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Try this sight for time/sales/volume: Be sure to click on the time/sales link.......
http://quotes.freerealtime.com/dl/frt/M?IM=quotes&type=Quote&symbol=heb
Smart accumulation going on here!!!!!!!!!
I picked up a small lot yesterday because of the sale of properties. Let's see if they bump up the dividend some to suport share price going forward....As it is the shares may be a steal now!!!!!!!
$LTC Properties sells six-property portfolio
May 1, 2018 11:01 AM ET|About: LTC Properties Inc. ($LTC)
Known as the Sunrise Portfolio, the six assisted living and memory care communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania were sold for $67.5M.
$LTC expects to book a Q2 gain on sale of $48M on the deal. Rental revenue for the four months ended April 30 was $1.5M.
And for good reason too. Company is looking like it might be starting an uptrend with the stock to follow. I like the insiders buying too @ 0.33
Hemispherx Provides an Update to Stockholders Highlighting Cancer Focus and $10 Million Booked Since Start of Year Will Support Increased Production of Ampligen for Immuno-Oncology Clinical Trials
Wed May 2, 2018 8:30 AM|GlobeNewswire|About: HEB
ORLANDO, Fla., May 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (NYSE American:HEB) would like to share a letter with its stockholders today, highlighting 2017 results, recent achievements, and outlining plans to take the company forward with emphasis on the fast-growing field of immunotherapy in cancer settings, utilizing Ampligen – a potent TLR-3 agonist amplifying the immune response – to potentially increase the effectiveness of checkpoint drugs.
Dear Fellow Stockholders:
As you probably know, we recently announced the completion of fill and finish operations for our first commercial-size lot of Ampligen at our Contract Manufacturing Organization (“CMO”). More than 8,500 vials now await routine release testing before heading to the shipping dock in the next few weeks. An additional similar size lot is scheduled for fill and finish at our CMO this month for release in July.
This is an important milestone for Hemispherx. We can now not only fill pending orders, but also proceed with important new clinical studies designed to take Ampligen — a potent TLR-3 agonist amplifying the immune response — forward as a next generation candidate in the fast-growing field of immuno-oncology.
Roughly one-fourth of the recently completed Ampligen production (2,100 vials) will be shipped for its Early Access Programs. A portion is also allocated to initiate our commercial launch in Argentina. Part is earmarked for compassionate use in ME/CFS patients in the United States. Finally, the balance is allocated for what we expect to be a significant increase in U.S. clinical trial activity, testing Ampligen’s performance as a single agent and in combination immunotherapy for a variety of cancers.
In case you missed the news release we issued on April 2, 2018 about our 2017 full year results, let me summarize the highlights:
Operationally, it was a banner year. We supplied Ampligen for the European Early Access Program in pancreatic cancer; the FDA approved a price increase for cost-recovery in the United States; we commenced the safety analysis of Ampligen in combination with FluMist; we completed the flood-damage renovations to our cGMP manufacturing facility; we collaborated with Millions Missing Canada to potentially make Ampligen available to Canadians with ME/CFS; we continued to work with the FDA to identify a path toward approval for Ampligen for ME/CFS; and we initiated plans for advanced clinical trials of Ampligen as a single agent and combination cancer therapy.
Since the beginning of January 2018 we have added to cash by booking $10 million from Ampligen sales, the sale/leaseback of our manufacturing facility, the sale of non-strategic real estate, the exercise of warrants and the sale of common stock. Monies recently raised are important to enhance our increased Ampligen production capacity and to fulfill our ever increasing commercial and clinical needs.
Evidence is increasing about the role of checkpoint drugs in transforming the standard of care in many cancers beyond chemotherapy alone. In the April 16, 2018 edition of The New York Times, Dr. Roy Herbst, chief of Medical Oncology at the Yale Cancer Center, is quoted saying, “If you want to see long-term survival, you’ve got to give immunotherapy as soon as possible. Chemotherapy has limitations. Immunotherapy has the ability to cure.”
Now attention is turning to ways of enhancing the performance of current immunotherapeutic drugs, especially with TLR agonists, which are potent stimulators of the immune system. Evidence continues to build about their performance in cancer settings, particularly in combination with checkpoint drugs. Ampligen’s safety profile may provide an important advantage over other TLR agonists, especially with the more than 93,000 systemic doses administered intravenously showing that Ampligen is generally well-tolerated.
Our Goals For 2018
We expect to advance Ampligen through the clinic as a differentiated immuno-oncology agent, building on a strong safety profile and encouraging outcomes in Phase 1/2 studies. We anticipate publications and presentations on the findings of independent studies of Ampligen as a single agent and combination therapy in a variety of difficult cancers. Top-line results from non-clinical combination studies have supported Ampligen’s potential role in strengthening the cancer-killing capabilities of checkpoint inhibitors like Keytruda and Opdivo, two of the leading checkpoint drugs. Advanced studies combining Ampligen with checkpoint drugs are being planned. We believe Ampligen will be an important player in this immuno-oncology revolution.
Conclusion
We are proud of all that we have accomplished in 2017 and 2018 to date to move Ampligen toward commercialization. Importantly, with growing evidence about the potential role of checkpoint drugs in transforming the standard of care in many cancers beyond chemotherapy alone, we believe Ampligen can become an important asset to improve the prognosis and treatment of multitudes of patients in a variety of ways across the globe. The goals that we have set for ourselves in 2018 will help us to facilitate this aspiration for Ampligen.
Sincerely,
Thomas K. Equels
Chief Executive Officer
The letter to shareholders will also be posted to our website under the following link: http://ir.hemispherx.net/external.asp?b=2265&id=69459&from=du&L=e
About Hemispherx Biopharma (HEB)
Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. is an advanced specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in the clinical development of new drug entities for treatment of seriously debilitating disorders. Hemispherx’s flagship products include Alferon N Injection® and the experimental therapeutic rintatolimod (tradenames Ampligen® or Rintamod®). Rintatolimod is an experimental RNA nucleic acid being developed for globally important debilitating diseases and disorders of the immune system, including Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Hemispherx’s platform technology includes components for potential treatment of various severely debilitating and life threatening diseases. Because rintatolimod is experimental in nature, it is not designated safe and effective by the FDA for general use and is legally available only through clinical trials.
Cautionary Statement
Some of the statements included in this press release may be forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements set forth in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. This press release and prior releases are available at www.hemispherx.net. The information found on our website is not incorporated by reference into this press release and is included for reference purposes only.
Contact
Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc.
Phone Number: 800-778-4042
Email: IR@hemispherx.net
https://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/ead08275-4de6-45cf-814c-f0f83a2abd61?size=1
Source: Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. 2018 GlobeNewswire, Inc.
Getting off opioids with medical marijuana: Patients turn to pot over pills
By Nadia Kounang, CNN
Updated 8:24 AM ET, Sun April 29, 2018
weed 4 Maine excerpt pot vs pills
https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2018/04/23/weed-4-pot-vs-pills-trailer.cnn
Alcohol Stocks Fighting To Stay Relevant In A Marijuana Stock Market?
Small Cap Reporter
Long/short equity, nano-cap, micro-cap, tech
Summary
For 30 days the marijuana industry has seen some of the biggest government support to date.
Many "vice" stocks are reporting lagging sales in one segment or another and it could be due to "changing consumer tastes"
With cannabis sales increasing at a drastic pace & newly realized government support, this could be the next phase of the cannabis industry's evolution.
Many stocks in the alcohol space have actually suffered largely in the market during the same time that these positive announcements & price movements have been realized for the cannabis market.
If one trend has been consistent over the last 30 days, it has been this: Cannabis is becoming much more mainstream. Here are key events that have had their impact within numerous markets and this impact may not be more clearly seen than in the alcohol market:
March 26th: McConnell brings up bill (S2667) to legalize industrial hemp.
April 16th: Announcement that the same hemp bill will be fast tracked through the Senate will be fast tracked through the Senate.
April 13th: President Trump and Sen. Gardner make headlines when the president promised the Republican senator that he would support efforts by Congress to protect states that have marijuana laws in place to legalize the substance.
April 20th: Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduces legislation to decriminalize marijuana on the federal level.
On the surface, this could be great news for states and for public companies taking advantage of the potential within the US. It also stands to reason that it adds more fuel to the fire when Canada nationally legalizes recreational marijuana later this year. While the industry (still somewhat on the fringe) begins to grab the spotlight, I couldn’t help but notice that another, much older and longer-standing industry could be starting to suffer: alcohol.
This includes all types: Beer, wine and spirits. Just take a look at some of the companies in the market that began to stumble. Much of this happened as soon as news started breaking that was related to a new “Vice” industry that could quickly be coming to the mainstream market and out of its own era of prohibition:
This retailer of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer, cider, spirits, and wines may have suffered from slower and lower revenue results but the timing of it all came at the same point that much of the legal cannabis excitement was happening in the US. The decline in share price began right after the news that the President would support states' rights to legal marijuana and right before Senator Schumer dropped his bombshell regarding changes on the federal level. Share prices of Compania Cervecerias Unidas have sputtered during the second half of the month and are down 6.5% since April 17th.
The producer of Sam Adams beer has performed very well since March 1st but just as the previous companies mentioned, share prices have faltered during the last few weeks. Similar to Compania Cervecerias Unidas, shares of The Boston Beer Company began wavering during both the April 16 and April 20th announcements with the downtrend continuing well after.
Declining growth in Boston Lager and overall decline in total beer have been an issue for the beer company but diversification has helped spur other areas of competition in the market. Despite the fact that Twisted Tea and Angry Orchard are seeing better performance, shares have slid over the last few weeks. Since April 19th, shares slid by as much as 5.3%, which may or may not continue doing so in the long term as the company reported strong first quarter earnings but a relatively uncertain outlook for the remaining 2018.
Molson Coors may have actually experienced the full brunt of the push toward cannabis legalization efforts. Ever since the McConnell announcement, shares have been falling; as much as 8.3% since March 29th. Considering that many consumer staples related stocks have been getting pummeled, that could factor into this debate. However, leading up to the March 29th date, shares of Molson were actually sharply up during the beginning of that week. As of March 31st, several major institutions have also decreased their stake in the company.
Similar to Molson, Anheuser-Busch InBev has maintained a downtrend on its chart since late March and throughout the period of major cannabis industry announcements favoring legalization at different levels. After an attempt to recover losses from the week prior, shares of the beer manufacturer jumped by as much as 4%. However, since the time that was right around the initial announcement that Senator McConnell would be pushing for legalized industrial hemp (which can be used for CBD infused products like beverages), shares have been sliding. Overall, Anheuser-Bush stock prices have fallen by as much as 7%.
Craft Brewers shares dropped by as much as 7.6% since President Trump and Senator Gardner began seeing things eye to eye on the topic of states' rights for legalizing cannabis. This beat down came after a multi-week uptrend that saw shares of the stock rise by as much as 13% from April 3 to April 18. This trend echoes the fact that the U.S. beer industry is witnessing a decline in domestic beer sales due to the changing preferences of consumers.
What could be part of these “preferences”? My guess would be a different type of vice or obtaining from it in general. Many CBD based product give users a relaxed feeling without giving them a hangover the next day and with the US government essentially opening some big doors for legalizing different forms of cannabis (hemp included), this could give a reason for companies to begin producing healthier alternatives like CBD infused food & beverage items.
One “vice stock” that seems to have simple upheld its trend is Constellation Brands. I mention Constellation not among the losers or the leaders during this March 26 to April 25 period but simply to show that not all alcohol companies are down. However, the company has remained diversified and has even gone as far as making an investment into Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth (OTCPK:TWMJF), which equates to roughly 20% of the company with equity and options. It isn’t uncommon to see “STZ” mentioned alongside several marijuana stocks these days and just as Scotts Miracle Grow (NYSE:SMG) has been added to several “marijuana stock watch lists,” it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Constellation being added to the same lists more recently.
In fact, CNBC’s Jim Cramer interviewed CEO Rob Sands citing the company has been one of the only to show consistent growth within the sector. In response, Mr. Sands identified its play on cannabis as a tremendous investment attributing to growth. “We invested in it for strategic reasons to ultimately develop beverage brands for markets where cannabis becomes recreationally legal…the investment itself has been a tremendous investment.”
As far as the company is concerned, they may be combating any major potential down turn right now with anticipation for the Cinco de Mayo holiday coming up next week. Corona, Modelo, and Pacifico brands are sure to be a mainstay across a number of regional markets
Marijuana Stocks On The Rise During The Last 30 Days
I wrote an article highlighting a trend in several marijuana stocks that positively reacted to the numerous announcements over the last few weeks:
The U.S. Government Has Made Marijuana Stocks A Top Priority For Investors
But a wider look at this time frame also shows that in stark comparison to many of the leading alcohol companies, a number of marijuana stocks have been climbing. These upswings have also been triggered around these dates from March 26 to April 20:
Spurred by the attention on the cannabis industry but also boosted by the unanimous recommendation from the US FDA for the approval of its drug, Epidiolex, which contains CBD. This approval would give the drug leading status among all other cannabis-related drugs in clinical stages. Since the end of March/beginning of April, shares of GW have moved up by as much as 36%.
A Reason For Alcohol Companies To Start Paying Close Attention To Cannabis
Whether it has been coincidence or not, during this period from March 26 through April 25, many alcohol related stocks have declined and a number of cannabis related stock have increased. Michele Baggio and Sungoh Kwon at the University of Connecticut and Alberto Chong at Georgia State University, found that alcohol sales have dropped during the rise of medical and recreational marijuana being legalized.
“Counties located in MML states reduced monthly alcohol sales by 13 percent, which is a consistent finding across several empirical specifications. In particular, we find that counties with MMLs have lower monthly aggregate alcohol sales of 20 percent, with comparable results for beer and wine.”
This data may also support the idea that yes, things like domestic beer sales may be declining based on “changing taste,” but that new taste may be a direct result of over half of the US having access to some form of legal cannabis.
Takeaway for Investors
Though the beverage industry isn’t going anywhere anytime soon as it is still a multi-hundred billion-dollar market. However, nationally and possibly across North America it is evident that “something” is taking a toll on things like beer sales. Additionally, reports from sources mentioned also sight “changing tastes” of consumers that are pushing them away from certain alcoholic beverages.
The recent trend for alcohol producers compared to cannabis-related companies during a time where serious talks are being had about ending cannabis prohibition, has been an uptrend. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t risk as certainly things like financial reporting, thinly traded markets, and the relative volatility play for stocks in the marijuana sector.
However, this continued optimism as both the US and Canada are experiencing a dramatic shift in support for cannabis should be an indicator for investors to start taking a more serious approach to an industry that was once thought as a bubble only a few years ago.
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4166835-alcohol-stocks-fighting-stay-relevant-marijuana-stock-market
Vaping is killing the tobacco stocks in the ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF $MJ portfolio. Hope Management is adjusting accordingly.....
A nice uptick in institutional ownership as reported in the most recent 13F filings for Q1 2018:
https://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/mj/institutional-holdings
Interesting, thanks.
Why AVEO Oncology Jumped Higher Today
Excerpt:
No matter what the reason for the volatility, long-term investors should be focused on AVEO's Fotivda, a drug to treat renal cell carcinoma -- a form of kidney cancer -- which was launched in the European Union in November by partner EUSA Pharma.
For the U.S. approval of Fotivda, the next big event will come from a readout of the TIVO-3 trial expected sometime this quarter. TIVO-3 is comparing Fotivda to Bayer's Nexavar in patients with refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma. AVEO plans to combine the data from TIVO-3 with results from TIVO-1 in patients with previously untreated renal cell carcinoma to gain approval as both a first- and third-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma.
In October, the company told investors to expect the TIVO-3 results in the first quarter, but the estimate got pushed back to the second quarter, suggesting that patients are progressing slower than previously expected. While that could be good news, keep in mind the time frame is based on the progression of both treatment groups. It's possible that patients treated with Nexavar are the ones progressing slower than anticipated, which would make it harder to show that Fotivda is working.
Fortunately, investors won't have to wait too long to find out.
https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/04/09/why-aveo-oncology-jumped-higher-today.aspx
Adding and have been adding to position. This is across the board selling, take a look at today's FDA Calendar list stocks, every one of them is selling off and that's the first time i`ve ever seen all selling.
Manipulated rotation is my read...................
https://www.biopharmcatalyst.com/calendars/fda-calendar
Yup!!!!!!!!!!!
Cannabis Sales May Surpass Soda by 2030 April 4, 2018
Pot may be on its way to beating pop.
The U.S. legal cannabis industry is expected to reach $75 billion in sales by 2030, according to research firm Cowen & Co. That’s almost as large as the North American carbonated soft drink market in 2017.
With the industries’ diverging trajectories, weed may be poised to take the mantle as the larger industry. Cannabis is growing rapidly as more states legalize the plant. Nine states and Washington, D.C., now allow for recreational pot use. That means more than one in five American adults can smoke, vape, eat or drink it however they please. Cowen previously predicted that the market, assuming federal legalization, would reach $50 billion by 2026. That seems small now, according to analyst Vivien Azer.
“New forecasts suggest that the market is already that size,” she said in a note Wednesday.
Meanwhile, soda sales are on the decline as increasingly health-conscious consumers eschew sugary drinks. Per capita carbonated soft drink consumption declined to a 31-year low in the U.S. in 2016, according to Beverage-Digest, a trade publication. The market in North America fell to $76.4 billion last year from $78.3 billion in 2016, data from Euromontior International shows.
While soda may be eclipsed, the industry that’s hearing alarm bells is alcohol. Binge drinking rates declined in states with legal weed compared with states that allow only medical marijuana and those prohibiting any kind of pot, according to the note.
“We have consistently argued that cannabis and alcohol are substitute social lubricants,” Azer said.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-04/cannabis-sales-forecast-suggests-it-may-surpass-soda-by-2030
Gap down this morning, final capitulation?
Golden State Could be Golden for Marijuana ETF
ETF Trends•April 4, 2018
This article was originally published on ETFTrends.com.
California was one of the first states to legalize marijuana for medicinal use. The largest U.S. state followed that up on Election Day 2016 by finally voting to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Some industry observers believe California will be a major driver of the U.S. marijuana industry in the years ahead.
The Golden State could prove to be golden for the ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF (MJ) , the only marijuana exchange traded fund listed in the U.S. Some weed ETFs trading in Canada have found success.
MJ’s underlying index may cover businesses that are legally engaged in activities related to cannabis, the benchmark does not include those that directly cultivate, produce or distribute marijuana or products derived from marijuana, unless such activities become legal under U.S. federal and state laws.
Calling On California for Marijuana Market
“Is today’s interest in cannabis parallel to the California Gold Rush of 1849? Considering what Zachary Venegas has to say about it, some might think so — and some might not,” reports Forbes. “In 2017 cannabis-related cultivation and retail investments reached $718 million, which helped cannabis agricultural technology, infused products and software to continue to attract investor dollars. This legal cannabis industry is projected to exceed $50 billion by 2022.”
Over the near-term, MJ could use some help. The ETF has bled more than 10% over the past week and is lower by more than 15% year-to-date. MJ resides about 14% below its 200-day moving average. Still, the long-term outlook for MJ is encouraging and California is a big reason why.
“California’s medical cannabis market is already as big as the total markets in Colorado, Washington and Oregon combined, by most market participant’s estimates. Given the boost from that state and others that could change their laws, the legal cannabis market could reach sales of over $20 billion in the next few years,” said Venegas in the Forbes interview.
MJ launched just days before California opened stores for legal sales of recreational marijuana. Recreational marijuana use was legal in the largest state throughout 2017, but the opening of retail outlets dedicated to legal weed sales was prohibited until the start of 2018.
“Still, if federal and state regulations ultimately align, what some might see as a replay of the Gold Rush could in fact become a pot of gold for smart, patient investors,” according to Forbes.
https://www.etftrends.com/golden-state-could-golden-marijuana-etf/
An interesting article from CNN...........
Marijuana legalization could help offset opioid epidemic
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/04/02/health/medical-cannabis-law-opioid-prescription-study/index.html
No Aprils fools joke, Barron`s real buzzkill cover story. Myself I think the article is wrong and will average in for more shares if this brings down the stocks...
Marijuana Stocks Could Be a Buzzkill COVER STORY
BARRON'S COVER
Marijuana Stocks Could Be a Buzzkill
A handful of publicly traded Canadian producers are placing big bets on recreational sales when legalization comes. Their stocks are riding high, but investors need to keep their heads on straight.
By Bill Alpert March 30, 2018 10:50 a.m. ET
Supply glut could limit upside for Canadian cannabis stocks - Barron's
Apr. 1, 2018 7:19 AM ET|By: SA Eli Hoffmann, SA News Editor
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3342776-supply-glut-limit-upside-canadian-cannabis-stocks-barrons
The Right Way To View The Cannabis Sector
Mar. 1, 2018 1:19 PM ET
https://seekingalpha.com/instablog/48794816-jeff-khoshaba/5120347-right-way-view-cannabis-sector
This is another positive.................
Senate passes marijuana legalization bill on second reading
by CORMAC MACSWEENEY AND THE CANADIAN PRESS
Posted Mar 22, 2018 3:47 pm PDT Last Updated Mar 22, 2018 at 7:18 pm PDT
Bill C-45 passed at second reading by a vote of 44-29
OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – The federal bill to legalize marijuana has passed a vital vote in the Senate, which had threatened to scuttle the whole legalization plan.
Despite fears of the bill falling in this vote, the legislation passed second reading 44-29, meaning it will now be sent to several committees for study.
The head of the Independent Senators Yuen Pau Woo is thriller with the result. “I’d rather call this a celebration,” he says.
Usually second readings are rubber stamped, but Conservatives opposed the bill and it wasn’t clear if there would be enough support to pass it since many senators were away on business. Some had to fly back just for the vote.
Just to clarify for some, this is a vote on second reading. It is NOT the final vote. The bill is now off to several committees for study. Final vote expected in June #cdnpoli
The leader of the government in the Senate, Peter Harder says he’s pleased with the outcome. “I always breathe a sigh of relief when the Senate acts responsibly and advances legislation.”
Conservative Senator Don Plett wanted to vote down the bill but says he’ll now try to make changes at committee “Do the best job we can at amending a very, very flawed piece of legislation, and hopefully we can fix it.”
Meanwhile, Senate Conservative Leader Larry Smith says he’ll also focus efforts on making amendments. “We’re going to work very hard to participate in trying to improve a bill with a lot of holes in it.”
If the vote had failed the legislation would die, meaning the legalization plan would have to be completely restarted.
The approval comes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reminded the senators that his government was elected on a promise to legalize recreational marijuana.
That was seen as a subtle warning that they should not attempt to thwart the will of Canadians or the government they elected.
Earlier in the day, Trudeau had said the criminal cannabis regime has not protected Canadian children, who are among the highest under-age users of marijuana in developed countries, and has put up to $7 billion every year in the pockets of organized crime.
A final vote is expected in June and full legalization won’t happen until August at the earliest.
http://www.news1130.com/2018/03/22/senate-passes-marijuana-legalization-bill-second-reading/
Seems the shorts have had control as the vote is in question....
Trudeau warns senators not to thwart will of Canadians on marijuana bill
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is reminding senators that his government was elected on a promise to legalize recreational marijuana — a subtle warning that they should not attempt to thwart the will of Canadians or the government they elected.
The reminder comes amid some uncertainty over the fate of the pot legalization bill as it faces a second reading vote in the Senate this evening.
Ordinarily, second reading — a vote on a bill in principle — would not be a big hurdle but, in this case, the 33 Conservative senators are vowing to vote en masse against Bill C-45.
The Conservatives no longer dominate the 105-seat upper house but with more than a dozen independent and independent Liberal senators travelling on Senate committee business and a handful of others potentially voting against the bill, Senate insiders believe tonight's vote could be very tight.
While the unelected Senate exists to scrutinize and suggest improvements to bills passed by the House of Commons, Trudeau says Canadians voted to end the criminal prohibition on cannabis when they elected his Liberal government.
He says the criminal regime has not protected Canadian kids, who are among the highest under-age users of marijuana in developed countries, and has put up to $7 billion every year in the pockets of organized crime.
"The current system does not work," Trudeau said following an event in New Brunswick.
"This is not something that Canadians want to see continued."
The Canadian Press
I think this company may surprise a lot of the current analyst.
Added the past few days as it traded under $3.00.
Today turned back up at technical support. Have set a limit sell at $6.25 and can wait out the trading in this tight band. $AVEO will run hard either direction the longer we trade sideways and I want to own this one............
Looking nice on the daily chart.
RSI uptrend after long consolidation, MADC cross, and some accumulation. Like to see a continued move up this week with further confirmation............
Good way to track the portfolios stocks prices daily:
Click on the Equity View / Equity Prices tabs
ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF MJ
http://portfolios.morningstar.com/fund/holdings?t=ARCX:MJ®ion=usa&culture=en-US&cur=
Looks pretty good to me in here. A lot of backing and filling going on since it`s double top. I still see it running back up to above $36 to fill the open gap. After that it`s all about the companies within the $MJ ETF and what guidance they will produce. A lot of outcomes here but for me they still favor positives going forward.
After a fever pitch there`s usually a calm for those that missed out and want to take a position and accumulate..........
Great reading Doctor Detroit, thanks for posting the links with some informative information..............
Added on today's dip, I think chances favor a move up after so much consolidation. Holding and adding as warranted.........
Windstream (WIN) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
February 23, 2018, 06:59:00 AM EDT By Zacks Equity Research, Zacks.com
Windstream Holdings Inc. WIN delivered impressive financial results in the fourth quarter of 2017. Both the top and bottom line outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
On a GAAP basis, the company reported net loss of $1,835.7 million or a loss of $10.26 per share compared with a net loss of $86.9 million or a loss of 94 cent per share in the year-ago quarter. However, after adjusting impairment costs, the company generated earnings per share of 3 cents, in contrast with the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 39 cents per share.
Windstream Holdings, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Windstream Holdings, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Windstream Holdings, Inc. Quote
Total revenues increased 14% year over year to $1,497.9 million in the reported quarter, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,488.4 million. Service revenues increased 15% to $1,477.3 million while Product revenues rose 3% to $20.6 million.
In the reported quarter, total operating expense was $3,287.2 million, up a whopping 166% year over year due to $1,840.8 million of goodwill impairment. Operating loss was $1,789.3 million compared with an operating income of $73.7 million in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted OIBDA (operating income before depreciation and amortization) was $357.4 million compared with $363.6 million in the year-ago quarter.
Cash Flow
In the fourth quarter of 2017, Windstream generated $325.3 million of cash from operations compared with $302.3 million in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted free cash flow was $47 million in the reported quarter.
Liquidity
Windstream exited 2017 with $43.4 million of cash and cash equivalents and $5,843.9 million of total debt compared with $59.1 million and $4,863.3 million, respectively, at the end of 2016.
Segment-Wise Information
Consumer & Small Business - ILEC: Total revenues were $481.8 million, down 5% year over year. Of the total, Services revenues were $475.9 million, down 25.2%. Product revenues totaled $5.9 million, down 32%. Total profit for the segment was $282 million, down 7%.
Consumer & Small Business - CLEC: Revenues totaled $51.4 million compared with a mere $3.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Segment profit was $27.5 million compared with $0.5 mllion in the prior-year quarter.
Wholesale: Revenues came in at $190 million, up 10% year over year. Segment profit was $116.4 million, down 7.9%.
Enterprise: Total revenues were $774.7 million, up 24% year over year. Of the total, Service revenues were $760.3 million, up 24%. Product sales were $14.4 million, up 27%. Total profit for the segment was $164.1 million, up 27% year over year.
Subscriber Statistics
As of Dec 31, 2017, the company had 1.2688 million household customers, down 6% year over year. High-speed internet customer base was 1.0066 million, down 4% while the digital TV customer base was 0.2779 million, down 13%. ILEC small business customers totaled 0.1281 million, down 8%. Enterprise customers were 0.1335 million, down 1% year over year. CLEC consumer customers were 0.6621 million compared with a mere 0.7 million in the year-ago quarter.
Outlook
For 2018, Windstream anticipates service revenues to improve slightly year over year. The company projects capital expenditure in the band of $750-$800 million. Adjusted OIBDAR is projected at around $1,950 - $2,010 million. Management expects to generate around $165 million of free cash flow in 2018.
Recent Development
Windstream will be enhancing its Cloud Connect solution by introducing a wide range of connectivity options for its cloud customers. Customers can choose any network connection from Windstream to create a dedicated, high-speed, vastly secure cloud-optimized network connection to major Cloud Service Providers including Amazon.com Inc.'s AMZN Web Services, Microsoft Corp.'s MSFT Azure, International Business Machines Corp.'s IBM Bluemix, Google Cloud, Oracle Fast Connect and Salesforce.. Windstream carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
https://www.nasdaq.com/article/windstream-win-q4-earnings-and-revenues-top-estimates-cm925580
CFRA KEEPS HOLD OPINION ON SHARES OF WINDSTREAM HOLDINGS
February 22, 2018 (CFRA)
We keep our 12-month target at $2.00 on near peers EV/EBITDA of 5.8X our '19 estimate. We adjust our '18 loss per share view to $1.21 from $1.14 and start '19 at a $1.01 per share loss. WIN posts Q3 pro-forma sales decline of 3%, near expectations, hurt by lower ILEC Consumer and Small Business as well as Wholesale revenue. Enterprise revenue fell less than 1%. We are encouraged by '18 free cash flow guidance of $165M ($143M in '17) and extension of WIN's debt maturity profile (no meaningful maturities prior to '20). Still, we see legacy revenue declines pressuring results.
Marijuana Stocks That Could Outpace The Market In 2018
Feb. 20, 2018 3:24 PM
Summary
Private and public funds are throwing tens of million of dollars in anticipation of several industry catalysts that will be seen in 2018.
New ETFs are coming online that are heavily investing in top companies in the industry.
Aurora's $55 million pre-IPO investment into The Green Organic Dutchman could signal a changing tide in the industry to spark new investment opportunities.
I’ve written a lot about this industry lately especially because there could be some very big catalysts this year, including Canada’s recreational legalization. Obviously, in anticipation of this, many traders and investors looking to get a piece of the marijuana stock market are searching for an answer to the question: Which cannabis stocks should I buy now?
marijuana stocks outpace marketWhat we have today that we didn’t a few years back are two exchange-traded funds that have taken care of some of the legwork in finding viable options. The Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF (OTC:HMLSF) in Canada and the Alternative Harvest marijuana ETF (MJ) in the United States.
Both offer exposure to this market but unlike traditional stocks, they do have a bit of a hedge for investors who may not have the financial access to funds that would allow someone to gain a significant stake in individual marijuana stocks.
The recent market pullback paired with things like the Canadian marijuana market tumbling earlier this month hasn’t helped progress but what it has done is create unique buying opportunities that could pay off later this year. The Alternative Harvest ETF fell from highs of $39.72 to as low as $28.90 on February 5. Previous to this, the ETF had grown from about $5 million to $400 million.
Founder and CEO Sam Masucci launched the Alternative Harvest ETF in December but what they learned recently is that other countries like Canada are not immune to market risk as evidenced by the drop in many Canadian cannabis stocks recently. The ETF switched its ticker on February 9 and has responded much more favorable in the market. Since the February 5, the ETF has recovered by as much as 4% within a few days.
But the ETF may have a few risks outside of the market as well. According to reports, the custodian of the ETF, U.S. Bancorp is actively reviewing whether it will remain the fund’s custodian. Should they pull out on the ETF and if Alternative Harvest can’t find a new custodian, the fund will be forced to liquidate.
My opinion is that in the event of Bancorp pulling out, another viable suitor would at least entertain the opportunity to get behind the only US listed ETF trading on the NYSE.
Does A Failed ETF Mean That There’s No Opportunity Left For Marijuana Stocks?
I’m not saying the ETF will fail but in the event that it does, that doesn’t have much to do with the cannabis industry itself. The circumstances behind the ETF didn’t give Bancorp much to decide and is a prudent thing to do considering one day the ETF was investing in obscure Latin American real estate and the next it starts investing in marijuana stocks.
So, it would stand to reason that a custodian would want to look further into what they’re standing behind to determine if it is in line with they’re current model.
No matter what ends up happening with the ETF, one thing has been made abundantly clear and that is the flavor of the year seems to be with foreign issuers. Canada’s announcement that it would be pushing back legalization to “later in the summer” paired with the general market pulling back caused a bit of panic in the market with many Canadian cannabis stocks dropping to lows that hadn’t been seen since late 2017.
But there has to be reasons that such funds like the Alternative Harvest ETF and The Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF have put so much reliance on this ideology (obviously outside of Horizons being a Canadian ETF). Companies like Canopy Growth (OTCPK:TWMJF), Cronos Group (OTCPK:PRMCF), Medreleaf Corp (OTCPK:MEDFF) and Aurora Cannabis (OTCQX:ACBFF) take up significant investment percentages of both ETFs. Furthermore, these funds rely heavily on international markets (for US investors).
Horizons Marijuana Stock ETF
Where these two ETFs differ is that the US Alternative Harvest ETF holds more US-based companies involved in biotech. Aside from Scotts Miracle-Gro (SMG), Altria Group (MO), Philip Morris (PM) and 22nd Century (XXII), much of the US ETF is holding shares of companies like GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH), Insys Therapeutics (INSY), Arena Pharmaceuticals (ARNA), Corbus Pharmaceuticals (CRBP), Cara Therapeutics (CARA), Cannimed Therapeutics (OTC:CMMDF), and Emerald Health (OTCQX:EMHTF), among several others:
Alternative Harvest Marijuana Stock ETF
If there’s one clear outlier here it’s that Canada and biotech are two niche segments that funds like these are focusing on right now. The simple fact that so much of the investment dollars are weighted toward these ultimately begs the question of why not start paying attention. Right now there are other publicly traded companies that have taken the “fund approach” without forming into a formal ETF. Take, for instance, Rockshield Capital Corp (OTCPK:CRUOF).
It was founded in 2007 and has recently found itself investing into some of Canada’s emerging small cap companies including several public and pre-IPO businesses. The company has made a total of 20 investments so far with a “cash and investments” value of $15 million.
The company’s most recent investments include companies in the cryptocurrency & blockchain, neuro-science, and cannabis industries. The majority of their recent investments, however has much more of a focus on cannabis companies.
New Marijuana Stock IPO’s To Know About
The Green Organic Dutchman
Quite possibly one of the top investments made by Rockshield so far has been in The Green Organic Dutchman, which is still pre-IPO but expected to IPO this coming March. To date, the Company has raised a total of $160 million including $55 million recently closed on through a strategic investment made by Aurora Cannabis, a 17.6% stake.
There is also an option for Aurora to increase its investment to 51%. This looks to be one of the most highly anticipated marijuana stock IPO’s in recent history due to the large expansion that The Green Organic Dutchman is undertaking.
One of the unique aspects of The Green Organic Dutchman has been with regard to not only its technology but also its access to power. The company has project alliance partnerships with Eaton, and Hamilton Utilities Corp., which will allow it to outsource things like power, cooling, heating, and C02 production.
Through this alliance, the company is expecting to lower the cost per kWh from as much as $0.13 to an estimated net cost of $0.045, which could essentially allow The Green Organic Dutchman to become one of the lowest-cost cannabis producers in the business.
The company’s 970,000 sq/ft hybrid greenhouse facilities are located in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. Furthermore, the deal with Aurora gives TGOD the ability to provide Aurora with the right to buy as much as 20% of its annual production.
“Teaming up with Aurora, the industry’s innovation leader, provides us with a stable, supportive shareholder, through whom we have access to best-in-class technologies and industry know-how. This will significantly accelerate our time to market and establish TGOD as the world’s leading provider of premium organic cannabis,” said Csaba Reider, President of TGOD in a press release.
Another anticipated “going public” event in the cannabis market is MedMen. The unique part of this IPO is that MedMen is a US (Los Angeles) based company but is choosing to do a reverse merger in the Canadian market rather than do an IPO in the states.
Company spokesman Daniel Yi explained that MedMen was choosing the Canadian Stock Exchange instead of something like the OTC Marketplace because, “It’s where companies like Canopy and MedReleaf have been able to raise lots of money.”
MedMen currently has 18 facilities that employ 700 people in 3 key states. The company operates scalable growing facilities as well as retail stores that have more of the feel of an Apple (AAPL) store than a dispensary.
MedMen DispensaryThe company has reported a total equity investment of $150 million to date and recent fundraising agreements with companies like Captor Capital (OTCPK:NWURF) values the company at roughly $1 billion. This comes after it was announced that Captor had entered into a non-binding letter of intent to invest $30 million equating to around 3% of MedMen.
Late last year, Captor created a cannabis industry advisory board and brought on three MedMen executives to run it, including Andrew Modin, Barry Fischetto, and CEO Adam Bierman.
Other companies like Rockshield and Captor have taken a similar “investment-style” approach as well. iAnthus Capital Holdings (OTCQB:ITHUF) recently acquired New York-based Citiva Medical, LLC for $3.6 million in cash and $14.4 million in iAnthus shares at a price of $2.57. Citiva is one of ten organizations in the state under the medical cannabis program licensed to grow and process. They also have the ability to own four dispensary locations with a flagship location in Brooklyn set to open its doors later this year.
iAnthus also purchased GrowHealthy Holdings, LLC, one of the State of Florida’s 13 Florida Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers with a license to provide medical marijuana by law. The Canadian listed, US focused company spent $17.5 million in cash and $30.5 million in stock. Shares of iAnthus are up by more than 100% since Christmas.
Outpacing The Market – Next Steps For The Industry
Though Canadian will have to wait a bit longer for recreational marijuana use and sale to be legalized, 2018 will have its share of industry catalysts. Once Canada “flips the switch,” it will be the second country to have nationwide legalization, after Uruguay.
Furthermore, as evidenced by new public offerings, the access to capital that Canada’s market offers has even attracted US companies to choose to go public on the foreign exchange instead of a traditional US IPO.
As far as the overall potential for the marijuana industry to outpace the market is concerned, it may already be happening and as some analysts suggest, the cannabis sector could still be in its infancy. Compared to the S&P 500’s 22% increase over the last 12 months, the North American Marijuana Index shows that pot stocks in general have seen a market increase of more than 125%.
Additionally, we’ve already begun to see that marijuana stocks are not only generating significant attention from retail players but now that funds – both public and private – are throwing hundreds of millions of dollars at this sector right now, there is no shortage of expansion potential.
With several high profile public offerings going live this year, as well as new M&A activity from companies like Aurora, this could be the year that cannabis finally has its time in a more mainstream spotlight.
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4148555-marijuana-stocks-outpace-market-2018
Yes, there`s a good chance to fill the open gap above $36, then we`ll have to see if it will challenge then surpass the old high set above $39 plus......
The Right to Try (RTT) is very positive in many ways, for the individuals and to the producing company. This has been in the works for more than 2 years and should be fast tracked through Congress/FDA for all states use........
And There's Cannabis, Too!
As more and more states give their approval to medicinal and recreational use of marijuana products, the major tobacco companies will be the biggest consolidators, scooping up all the significant players in the field and putting them under one roof to benefit from economies of scale.
Thirty states and the District of Columbia currently have laws broadly legalizing marijuana in some form.Eight states and the District of Columbia have adopted the most expansive laws legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Most recently, sales of recreational-use marijuana in California kicked off on Jan. 1. In Massachusetts, retail sales of cannabis are expected to start later this year in July. Voters in Maine similarly approved a ballot measure legalizing marijuana in 2016. The state, however, has not yet adopted rules for licensed marijuana growers or retailers, nor has it begun accepting licenses. Gov. Paul LePage vetoed a bill that would have established a legal framework for sales of the drug.
source: governing.com
The tobacco majors are holding back for now, as the federal government continues to resist legalizing the product. As that eventually evolves from State pressure, both PM and Altria will be waiting in the wings to start operations. This new product segment will present both companies with additional avenues for profit.
Each is offering current dividend yields twice that of the S&P 500 and twice that of inflation. This should give an investor comfort that his dividend income will not lose purchasing power, especially in light of strong CAGR of the dividend from both companies.
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4146305-philip-morris-gets-morgan-stanley-corner
Probably why the stock has been held back of late and the high volume too.
$AVEO will now sell shares as needed instead of one large offering diluting the stock to fast.........Could be another buying opportunity next week as this could play as a negative and the shorts and algorithms will run their games further.......Will watch for buying openings, -0.03 (-1.00%) after hours, not much here............
That issues more shares.
http://www.leerink.com/
AVEO Pharma inks stock sales agreement with Leerink
Feb. 16, 2018 4:23 PM ET|About: AVEO Pharmaceuticals, ... (AVEO)
AVEO Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AVEO) enters into a sales agreement with Leerink Partners, LLC, for the sale of up $50M in common stock. Leerink will earn a 3% commission for its efforts.
Windstream Unveils Enterprise & Wholesale Focused Brands
February 15, 2018, 08:32:00 AM EDT By Zacks Equity Research, Zacks.com
Windstream Holdings WIN is launching a couple of brands for its enterprise and wholesale businesses - Windstream Enterprise and Windstream Wholesale - ahead of its quarterly earnings release.
Based in Arkansas, the company is a leading rural local exchange carrier in the United States. It is scheduled to report fourth-quarter 2017 results on Feb 22, before the market opens.
With the new brands, the company aims to focus on four aspects - providing cloud connectivity, elevating customer experience, enabling employee collaboration and enhancing security and compliance. Notably, the company is seeking diversification from legacy telecom services to more business, enterprise, and wholesale opportunities.
To meet this end, Windstream has made a significant financial investment to upgrade the company's network and product portfolio, including significant advances in software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) capabilities and a new Cloud Core architecture.
Additionally, the acquisitions of EarthLink and Broadview have also played a major role in boosting the company's SD-WAN and cloud suite. While the EarthLink purchase helped Windstream advance into the SD-WAN space with a readymade product, the Broadview deal empowered Windstream with a wider set of UCaaS (Unified communications as a service) cloud capabilities. The services of EarthLink and Broadview Networks are now fully integrated into the cloud core architecture and the new brand strategy.
Windstream has also has inked a deal to acquire privately-held, New York-based competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) - MassComm, Inc. The proposed acquisition of MassComm may not be as important as that of EarthLink or Broadview. But it is likely to expand Windstream's managed services customer base, fiber-based network and make the market for medium-sized business more competitive.
The company is trying to reduce dependency on consumer-based revenues and become a business and broadband-focused company while serving mainly rural consumers.
Our View
We believe Windstream is realigning its wireless network toward a software-centric model to meet increasing business demands and customer needs. The company is transforming its product portfolio and network in an attempt to enhance customer experience.
Windstream did not reveal the contribution of SD-WAN to its total revenues. However, in December 2017, it announced 500 mid-sized enterprise market customers for SD-WAN. The service provider claimed that customers from different sectors like regional banking, healthcare, retail and manufacturing purchased its SD-WAN service.
Notably, in third-quarter 2017, total Enterprise segment revenues were $567 million, up 12% year over year. Of the total, Service revenues were $554.4 million, up 12%. Product sales were $12.6 million, down 5%. Total profit for the segment was $106 million, up 17% year over year.
We expect Windstream's SD-WAN opportunities to drive its top line and subscriber statistics in 2018.
From the prospectus: Fund Distributions
The Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, quarterly and distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually.