Benzinga Pro</a>, Bitcoin is presently priced at $64,036, marking a slight decrease of 0.70% over the past 24 hours. However, it has surged impressively by 44.97% since the beginning of the year.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/04/38377888/holding-6-ethereum-eth-could-make-you-a-millionaire-according-to-cathie-wood?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Holding 6 Ethereum (ETH) Could Make You A Millionaire, According to Cathie Wood</a>
Image Via Shutterstock 
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Analyst Ratings

Bitcoin Sell Signal On 12-Hour Chart Sparks Concerns, Analyst Warns 'Exercise Caution, Given This Indicator's Track Record'

The 2020 conviction of former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein for sexual assault and rape has been overturned by New York&#8217;s highest court. The decision, announced on Thursday, has reopened the landmark case that sparked the #MeToo movement.
The state Court of Appeals ruled 4-3 that the trial judge made a critical error by allowing women to testify that Weinstein assaulted them, even though their accusations were not part of the charges he faced. This, they said, impacted Weinstein&#8217;s decision not to testify in his own defense, reported Reuters.
The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has indicated plans to retry Weinstein. &#8220;The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial,&#8221; Judge Jenny Rivera wrote for the majority.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/04/38384714/whats-going-on-with-trump-media-technology-stock-on-tuesday?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">What&#8217;s Going On With Trump Media &amp; Technology Stock On Tuesday?</a>
Many of Weinstein&#8217;s accusers, including actress Ashley Judd, have condemned the decision, calling it &#8220;an act of institutional betrayal.&#8221; Weinstein&#8217;s lawyer, Arthur Aidala, however, described the decision as &#8220;a great day for America.&#8221;
Despite the overturned conviction, Weinstein, who is currently serving a 23-year sentence in a prison in upstate Rome, New York, is not expected to be released immediately. He still faces a separate 16-year prison term in California for a 2013 rape conviction.
Photo Courtesy: Lev Radin on Shutterstock.com
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/04/38390883/tesla-q1-earnings-highlights-ev-giant-misses-wall-street-estimates-makes-cost-cuts-invests-in-ai-sp?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tesla Q1 Earnings Highlights: EV Giant Misses Wall Street Estimates, Makes Cost Cuts, Invests In AI, Speeds Launch Of New Models</a>
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Politics

Harvey Weinstein's Conviction Overturned — New Trial Expected, Ashley Judd Labels It 'An Act Of Institutional Betrayal'

A federal judge in New York has rejected former President Donald Trump&#8217;s appeal for a new trial in a defamation lawsuit filed by writer E. Jean Carroll. The judge upheld the $83.3 million damage award to Carroll.
What Happened: Judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed Trump&#8217;s arguments for a new trial on Thursday. Kaplan stated that the compensatory damages awarded to Carroll were not solely for emotional distress and were not excessive, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/federal-judge-rejects-donald-trumps-bid-new-jean/story?id=109634929">reported</a> ABC News.
He further noted that Trump&#8217;s &#8220;malicious and unceasing attacks&#8221; on Carroll, which reached over 100 million people, included public threats and personal attacks, putting Carroll&#8217;s health and safety at risk.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38423358/bill-ackman-says-not-voting-for-biden-slams-president-for-inaction-on-american-hostage-issue-too-foc?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bill Ackman Says &#8216;Not Voting For Biden,&#8217; Slams President For Inaction On American Hostage Issue: &#8216;Too Focused On Other Talking Points…To Get Re-elected&#8217;</a>
Roberta Kaplan, Carroll&#8217;s attorney, expressed satisfaction with the court&#8217;s decision, stating it was &#8220;entirely reasonable&#8221; for the jury to award Carroll $83 million in damages given Trump&#8217;s continued defamation during the trial.
Earlier in February, following a five-day trial, Trump was ordered to pay Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, $83.3 million for defaming her in 2019 when he denied her allegations of sexual abuse. The award included $17.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages.
In May 2023, in a separate trial, Trump was found liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s and defaming her in a 2022 social media post. However, the jury did not find Trump guilty of rape as claimed by Carroll.
Why It Matters: This lawsuit has been a significant legal battle for Trump. In January, a federal jury in Manhattan <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/01/36812707/donald-trump-ordered-to-pay-83m-to-e-jean-carroll-in-defamation-lawsuit">ordered Trump to pay</a> Carroll $83.3 million in a defamation lawsuit.
Following the verdict, Trump <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/03/37572257/e-jean-carroll-case-trump-posts-91-6m-bond-as-ex-president-appeals-against-defamation-verdict">posted a $91.6 million bond</a> to appeal the defamation verdict in March 2024. The bond, provided by Federal Insurance Co, a part of the insurer Chubb, would cover Carroll's $83.3 million judgment if Trump loses his appeal and refuses to pay.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38394472/trump-vp-pool-including-a-mystery-candidate-put-on-notice-by-anti-abortion-group-gop-ticket-poses-a?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TTrump VP Pool, Including A Mystery Candidate, Put On Notice By Anti-Abortion Group: &#8216;GOP Ticket Poses A Significant Threat&#8217;</a>
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Trump's Request For New Trial In Rape Defamation Trial Rejected, Judge Says Ex-President's Attacks On E. Jean Carroll 'Malicious And Unceasing'

The White House has turned down Republican Speaker Mike Johnson&#8217;s (R-La.) call to deploy the National Guard on college campuses that are witnessing large-scale protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
What Happened: House Speaker Johnson, on Thursday, urged President Joe Biden to mobilize the National Guard to suppress the widespread protests on college campuses related to the Israel-Hamas war, as <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4622494-white-house-biden-republican-national-guard-college-israel-palestine-protests/">reported</a> by The Hill. Johnson had visited Columbia University on Wednesday, where the first major pro-Palestine protest took place and has since proliferated to several colleges across the country.
In response, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre clarified on Thursday that the power to deploy the National Guard lies with state governors, not the president. Jean-Pierre also reminded that President Biden has previously condemned the protests as antisemitic.
&#8220;That is something for the governors to decide," she told reporters, according to the report.
Despite this, Johnson intensified his rhetoric on Wednesday, describing the protests as &#8220;dangerous&#8221; and suggesting that it might be the &#8220;appropriate time for the National Guard&#8221; if the &#8220;threats and intimidation&#8221; are not swiftly curbed.
The protests, involving students and faculty, are urging the Biden administration to back a permanent cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, halt military aid to Israel, and are advocating for their universities to divest from Israeli interests.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38394472/trump-vp-pool-including-a-mystery-candidate-put-on-notice-by-anti-abortion-group-gop-ticket-poses-a?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump VP Pool, Including A Mystery Candidate, Put On Notice By Anti-Abortion Group: &#8216;GOP Ticket Poses A Significant Threat&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: The protests have been gaining momentum since April 2024. Students began demanding their universities to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38446778/students-demand-universities-sell-off-israel-related-stocks-hundreds-arrested-in-nationwide-protests">divest from Israeli-related stocks</a>. The protests, which started at Columbia University, have led to hundreds of arrests nationwide. 
Political figures such as former Vice-President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott (R- S.C.) have <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38358514/mike-pence-tim-scott-slam-pro-palestinian-protests-in-columbia-university-no-place-for-anti-semitism">criticized the protests</a>, with Pence stating, "There is no place for Antisemitism in any form in any place in the United States of America." 
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38422645/trumps-niece-says-ex-president-could-see-potential-imprisonment-as-opportunity-donald-is-facing-real?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump&#8217;s Niece Says Ex-President Could See Potential Imprisonment As Opportunity: &#8216;Donald Is Facing Real-Time Consequences For His Transgressions&#8217;</a>
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White House Declines Mike Johnson's Request For National Guard Deployment Amid College Protests Over Israel-Hamas Conflict: 'Something For The Governors To Decide'