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Stock Market Digests Surge As Oil Continued Higher On Wednesday – $ADT $AAPL $INM $INVO $KITT $ROIV $SHIP $XLE Rise!

By John F. Heerdink, Jr.
Quote of the Day — “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle


Happy Hump Day!

Congratulations for making it almost through the middle of the week.  As for the stock market, today’s session turned out to be a day that ended lower, but also one that tried to recover as the day progressed while investors took time to digest this week’s 2-day broadly realized gain in equities and the fact that oil is continuing to move higher. The surge in oil prices over the last few days is seemingly due to OPEC+’s decision to restrict production, beginning in November, now by 2 million barrels/day, which is a bit unsettling and is likely challenging most companies profit lines and therefore may be a challenge to its share value. I would suggest it is best for all, except for oil companies, that oil prices revert back to the more traditionally acceptable range between $60-$80 where the world moves along at a more balanced pace and profit line as well. Oil prices closed today at $87.64/bbl, +1.5%. The energy sector led all sectors with a 2.1% gain & is now up 11.2% this week. The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) rose to $81.00 moving up 2.07% today. 

The macroeconomic schedule also offered the Weekly MBA Mortgage Application Index report which confirmed a 14.2% drop in concert with the recent and ongoing rise in interest rates.  The September ADP Employment Change report came in 208k in total, The U.S. trade deficit report confirmed a narrowing move to $67.4B in August giving an indication the global commercial acting is showing further signs of weakness. The September IHS Markit Services PMI final reading report confirmed a move to 49.3 essentially in line. The September ISM Non-Manufacturing Index report showed a slight drop to 56.7%.  The yield curve rose, but narrowed its inversion today, as the 2-yr note yield rose 5 basis points to close at 4.13% & the 10-yr note yield moved up 14 basis points to close 3.76%. The US dollar index returned to its gaining ways and rose 1.1% to close at $111.21 & remains uncomfortably high.  

All major indices ended slightly lower on Wednesday, but fought back from session lows essentially ascending until the closing bell.  The S&P 500 closed at 3,783.38 (-.20%) with the utilities sector off 2.3% & the real estate sector off 1.9% taking the largest hits. The Dow also ended the session at 30,273.87 (-.14%) as Dow component and heavily weighted tech giant Apple (AAPL) jumped up .21% to close at $146.40.  The growth oriented and tech heavy Nasdaq also moved lower to close at 11,148.64 (-.25%) as EV and tech giant Tesla (TSLA) fell  3.4% to close at $24o.81 after yesterday’s  report that Elon Musk is now willing to buy Twitter (TWTR, $51.30, -1.35%) for his original offer at $54.20/share.  Many expect the Twitter deal to be finalized by as soon as next week. The small caps on the Russell 2000 closed at 1,762.69 (-.74%). The MicroCaps also pulled back broadly on the day as the iShares Micro-cap ETF (IWC) moved down by .65% to close at $108.04. Biotech stocks also drifted a bit today as the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) closed down by .40% to close at $82.67. The 52-wk range is $61.78 – $134.79. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) moved higher to close at $122.87, +.18%. The 52-range is $104.29 – $164.83. The iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF (IYH) closed at $264.59, up .26%. A decent measure of the markets volatility or the CBOE Volatility Index (^VIX) closed at $28.55, falling 1.79% as it traded within the wide range of $28.50 – $30.11. 

Around the crypto and precious metals’ tree, Bitcoin (BTC) rose to $20,052.64, -1.21% over the last 24-hours at the time of this writing. Gold prices closed at $1,720/oz., -$9/oz. & silver closed at $20.66/oz., down $.41/oz. on the day. Two mining producers closed the day as follows: Hecla Mining Company (HL) closed at $4.40, -.68% and First Majestic Silver Corp. (AG) closed at $8.70, -.23%. Hecla Mining Company and Alexco Resource Corp. (NYSE American: AXU; TSX: AXU) recently announced on Sept 7 that the Alexco acquisition has been completed.



FURTHER AFIELD

Shares of Roivant Sciences (ROIV), a company that reports to develop transformative medicines faster by building technologies and developing talent in creative ways ,leveraging the Roivant platform to launch ‘Vants’ – nimble and focused biopharmaceutical and health technology companies, rose 11.54% to close at $4.06. 

Shares of Nauticus Robotics, Inc. (KITT), a developer of autonomous ocean robots and associated services, skyrocketed 96.27% to close at $6.32 today after announcing that it has been awarded a second multi-million dollar contract by the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (“DIU”) for the development of an amphibious unmanned system also utilizing the Company’s autonomous command and control software platform, ToolKITT. This development follows Nauticus’ previous DIU award announcement on February 15, 2022, where ToolKITT is being utilized aboard the U.S. Navy’s Defender Mission Specialist remotely operated vehicle systems to advance the subsea vehicle with more autonomous behaviors. DIU is a Department of Defense organization that contracts with commercial companies to solve national security problems. Nauticus developed its proprietary ToolKITT autonomy platform over years of internal investments and advancements sponsored by government agencies and commercial customers. ToolKITT is a unified software platform utilizing advances in machine learning to identify, classify, and perform complex underwater activities, which can be applied to remove, detect, identify, inspect, and neutralize hazards underwater. ToolKITT was specifically designed to enable autonomous actions across multiple robotics platforms and is also used in Nauticus’ flagship product, Aquanaut.

Shares of Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. (SHIP), the only pure-play Capesize ship-owner publicly listed in the U.S. Seanergy provides marine dry bulk transportation services through a modern fleet of Capesize vessels, rose to close at $.57, +8.18%.

Shares of ADT Inc. (ADT), the most trusted brand in smart home and small business security, closed at $8.38, +2.57%. On Tuesday, Sept 6, ADT and State Farm, the 100-year good neighbor and largest insurer of homes in the U.S. with 13.7 million homeowners policies in force, announced that State Farm will make a $1.2 billion equity investment in ADT, resulting in State Farm owning approximately 15% of ADT after the equity investment and the tender offer (described below) close. Additionally, ADT plans to partner with State Farm, and build upon its existing relationship with Google, with the aim to expand opportunities to combine next-generation security, innovative smart home technology and reimagined risk-mitigation capabilities to monitor, detect, prevent and optimize against homeownership risks. State Farm will commit up to $300 million to fund product and technology innovation, customer growth and marketing. In addition, Google has separately agreed to commit an incremental $150 million, subject to the achievement of certain milestones, to advance opportunities created by this type of innovation, raising its total success fund commitment to $300 million. Jim DeVries, ADT President and CEO stated, “ADT’s partnership with State Farm creates the capability to drive innovation in homeowners insurance on a broad scale. By delivering a truly connected home, together we can improve the customer experience and provide more peace of mind. These new and expanded partnerships represent another bold step forward for our company and provide ADT more avenues to grow our customer base, strengthen brand loyalty and lower customer acquisition costs.”

Memes stock GameStop Corp. (GME) closed at $26.39, -4.38% as the shorts won the battle again today. On Sept 7th, GameStop released financial results for the second quarter ended July 30, 2022. Net sales were $1.136 billion for the quarter, compared to $1.183 billion in the prior year’s second quarter. Sales attributable to collectibles, which is a segment the Company intends to grow over the long-term, were $223.2 million for the quarter, compared to $177.2 million in the prior year’s second quarter. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $387.5 million for the quarter, representing a sequential decline of 14.3% from the first quarter of 2022 and reflecting, in part, the Company’s focus on right-sizing costs following a period of significant investment in long-term initiatives. After the close today, September 7, GameStop Corp. also announced that it has entered into a partnership with FTX US (“FTX”). The partnership is intended to introduce more GameStop customers to FTX’s community and its marketplaces for digital assets. In addition to collaborating with FTX on new ecommerce and online marketing initiatives, GameStop will begin carrying FTX gift cards in select stores. During the term of the partnership, GameStop will be FTX’s preferred retail partner in the United States. The financial terms of the partnership are not being disclosed.

Shares of AMC (AMC), the largest movie exhibition company in the United States, the largest in Europe and the largest throughout the world with approximately 950 theatres and 10,500 screens across the globe, fell 6.39% to close at $7.33 on Wednesday.


VP WATCHLIST UPDATES 
 
Shares of Apple (AAPL) closed at $146.40, +.21%. Apple enjoys a 6.82% weighting in the S&P 500.  Last week, reports surfaced again that Apple has removed its plans to increase iPhone 14 production beyond its current plans as it is believed to be seeing less than expected demand for the new model.
 
At the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, my favorite Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” joined the ranks of comedy legends with its win for Outstanding Comedy Series for its first and second seasons.
 
On Aug. 7, Apple debuted its new Apple Watch Ultra at its Far Out event, & which is to be available beginning on Sept. 23. The Apple Watch Pro starts at $799, and  features a new 49 mm case, a brighter display, night mode, and what the company touts as the Apple Watch’s “most technical face ever.” The Apple Watch Ultra also has a highly accurate GPS and a series of sport-specific bands.  

By the way, it would appear that Apple is aiming to grab Facebook or Meta’s (META, $138.98, -.93%), paying advertisers and has been hiring in this area. 

On Aug. 1. reportedly Apple raised $5.5B by issuing of 4 series of bonds with ratings of AAA from Moody’s Investors Service and AA+ from S&P Global, according to Informa Global Markets.
 
 
 
tesla
 
Shares of Tesla (TSLA) closed at $242.40, -8.61% today. On Aug. 5th, TSLA’s stock split 3-1. On Oct 4, reports surfaced that Elon Musk is reportedly now willing to buy Twitter (TWTR, $52.01, +22.26%) for his original offer at $54.20/share and possibly avoid any further legal issues that he has incurred after he tried to back out of the deal recently.
 
On Oct. 3, Tesla (TSLA) reported that it delivered 343,830 cars Q3, a company record the figure came in below Wall Street’s expectations that had targeted 358k to 371k in vehicles. 
 
The International Energy Agency said 2022 is “expected to see another all-time high for electric vehicle sales, lifting them to 13% of total light duty vehicle sales globally,” as quoted on CNBC.
 
On Sept. 22, Barron’s reported that a Tesla recall affecting 1,096,762 vehicles showed up on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, website. The recall is for a safety issue. A glitch in the power window operating system.
 
On Sept 20. Reuters reported, “Musk’s Texas company now is floating ambitious plans to deploy thousands of humanoid robots, known as Tesla Bot or Optimus, within its factories, expanding eventually to millions around the world, according to job postings. Buzz is building within the company as Tesla is having more internal meetings on robots, a person familiar with the matter said.”
 
On Friday September 9th, Elon Musk tweeted, “A major Fed rate hike risks deflation.” Bloomberg also reported that Elon stated that the global economy is  “past peak inflation.”

 
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) closed at $100.80, -.63%. The Walt Disney Company will discuss fiscal full year and fourth quarter 2022 financial results via a live audio webcast beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Results will be released after the close of regular trading on November 8, 2022. To listen to the webcast, please visit www.disney.com/investors.
 
Reportedly, Disney and its ESPN channels are returning to Dish subscribers.
 
On September 30, Disney reached a deal with activist investor Dan Loeb’s Third Point, which included adding former Meta executive Carolyn Everson to the board of directors.
The deal comes weeks after Third Point took a new stake in Disney valued at about $1 billion, or 0.4% of the company, and urged the media company to spin out its sports property, ESPN. Carolyn Everson, a veteran media and technology executive, will join its Board of Directors, effective November 21. Ms. Everson, 50, a well-respected executive with deep experience in consumer-facing companies, will be included in the Company’s slate of director nominees in the proxy statement for Disney’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Ms. Everson most recently served as President of Instacart. Prior to that role, she was Vice President of the Global Business Group at Facebook, now known as Meta, where she led the global marketing solutions team focused on top strategic accounts and global agencies, as well as media strategy, advertising sales, and account management from 2011-2021.
 
 
 
Atossa Therapeutics (ATOS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company seeking to develop innovative proprietary medicines in oncology and infectious disease with a current focus on breast cancer and COVID-19, rose to an intraday high of $.8785 prior to closing at $.85, -3.44% on 206,929 shares of trading volume.
 
 
 
On Aug. 25th, Atossa’s CEO, Dr. Steven Quay, M.D., Ph.D., and Kyle Guse, GC & CFO presented at Tribe Public’s Webinar Presentation and Q&A Event. During this complimentary event, Atossa management spoke of new opportunities for its inhalation therapy, AT-H201, to potentially treat lung injury caused by cancer treatment and were available for a Q&A session focused on Atossa’s research programs and future development. To watch the event video titled The Important Role For Inhalation Therapy In Oncology” please visit the Tribe Public YouTube Channel. 
 
 
On Aug. 18, Atossa announced the appointment of Dr. Paul Wabnitz to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The Company has also re-appointed Drs. Mak Jawadekar, Per Hall, and Carl Novina to the SAB. Dr. Wabnitz has extensive experience in clinical development with a unique combination of clinical medicine, pharmacology, toxicology, and industry drug development experience. He has acted as an investigator and Medical Monitor on over 50 first in human Phase I/II clinical trials over the last two years, including several Phase I/II first in human oncology studies, as well as previously being the Executive Medical Director of a leading Australian Phase I clinical unit. His scientific background includes a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, a Post Doc at Parke-Davis (Ann Arbor, MI), 6.5 years of drug development industry experience (Pfizer/Esperion), an M.B.A. from the Stephen Ross School of Business (University of Ann Arbor, MI), and a Drug Development certificate in Regulatory Affairs from Temple University (Philadelphia, PA). His clinical background includes a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), and he is a qualified Specialist Physician and Clinical Pharmacologist (Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physician, Australia).

On Aug. 8, Atossa announced their financial results for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2022, and provided an update on recent company developments. Dr. Steven Quay, Atossa’s President and Chief Executive Officer stated, “We continue to make steady progress with our Endoxifen programs: one to reduce tumor cell activity in breast cancer patients in the neoadjuvant setting; and another to reduce dense breast tissue in women. Our work on AT-H201 demonstrated valuable outcomes, not the least of which was an understanding of how to pursue its development in the field of oncology. With the widespread availability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and other therapies now approved to treat COVID-19, we believe that altering the development pathways for AT-H201 in cancer patients with compromised lung-function resulting from radiation treatment may fill a compelling unmet medical need and create additional value for our stockholders. Lung injury caused by radiation treatment affects 30-40% of lung cancer patients, and ~35% of esophageal cancer patients. In non-small cell cancer patients receiving concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy the incidence of lung injury is estimated to be greater than 60%. As we previously announced, rather than proceeding with Part D of the AT-H201 study in COVID-19 patients, we plan to quickly initiate a clinical study of patients with compromised lung function caused by radiation treatment and we anticipate announcing next steps in the coming months.”

On July 28, Atossa announced it has completed dosing participants in Part C of its Phase 1/2a clinical study of its proprietary inhalation therapy (or, AT-H201) in Australia. AT-H201 consists of two drugs previously approved by the FDA to treat other diseases. AT-H201 is intended to be inhaled via nebulizer with the goal of preventing or reducing lung injury that may be caused by fibrin deposition, fluid build-up and secondary infection. Part C of the study involved administering the two drugs in succession in healthy volunteers. The study originally included a Part D which was designed to assess the effects of the treatment regimen in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with moderate illness. However, due to the rapidly shifting COVID-19 treatment landscape and the introduction of effective vaccines limiting hospitalizations, Atossa has evaluated indications for AT-H201 beyond COVID-19 patients, including treating and/or preventing lung injury in patients undergoing certain cancer treatments.
Rather than conducting Part D of the Phase 1/2a clinical study, Atossa now plans to shift the development of AT-H201 to closely align with its oncology focus by continuing the development in patients with compromised lung-function due to the damaging effects of cancer treatment. For example, radiation treatment can lead to radiation induced lung injury, which is poorly treated with current therapies and is often irreversible. Furthermore, radiation damage can limit the overall success of lung cancer treatment leading to a reduction in efficacy and poor disease control. AT-H201 has pharmacological properties to potentially curtail excessive radiation-induced lung injury without compromising standard of care cancer therapy for cancer patients. AT-H201 is designed to prevent and reduce dose-limiting toxicities, and enable a more durable therapeutic tumor response for cancer patients receiving pulmonary radiation. Steven Quay, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and President of Atossa stated, “We are happy to have completed Parts A, B and C of the clinical trial and look forward to evaluating the results. With widespread availability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and other therapies now approved to treat COVID-19, we believe that altering the development pathways for AT-H201 in patients with compromised lung-function resulting from radiation may fill a compelling unmet medical need and create more value for our stockholders. Based on our work to date with AT-H201, we believe we can quickly initiate a clinical study in this setting and we plan to announce our next steps in the fourth quarter.”
 
Jason McCarthy Ph.D., a biotech analyst at the Maxim Group, put out a note on July 28th reconfirming his BUY rating and a $4 target price on Atossa.
 
 
On July 7th, Atossa filed an 8k at sec.gov that stated, that on July 1, 2022, Atossa Therapeutics, Inc. (“Atossa”) entered into a letter agreement (the “Letter Agreement”) with a venture-capital backed, private company based in the United States that is in the pre-clinical stage of developing novel Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies based on technology licensed from a leading U.S. adult and pediatric cancer treatment and research institution (the “CAR-T Company”). The Letter Agreement requires that up until November 1, 2022 the CAR-T Company will (i) negotiate exclusively with Atossa for Atossa to acquire the CAR-T Company, and (ii) address certain matters related to personnel, operations and intellectual property. Atossa has paid $3 million for the exclusive right to negotiate with the CAR-T Company. If a definitive agreement is not reached for Atossa to acquire the CAR-T Company and if a specified material adverse event has not occurred, then Atossa will pay an additional $2 million for a 19.99% preferred stock equity interest in the CAR-T Company. Atossa is under no obligation to complete the acquisition of the CAR-T Company and no assurance can be given that an acquisition will be completed on acceptable terms or at all.
 
 
 
 
Shares of Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FATE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of programmed cellular immunotherapies for patients with cancer, closed at $23.56, -1.13%.
 
 
On Aug. 8, Fate Therapeutics announced the publication of preclinical study results demonstrating the successful generation, durable anti-tumor response, and functional persistence of TCR-CAR+ iPSC-derived CD8αβ T cells from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The CD8αβ T cells were derived from a single engineered iPSC integrating a novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) transgene into the T-cell receptor alpha constant (TRAC) locus, ensuring complete bi-allelic disruption of T-cell receptor (TCR) expression and promoting uniform CAR expression. The discoveries were made under a multi-year research collaboration between the Company and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) led by Michel Sadelain, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Center for Cell Engineering and Head, Gene Expression and Gene Transfer Laboratory, and were published this week in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
 
After the market closed on August 3, Fate released its business highlights and financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022. Scott Wolchko, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fate Therapeutics stated,  “We continue to make important strides across our clinical, regulatory, and manufacturing operations to support pivotal readiness of our iPSC-derived NK cell product candidates for B-cell lymphoma, and are looking forward to meeting with the FDA in the third quarter to discuss registrational pathways for the treatment of relapsed / refractory aggressive lymphomas, including for patients that have previously failed CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapy. We are also excited that clinical investigation of FT536 has initiated to assess the targeting of oncogenic and cellular stress ligands, a novel pan-tumor-targeting strategy with the potential to overcome common mechanisms of tumor escape that frequently emerge in patients with advanced solid tumors. Finally, we continue to drive our collaborations with Janssen and Ono with strong momentum, and are well positioned to achieve significant milestones and advance three multiplexed-engineered, CAR-targeted cell collaboration candidates into clinical development over the next 12 months.”
 
On June 30, Fate announced that Brian T. Powl has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer. Mr. Powl brings to Fate Therapeutics extensive commercial leadership experience in hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, having previously served as the Global Commercial CAR T lead at Celgene Corporation where he oversaw the commercial development strategy of the company’s CAR T-cell therapies. Mr. Powl most recently served as Senior Vice President, Commercial Development & Marketing at MEI Pharma, Inc., where he led the commercialization efforts of a late-stage small molecule program in B-cell malignancies across marketing, sales, market access and commercial operations.
 
On June 28 Fate announced that it has expanded its off-the-shelf, iPSC-derived, cell-based cancer immunotherapy collaboration with ONO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (ONO) to include the development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cell collaboration candidates. In addition, as part of the collaboration’s expansion, ONO will contribute novel binding domains targeting a second solid tumor antigen. Under the original Collaboration and Option Agreement entered into between Fate and ONO in September 2018, ONO has contributed novel binding domains targeting an initial solid tumor antigen, and Fate is currently conducting preclinical development of a multiplexed-engineered, iPSC-derived CAR T-cell product candidate for solid tumors. Under the terms of the amended Collaboration and Option Agreement, Fate will advance iPSC-derived CAR NK and CAR T-cell product candidates to a pre-defined preclinical milestone, at which point ONO has an option to assume responsibility for worldwide development and commercialization with Fate retaining the right to jointly develop and commercialize in the United States and Europe. Fate retains all rights of manufacture of collaboration products on a global basis.
 
 
 
Shares of InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: INM), a leader in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of rare cannabinoids, closed at $7.39/share, +2.50%. 

On Friday, September 23, INM reported financial results for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022. See the release here. Eric A. Adams, InMed CEO, stated, “In the final quarter of our fiscal 2022, as well as throughout the previous fiscal year, we have made important advancements in our pharmaceutical drug development programs, including expanding our Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of symptoms related to epidermolysis bullosa to include adolescents, and initiating a research collaboration agreement to further screen cannabinoid analogs for potential therapeutic uses. As announced on September 8, 2022, we have made the decision reduce the efforts of our subsidiary, BayMedica, to pursue commercialization of rare cannabinoids in the health & wellness sector. Moving forward, the Company is realigning its focus and resources towards advancing our pharmaceutical drug development programs with the aim of achieving important milestones in the coming quarters and year.” 

After the close, September 13, InMed announced the closing of its previously announced private placement with two healthcare-focused institutional investors for the issuance and sale of 691,245 of its common shares at a purchase price of $8.68 per share (or pre-funded warrant in lieu thereof) priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. In addition, the Company has issued to the investors in the offering unregistered preferred investment options to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,382,490 common shares.The aggregate gross proceeds to the Company from the private placement were approximately $6 million. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to continue pipeline development of its pharmaceutical drug candidates, advance manufacturing know-how of cannabinoids and cannabinoid analogs, support intellectual property development and other commercial activities, and for general working capital purposes. H.C. Wainwright & Co. acted as the exclusive placement agent for the offering. The unregistered investment options issued in the offering are exercisable immediately upon issuance at an exercise price of $8.44 per share and will expire seven years from the date of issuance. In addition, an investor in the private placement agreed to cancel preferred investment options to purchase up to an aggregate of 412,331 common shares of the Company which were previously issued to the investor.
 
 
 
Shares of INVO Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: INVO), a commercial-stage fertility company focused on expanding access to advanced treatment worldwide with its INVOcell® medical device and the IVC procedure it enables, closed at $1.33, +7.26%. 
 
 
On September 29th, a study, titled “Comparison of Treatment Outcomes among Sibling Oocytes Using Different Culture Systems—Conventional IVF versus INVOcell Device—And Evaluation of INVOcell User Satisfaction: The INVOcIVF Study,” was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The study was conducted by Advanced Reproductive Centre (ARC), at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM), at the National University of Malaysia, from January 2021 to January 2022. Here’s a link to the study “Comparison of Treatment Outcomes among Sibling Oocytes Using Different Culture Systems—Conventional IVF versus INVOcell Device—And Evaluation of INVOcell User Satisfaction: The INVOcIVF Study.”
 
Key findings of the study included:

• The fertilization rate and good embryo quality were comparable (not significantly different) between INVOcell and cIVF.
• Although both methods produce similar fertilization rates and good-quality embryos, the blastulation rates were better in the INVOcell group.
• INVOcell can be used as an alternative method for reproductive treatment in carefully selected patients without jeopardizing outcomes.
• cIVF is costly and not applicable in most rural and district areas, therefore, the INVOcell can be utilized as a cost-effective alternative to cIVF without sacrificing comfort and outcomes.
 
 
On Sept 22, INVO announced that Dr. Sue Ellen Carpenter of Bloom Fertility, the Company’s Atlanta-based INVO Center, was named a recipient of the Castle Connolly Top Doctor Award for 2023. Castle Connolly Top Doctor recipients are nominated by fellow physicians and other healthcare leaders around the country identifying doctors that embody excellence in clinical care as well as interpersonal skills such as listening and communicating, demonstrating empathy and instilling trust and confidence in patients. Dr. Carpenter has been a recipient of the merit-based Castle Connolly Top Doctor Award since 2018.
 
On Aug. 25th, INVO Bioscience announced that Advanced Reproductive Centre, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM), formally known as Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM), based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is making IVC available for their patients. The move follows the successful completion of the first IVC case in the country recently with data presented at the Obstetrical and Gynecological Society of Malaysia (“OGSM”) where it was awarded a prize as a new and innovative fertility treatment. A signing ceremony announcing the launch of IVC was witnessed by the Minister of Science and Innovation and Deputy Secretary General. HCTM, one of the five university hospitals in Malaysia, is currently the highest volume fertility center in the country. Steve Shum, CEO of INVO Bioscience, commented, “We are excited that INVOcell will officially be commercialized at HCTM in Kuala Lumpur following the successful presentation of data at OGSM and government support by the Minister of Science and Innovation and Deputy Secretary General. HCTM will start offering IVC both in their public and private sectors with an expectation to complete a number of cycles by the end of 2022. We are also working with partners in Malaysia to open up an INVO Centers in their existing practice as we strive to bring our innovative advanced fertility treatment to the people of Malaysia.”
 
INVO Bioscience reported financial results for its second quarter 2022, ended June 30, 2022, after the market close on Monday, August 15, 2022.  INVO highlighted the following progress: Existing INVO Centers experienced a 20% increase in patient inquiries and consultations compared to the first quarter of 2022, as key activities continue to build, Progressing toward planned openings of additional INVO Centers in Tampa, Florida, Kansas City, Kansas, and the San Francisco Bay Area, In May 2022, signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Onesky Holdings Limited (“Onesky”) for mainland China (excludes Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan). Onesky will be responsible for registering the product in the country, and upon government approval, will be obligated to purchase minimum quantities of INVOcell totaling approximately $14 million over the subsequent five-year term, & increased U.S.-based expansion opportunities post-Ferring, including both greenfield INVO Centers and potential acquisitions of established fertility clinics.
 
***INSIDER BUYING ALERT***– On Friday June 3, after the close, a number of Form 4’s were filed at www.sec.gov confirming that the CEO, COO, CFO and 5 members of the board of directors purchased shares at $.95/share on June 1, 2022. Here’s the link to view all of the share purchases. 
 
 
 

Shares of Chinook Therapeutics, Inc. (KDNY), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of precision medicines for kidney diseases, closed at $19.94, -.30%.

On Aug. 8, Chinook provided a business update and reported financial results for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2022. “During the second quarter of 2022, we executed well on advancing our pipeline of clinical and preclinical programs for rare, severe chronic kidney diseases. We continue to ramp up enrollment of patients in the phase 3 ALIGN trial for atrasentan, and the data we presented at ERA from the ongoing phase 2 AFFINITY trial of atrasentan demonstrated consistent and clinically meaningful proteinuria reductions in patients with IgAN,” said Eric Dobmeier, president and chief executive officer of Chinook Therapeutics. “For BION-1301, the additional data presented at ERA from the ongoing phase 1/2 trial reaffirms its disease-modifying potential in IgAN by demonstrating durable reductions in mechanistic biomarkers and corresponding impressive proteinuria reductions. We look forward to advancing BION-1301 into a phase 3 study for patients with IgAN in 2023. We are also continuing to make progress with dose escalation in the ongoing phase 1 trial of CHK-336 in healthy volunteers and expect to report data in the first half of 2023.”



Borqs Technologies, Inc. (BRQS, $.7601, -10.35%), a global provider of 5G wireless solutions, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, and innovative clean energy, recently provided the following updates on the Company.

  • On Sept 20, Borqs announced its solar energy storage subsidiary, Holu Hou Energy LLC (HHE), a company that offers state-of-the-art renewable energy and energy storage systems to the Single-Family Residential, Multi-Dwelling Unit Residential and Commercial building markets, has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Kapolei Diversified Properties, LLC to deliver energy to Luhauola, a new mixed-use development in Kapolei, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The property includes 10,000 square feet of commercial space, plus outdoor dining for local food establishments. The residential portion of the property includes 29 workforce housing rental apartments. U.S. Energy Information Administration data shows oil generated about two-thirds of Hawaii’s electricity in 2021. That makes Hawaii the most petroleum-dependent state.


  • HHE is a premier provider of an energy storage system that is engineered to provide a new level of resilience to homeowner, multi-dwelling units and businesses, giving energy security in uncertain and unstable times. The Holu system is completely integrated, meaning engineered and tested from the start, at the system level. Other suppliers piece together components made by multiple vendors in unknown factories with unknown work conditions, causing the customer to have questionable reliability, safety and performance when all the disparate pieces are put together. Our energy storage system is certified and warrantied as an integrated product, including our breakthrough “modular energy controller”, so you get resilience, safety and performance you can count on day in and day out, and you get “cloud-based” upgrades and performance enhancements based upon the rate structures you reside in. Holu Hou Energy will construct the Solar + Energy Storage system utilizing its market leading HoluPower Residential Energy Storage System, combined with the Residential and Commercial scale solar generation. The contract is valued at several million dollars and includes 200KW of PV and 500KWh of energy storage. The system will be placed into service in 2023.

Brad Hansen, CEO of Holu Hou Energy

“Our products and services are improving the lives of customers every day by delivering cheaper, cleaner and more reliable electricity, including to those living in Multi-Dwelling Unit residential housing,” stated Brad Hansen, CEO of Holu Hou Energy. “We look forward to building on our Hawaii leadership position and bringing this same energy independence to markets like California in the near future. The cost of utility electricity in Hawaii has risen by about 60% over the last 18-months, with residential rates being at a historical high of around $0.50/kWh. Reliance on fuel oil for a significant part of Hawaii’s power generation means that these unprecedented rates are not likely to abate soon. HHE brings the most safe and productive solar and energy storage solutions to customers, including to those in income brackets not historically able to have their energy needs met by renewables.”


  • U.S. Energy Information Administration data shows oil generated about two-thirds of Hawaii’s electricity in 2021. That makes Hawaii the most petroleum-dependent state.
  • On July 15, Borqs Technologies announced that its majority owned solar energy storage systems subsidiary, Holu Hou Energy LLC (“HHE”), has signed agreement with Honokea Villages to deliver a major renewable energy generation and storage system to Honokea’s planned ecological sports training and Hawaiian Cultural facility in their “ahupua’a”, or local community. The development will have Olympic calibre training facilities for surfing, sport climbing, kayaking, beach volleyball, and more, and will serve as tool to celebrate athletics in Hawaii. The renewable energy system will feature over 3 MW of PV generation and over 4 MWh of energy storage, enough to power 100% of the operations of the facility, and will be financed under a 20-year power purchase agreement, or PPA. The system provided by HHE will begin construction in 2023 and its value is estimated at nearly $20M. This project is included in the $49.8 million of Q2 2022 signed contracts announced earlier this month. Honokea Villages was co-founded by Brian Keaulana in 2011 to address the need for Hawaiian Surf Culture to be incorporated into, what was at the time, the fledgling surf park industry. Now 11 years later there are 100+ surf parks being planned around the world with names like Kelly Slater and in places as foreign as Switzerland. “Honokea aims to ensure Hawaiian Culture is incorporated into every aspect of the planning of the family destination: excellence in sports, sustainability, arts and culture. It’s a place for the whole family that’s truly designed to benefit our community in as many ways as possible especially on our side of the island,” says Keaulana.

Economic Reports

On Monday, the Final IHS Markit Manufacturing PMI September report confirmed that it landed at 52,  about what was expected. However, the ISM Manufacturing Index report for September came in nearly 2 points lower at 50.9% and is showing some signs of a slowdown as the Fed continues on their war path to raise interest rates and reign in their fight against inflation.  The Construction spending report also confirmed a .7% drop in August also showing some signs of economic weakness.

On Tuesday, the Factory orders for manufactured goods report came in flat M/M in August, however shipments of manufactured goods rose .5%. The August JOLTS Job Openings report also clocked in at 10.053M.

Investing & Inspiration

 

  1. “The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.” – William James
  2. Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama
  3. “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle

  4. “I would define, in brief, the poetry of words as the rhythmical creation of Beauty.” – Edgar Allan Poe
  5. “There are people who have money and people who are rich.” – Coco Chanel
  6. “The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
  7. “The past always looks better than it was. It’s only pleasant because it isn’t here.” – Finley Peter Dunne
    “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
    “Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
    “To begin, begin.” – William Wordsworth
    “You can find peace amidst the storms that threaten you.” – Joseph B. Wirthlin
    “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” – Edmund Burke
    “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” – Mark Twain
    “Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature’s inexorable imperative.” – H. G. Wells
    “Won’t be long before we view gasoline cars the same way we view steam engines today.” – Elon Musk
    “The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.” – Henry Miller
    “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” – William Shakespeare“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas A. Edison“Experience is one thing you can’t get for nothing.” – Oscar Wilde
    “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” – Arthur C. Clarke
    “Good questions outrank easy answers.” – Paul Samuelson
    “Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.” – Plato
    “I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.” – Anne Frank
    “All money is a matter of belief.” – Adam Smith
    “People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them.” – Epictetus
    “Uncertainty is seen to retard investment independently of considerations of risk or expected return.” – Ben Bernanke
    “I never called my work an ‘art’. It’s part of show business, the business of building entertainment.” – Walt Disney
    “Hitch your wagon to a star.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
    “The greatest remedy for anger is delay.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
    “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
    “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James
    “Success – keeping your mind awake and your desire asleep.” – Walter Scott
    “If I had to live my life again, I’d make the same mistakes, only sooner.” – Tallulah Bankhead
    “When one must, one can.” – Charlotte Whitton
    “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” – Epictetus
    “If we open a quarrel between past and present, we shall find that we have lost the future.” – Winston Churchill
    “Hope is patience with the lamp lit.” – Tertullian
    “A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.” – Francis of Assisi
    “With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
    “Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction.” – Anne Frank
    “I never think of the future – it comes soon enough.” – Albert Einstein
    Hope is but the dream of those who wake.” – Matthew Prior
    “The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.” – Jean Paul
    “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” – Confucius
    “Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.” – George Bernard Shaw
    “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.” – Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
    “History is a vast early warning system.” – Norman Cousins
    “We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.” – John Dryden
    “The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.” – Gilbert K. Chesterton
    “Adventure is worthwhile.” – Aesop
    “We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
    “The return we reap from generous actions is not always evident.” – Francesco Guicciardini
    “Courage is knowing what not to fear.” – Plato
    “Science may never come up with a better office communication system than the coffee break.” – Earl Wilson
    “Progress was all right. Only it went on too long.” – James Thurber
    “If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees.” – Hal Borland
    “We aim above the mark to hit the mark.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
    “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” – Desmond Tutu
    “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
    “Patience is a virtue, and I’m learning patience. It’s a tough lesson.” – Elon Musk
    “Great things are done when men and mountains meet.” – William Blake
    “The man who has no imagination has no wings.” – Muhammad Ali
    “Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil.” – J. Paul Getty
    “Action is the foundational key to all success.” – Pablo Picasso
    “Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.” – Samuel Smiles
    “The backbone of surprise is fusing speed with secrecy.” – Carl von Clausewitz
    “There are no shortcuts in evolution.” – Louis D. Brandeis
    “I am fascinated by what is beautiful, strong, healthy, what is living. I seek harmony.” – Leni Riefenstahl
    “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” – Henry David Thoreau
    “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius
    “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” – Aristotle Onassis
    “Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.” – George S. Patton
    “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
    “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
    “It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered.” – Aeschylus
    “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu
    “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” – Oprah Winfrey
    “Anything simple always interests me.” – David Hockney
    “He who angers you conquers you.” – Elizabeth Kenny
    “Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.” – Victor Hugo
    “The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” – Aldous Huxley
    “View health as an investment, not an expense.” – John Quelch
    “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” – Amelia Earhart
    “Man needs his difficulties because they are necessary to enjoy success.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
    “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha
    “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” – Edmund Burke
    “You must do the things you think you cannot do.”- Eleanor Roosevelt
    “Success is dependent on effort.” – Sophocles
    “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” – George Halas
    “Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
    “And when I breathed, my breath was lightning.” – Black Elk
    “Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.” – Joseph Hall
    “You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot – it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.” – Maya Angelou
    “If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster.” – Clint Eastwood
    “We are an impossibility in an impossible universe.” – Ray Bradbury
    “If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.” – Confucius
    “I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed.” – Robert H. Schuller
    “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Desmond Tutu
    “It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” – Thomas Sowell
    “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha”
    Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” – Boris Pasternak
    “Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.” – Khalil Gibran
    “Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” – Bruce Lee
    “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
    “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell
    “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mahatma Gandhi
    “Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up.” – Allen Klein
    “Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.” – W. Clement Stone
    “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
    “In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.” – Albert Einstein
    “Life is too short for long-term grudges.” – Elon Musk
    “There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.” – Henry Kissinger
    “Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall.” – Oliver Goldsmith
    “The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever.” – Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
    “Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war that we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living.” – Omar N. Bradley
    “Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it.” – Rumi
    “But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” – Ernest Hemingway
    “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” – Sam Levenson
    “Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.” – Nelson Mandela
    “The social object of skilled investment should be to defeat the dark forces of time and ignorance which envelope our future.” – John Maynard Keynes
    “A successful society is characterized by a rising living standard for its population, increasing investment in factories and basic infrastructure, and the generation of additional surplus, which is invested in generating new discoveries in science and technology.” – Robert Trout
    “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” – Albert Einstein
    “It is the fight alone that pleases us, not the victory.” – Blaise Pascal
    “If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.” – W. Edwards Deming
    “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
    “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” – Abraham Lincoln
    “Without investment there will not be growth, and without growth there will not be employment.” – Muhtar Kent
    “You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was.” – Abraham Lincoln
    “Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” – John F. Kennedy
    “Delete the negative; accentuate the positive!” – Donna Karan
    “It’s crazy how fast time flies and how things progress.” – Nathan Chen
    “The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” – Albert Einstein
    “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw
    “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius
    “A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.” – John C. Maxwell
    “Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” – Helen Keller
    “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” – Charles Darwin
    “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” – Michelangelo
    “Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.” – Thor Heyerdahl
    “I like to encourage people to realize that any action is a good action if it’s proactive and there is positive intent behind it.” – Michael J. Fox
    “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” – Audrey Hepburn
    “But investment in space stimulates society, it stimulates it economically, it stimulates it intellectually, and it gives us all passion.” – Bill Nye
    “Bitcoin, in the short or even long term, may turn out be a good investment in the same way that anything that is rare can be considered valuable. Like baseball cards. Or a Picasso.” – Andrew Ross Sorkin
    “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.” – Charlie Chaplin
    “No matter what you’re going through, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it may seem hard to get to it but you can do it and just keep working towards it and you’ll find the positive side of things.” – Demi Lovato
    “Infrastructure investment in science is an investment in jobs, in health, in economic growth and environmental solutions.” – Oren Etzioni
    “Educating our children and giving them the skills they need to compete in a global economy is a smart investment in our country’s future.” – Sheldon Whitehouse
    “Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.” – Sun Tzu
    “If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
    “Beware of missing chances; otherwise it may be altogether too late some day.” – Franz Liszt
    “The sofa is a really important investment for anybody, and I don’t mean financially. You need to find a really great sofa that can transition with you, and you can build from there.” – Jeremiah Brent
    “There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment.” – Orison Swett Marden
    “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie Curie
    “There is little that can withstand a man who can conquer himself.” – Louis XIV
    “In tennis, you strike a ball just after the rebound for the fastest return. It’s the same with investment.” – Masayoshi Son
    “A camel makes an elephant feel like a jet plane.” – Jackie Kennedy
    “The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.” – Bill Gates
    “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius, Chinese
    “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Edward Everett Hale
    “Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.”– Albert Einstein
    “Education is not only a ladder of opportunity, but it is also an investment in our future.” – Ed Markey
    “The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” – Samuel Johnson
    “In my view, the biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital. Not only is the mere drop in stock prices not risk, but it is an opportunity. Where else do you look for cheap stocks?” – Li Lu
    “A successful society is characterized by a rising living standard for its population, increasing investment in factories and basic infrastructure, and the generation of additional surplus, which is invested in generating new discoveries in science and technology.” – Robert Trout
    “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
    “Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.” – Elie Wiesel
    “Investing in women’s lives is an investment in sustainable development, in human rights, in future generations – and consequently in our own long-term national interests.” – Liya Kebede
    “Success isn’t measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.” – Mike Ditka
    “No matter how many goals you have achieved, you must set your sights on a higher one.” – Jessica Savitch
    “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”– Arthur Ashe
    “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
    “The amount of work and the amount of both physical and emotional investment it takes to get to the top.” – Drew Bledsoe