Bond Expert Monday Outlook: Positioning for the Week Ahead [View article]
John Jansen: The World Bank prediction out this morning calls for a world economy shrinkage of 2.9% this year, not 2.0%. They also called for the developed nations to do much better than the others. This no doubt has a lot to do with the bond performance today. There seems to be a "flight to quality" going on. I tend to believe the huge Treasury auctions throughout this week will tend to override that. Still nothing is sure in today's market, especially with the Fed announcement coming on Wednesday.
You also have to consider that the ECB has been dropping hints that they may lower their lending rate from 1% in the near future. This would tend to push the US Dollar up (probably US bonds too).
Capital One Q1 Results: A Hint of Losses to Come [View article]
Yesterday S&P cut the ratings on 18 US banks. It cut COF's rating to BBB/Negative. This doesn't sound promising for COF's near term price performance (or earnings performance).
BioDelivery Sciences: More than a One Drug Company [View article]
Some more good news on BDSI today. According to DJ it will soon join the Russell 3000 Index. Generally inclusion in an Index (or movement to a more highly thought of index) makes some mutual funds,etc. buy the stock. Others follow along. This should be a positive for the BDSI share price.
Biodelivery Investors Await FDA Approval, Hope for Surge in Stock Price [View article]
Some more good news on BDSI today. According to DJ it will soon join the Russell 3000 Index. Generally inclusion in an Index (or movement to a more highly thought of index) makes some mutual funds,etc. buy the stock. Others follow along. This should be a positive for the BDSI share price.
Hemispherx and Antigenics' Vaccine Adjuvants: Indispensable for Vaccines [View article]
I should also have added that HEB has a whole slew of other uses for ampligen, including the use as a flu vaccine adjuvant. It will take money to prove all of these out. Still these applications do hold incredible future promise for HEB earnings. HEB does have something to do with the money they will derive from the mixed shelf registration. Of course, sometimes HEB does get "free" help such as the case above in which the Japanese Institute of Health is spearheading the research into ampligen use with flu vaccine.
Hemispherx and Antigenics' Vaccine Adjuvants: Indispensable for Vaccines [View article]
I should have added that Barrons has done exposes on Jim Cramer's accuracy. They claim he makes more bad calls than good ones. I tend to think this is one of his bad ones.
In fairness I should add that I consider Jim Cramer to be educational. He does say a lot of good things. I just done agree with him on this.
Hemispherx and Antigenics' Vaccine Adjuvants: Indispensable for Vaccines [View article]
Today HEB is down strongly again. This is almost getting to be a trend. Apparently Jim Cramer has been bad mouthing the stock. Admittedly they did file a $150M mixed shelf offering recently. This should cuase significant dilution of the stock. It will cause much less if the stock goes up on approval. Also it is a mixed shelf offering. HEB may be able to sell bonds soon if FDA approval comes through.The data presented in this article favor approval of ampligen for CFS, even though the flu virus work is not directly applicable. The FDA scientists are very bureaucratic. Ampligen has been proven to be at least reasonably effective against CFS. It does not seem to be unsafe. The only really valid reason for rejecting the NDA now is safety. What bureaucrat would want to be on record as rejecting as unsafe an orphan drug that is at least reasonable effective against CFS, when half the world may soon be taking ampligen to help fight off flu?
Biodelivery Investors Await FDA Approval, Hope for Surge in Stock Price [View article]
Lidenburg Thalmann reiterated their buy rating on BDSI today. It is comforting when the analysts agree with you. It seems like most people still think BDSI is very likely to gain approval from the FDA. Usually analysts are wary of taking risks. This buy reiteration indicates that the possible upside more than justifies the risk. Usually analysts are conservative when there is one time news involved. Perhaps the stock will double or more on positive news.
Which Financials Are Seeing Short Interest Decline? [View article]
The decrease in short interest for BofA may be short lived. Reuters reported today that BAC's credit card charge off rate soared to 12.50 percent in May from 10.47 percent in April. If this rate persists or worsens next month (and thereafter), it will make BAC's credit card business a huge loser. Short interest will pour back in, especially since BAC's mortgage business (residential and commercial) is likely to have bigger problems in the near future. Likely this month's news alone will engender some more short interest in BAC.
Hemispherx Biopharma: Hot and Likely to Get Hotter [View article]
The Street.com/stockpkr is at it again. This time they are saying that HEB made the $150M shelf filing so they can take advantage of the run up in price. The thought seemed to be that they wouldn't need it if the product was approved. This is obviously not the case. HEB needs the money. They likely are hoping for a good pop on ampligen for CFS approval. This would likely double or triple the market cap. Then $150M would not be as big a part of the total company worth. HEB has many more uses for ampligen that need approval. They will need studies. This is just the first. It is a valuable first step. If it gets approved, it will greatly help to expedite the many other approvals necessary for ampligen (see comment above for a list of uses). The guy doing the shorting will likely do great until a stock finally explodes on him more quickly than his stop can cover. He was not impressive. Even James Altucher said he had disagreed with Adam Feuerstein about DNDN. The implication was that James was not signing up for the shorting nonsense. If the stock rises dramatically, the dilution factor will be much less. My thinking is that there is a 75% chance or better of approval. If approved, the stock may well triple or more in value. If rejected, the stock may lose $1.50 or so. There has been a lot of positive flu news lately. To me this seems like a calculated risk that should work in my favor if continuously taken over the long run.
Loss: 0.25 X $1.50 = $0.375 Gain: 0.75 X $5.00 = $3.75
In short the risk to reward ratio is about 1 to 10. That's usually a good bet in my book.
Hemispherx Biopharma: Hot and Likely to Get Hotter [View article]
Good news for HEB again today. HEB's partner in Japan, Biken, has decided to expand their flu vaccine manufacturing facilities 5-fold as a result of the pandemic declaration for Sine Flu. This should translate into more ampligen sales for HEB.
Hemispherx Biopharma: Hot and Likely to Get Hotter [View article]
Today the W.H.O. declared the Swine Flu a pandemic. This is actually very good news for HEB. First one of the applications for ampligen is as an adjuvant for flu vacccine. The Japanese Institute of Health has given it rave reviews in this regard. The Swine Flu pandemic will no doubt bring HEB some more business.
More than that though, this really puts a lot of pressure on the FDA to approve ampligen for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Really there is no doubt that it is at least somewhat effective. Additionally it would be an orphan drug. It is expensive, but it would help a lot of people who suffer from the illness. Then the real question is, "Is it safe?" From what I understand it is. However, the FDA still has to decide this (in conjunction with its efficacy).
Still the FDA is a bureaucracy among its other traits. If you were a bureaucrat, would you want to be on record as turning down an orphan drug, especially when large numbers of people in the world take it safely for flu??? I don't think I would. The FDA likes to err on the side of caution. This pandemic declaration will likley make them a little less cautious. Ampligen is clearly an effective adjuvant for flu vaccine. There is little doubt it will be used for that by large numbers in the very near future.
Hemispherx Biopharma: Hot and Likely to Get Hotter [View article]
WHO is holding a meeting today, June 10, to determine if they are going to raise the Swine Flu threat level to 6 -- a pandemic. Australia now has reported more than 1200 reported cases. The US has reported more than 13,200. Mexico has reported more than 5700. Canada has reported over 2400. Chile has reported about 1700. This looks like it meets the criteria for moving from stage 5 to stage 6. Plus the outbreaks in Chile and Australia are particularly significant as they are about to enter their winter season (flu season).
The criteria are: Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.
Phase 6, the pandemic phase, is characterized by community level outbreaks in at least one other country in a different WHO region in addition to the criteria defined in Phase 5. Designation of this phase will indicate that a global pandemic is under way.
If you consider Mexico, the US, and Canada as one region, you now see there are significant outbreaks in two other regions -- Australia and Chile. I expect the W.H.O. will raise the threat level to 6 -- a pandemic.
Hemispherx Biopharma: Hot and Likely to Get Hotter [View article]
I should add HEB is tanking after hours a bit today because the company announced that they filed a shelf registration with the SEC to sell $150M of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, ans warrants. No doubt the stock is down on dilution concerns. This has no bearing on the FDA approval. If anything it may mean that the company expects FDA approval (i.e. a higher stock price in the near future).
Hemispherx Biopharma: Hot and Likely to Get Hotter [View article]
Here's some informative information I got from my new InfoNgen account:
First, Reuters reported that Japan plans to produce enough H1N1 flu vaccine to treat 20 million people by the end of year. The company has been in discussions and testing their flu platforms with that country for quite some time.
“The highest level of the Japanese government and public medical community is now focused exclusively on our product,” Carter told BioMedReports last week. “They stopped working on all other adjuvants (boosters) and are only working with this one because they’ve found that it enhances the vaccines by 100 fold.”
Second, Prohost Biotechnology, an independent publication which evaluates biotechnology companies, their products, technologies, scientists and managers, as well as their finances for fund managers, investors, medical professionals issued a report on Friday calling both Hemispherx's Ampligen and Antigenics’(Nasdaq:AGEN) QS-21 Stimulon the two most indespenable vaccine adjuvants. "We need adjuvants and Ampligen is among those whom we really need to have available to infectious disease and oncology specialists" said the report.
Peer-reviewed medical publications, have reported key findings with a view to offering a rationale for the use of Ampligen as a potentially safe adjuvant- one recently published one from Cardiff Univeristy even summizes that the drug is capable of overcoming tumour-related immune tolerance mechanisms in a clinical setting.
The company is waiting for an approval decision for Ampligen's application to treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome from the FDA. That decision should come on Tuesday, if not sooner according to previously released news.
You should also be aware that Michael Catalin Vlaicu (seekingalpha contributor) wrote a new, informative article about Adam Feuerstein's articles on HEB from last Friday entitled, "Hemispherx's Ampligen: Fact vs. Fiction". It is worth reading.
Bond Expert Monday Outlook: Positioning for the Week Ahead [View article]
You also have to consider that the ECB has been dropping hints that they may lower their lending rate from 1% in the near future. This would tend to push the US Dollar up (probably US bonds too).
Capital One Q1 Results: A Hint of Losses to Come [View article]
BioDelivery Sciences: More than a One Drug Company [View article]
Biodelivery Investors Await FDA Approval, Hope for Surge in Stock Price [View article]
Hemispherx and Antigenics' Vaccine Adjuvants: Indispensable for Vaccines [View article]
Hemispherx and Antigenics' Vaccine Adjuvants: Indispensable for Vaccines [View article]
In fairness I should add that I consider Jim Cramer to be educational. He does say a lot of good things. I just done agree with him on this.
Hemispherx and Antigenics' Vaccine Adjuvants: Indispensable for Vaccines [View article]
Biodelivery Investors Await FDA Approval, Hope for Surge in Stock Price [View article]
Which Financials Are Seeing Short Interest Decline? [View article]
Hemispherx Biopharma: Hot and Likely to Get Hotter [View article]
Loss: 0.25 X $1.50 = $0.375
Gain: 0.75 X $5.00 = $3.75
In short the risk to reward ratio is about 1 to 10. That's usually a good bet in my book.
Hemispherx Biopharma: Hot and Likely to Get Hotter [View article]
Hemispherx Biopharma: Hot and Likely to Get Hotter [View article]
More than that though, this really puts a lot of pressure on the FDA to approve ampligen for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Really there is no doubt that it is at least somewhat effective. Additionally it would be an orphan drug. It is expensive, but it would help a lot of people who suffer from the illness. Then the real question is, "Is it safe?" From what I understand it is. However, the FDA still has to decide this (in conjunction with its efficacy).
Still the FDA is a bureaucracy among its other traits. If you were a bureaucrat, would you want to be on record as turning down an orphan drug, especially when large numbers of people in the world take it safely for flu??? I don't think I would. The FDA likes to err on the side of caution. This pandemic declaration will likley make them a little less cautious. Ampligen is clearly an effective adjuvant for flu vaccine. There is little doubt it will be used for that by large numbers in the very near future.
Hemispherx Biopharma: Hot and Likely to Get Hotter [View article]
The criteria are:
Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.
Phase 6, the pandemic phase, is characterized by community level outbreaks in at least one other country in a different WHO region in addition to the criteria defined in Phase 5. Designation of this phase will indicate that a global pandemic is under way.
If you consider Mexico, the US, and Canada as one region, you now see there are significant outbreaks in two other regions -- Australia and Chile. I expect the W.H.O. will raise the threat level to 6 -- a pandemic.
Hemispherx Biopharma: Hot and Likely to Get Hotter [View article]
Hemispherx Biopharma: Hot and Likely to Get Hotter [View article]
First, Reuters reported that Japan plans to produce enough H1N1 flu vaccine to treat 20 million people by the end of year. The company has been in discussions and testing their flu platforms with that country for quite some time.
“The highest level of the Japanese government and public medical community is now focused exclusively on our product,” Carter told BioMedReports last week. “They stopped working on all other adjuvants (boosters) and are only working with this one because they’ve found that it enhances the vaccines by 100 fold.”
Second, Prohost Biotechnology, an independent publication which evaluates biotechnology companies, their products, technologies, scientists and managers, as well as their finances for fund managers, investors, medical professionals issued a report on Friday calling both Hemispherx's Ampligen and Antigenics’(Nasdaq:AGEN) QS-21 Stimulon the two most indespenable vaccine adjuvants. "We need adjuvants and Ampligen is among those whom we really need to have available to infectious disease and oncology specialists" said the report.
Peer-reviewed medical publications, have reported key findings with a view to offering a rationale for the use of Ampligen as a potentially safe adjuvant- one recently published one from Cardiff Univeristy even summizes that the drug is capable of overcoming tumour-related immune tolerance mechanisms in a clinical setting.
The company is waiting for an approval decision for Ampligen's application to treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome from the FDA. That decision should come on Tuesday, if not sooner according to previously released news.
You should also be aware that Michael Catalin Vlaicu (seekingalpha contributor) wrote a new, informative article about Adam Feuerstein's articles on HEB from last Friday entitled, "Hemispherx's Ampligen: Fact vs. Fiction". It is worth reading.
seekingalpha.com/artic...