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Thursday’s Stock Market Was Green & A Bit Bumpy – $CSCO $FATE $INM $INVO $WEBR $WOLF Rise!

By John F. Heerdink, Jr.
Quote of the Day — “I never called my work an ‘art’. It’s part of show business, the business of building entertainment.” – Walt Disney



Happy Thursday!

I hope that you all had wonderful day at work and otherwise.

As for the stock market, during the day before Friday, it was an overall green session, but a little bumpy at the same time as the U.S. macroeconomic schedule had a relatively busy day that was shaded by a number of earnings reports. The weekly initial jobless claims report came in at 250k, while continuing claims came in at 1.437M. The Philadelphia Fed Index moved up to 6.2 in August. The existing home sales report showed a 5.9% M/M drop in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.81M and confirmed a 6 consecutive monthly drop, while total sales in July dropped 20.2% compared to a year ago. The Weekly EIA Natural Gas Inventories report also confirmed an 18 bcf build. Oil prices rose again today climbing 2.4% to close $90.07/bbl. The yield curve moved lower and remained inverted as the 10-yr ticked down 1 basis point to 2.88% & the 2-yr note moved down 5 basis points to close 3.22%. 

As for the major indices, the S&P 500 closed at 4,283.74 (+.23%). The Dow ended the session higher closing at 33,999.04 (+.06%) as Dow component and tech giant Cisco (CSCO) reported a strong quarterly beat while offering positive guidance.  The growth oriented and tech heavy Nasdaq followed suit and closed higher at 12,965.341 (+.21%). The small caps on the Russell 2000 performed a very solid day to close back just above the 2k level at 2,000.73 (+.68%). The MicroCaps ticked into to the green evidenced by the iShares Micro-Cap ETF (IWC) that closed at $124.03, +.10%. The biotech stocks counted to pull back as the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) closed at $88.87, -.78%. The 52-wk range is $61.78 – $136.61. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) also closed down at $1138.92, -1.13%. The 52-range is $104.29 – $176.02. A decent measure of the markets volatility or the CBOE Volatility Index (^VIX) closed down at $19.56, -1.71% and traded within the range of $19.43 – $20.45. 

Around the money and precious metals’ tree, the U.S. Dollar Index stayed strong and closed at 107.64, +.14%, while Bitcoin (BTC) dropped to $22,7787, -2.79% over the last 24-hours at the time of this writing. Gold prices closed at $1,761/oz., -$5/oz. & silver closed at $19.53/oz., down $.28/oz. on the day. Two mining producers closed the day as follows: Hecla Mining Company (HL) closed at $4.31, +1.56% and First Majestic Silver Corp. (AG) closed at $7.75, +.91%. On Aug. 8, First Majestic announced the release of its 2021 Sustainability Report summarizing the Company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) performance. The Sustainability Report and the Company’s performance indicators follow the Global Reporting Initiative and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board metrics. The report is available for review under the Corporate Responsibility section of First Majestic’s website (www.firstmajestic.com). “In 2021, First Majestic achieved record production of 26.9 million silver equivalent ounces representing a 32% increase compared to the previous year. This record was in part due to our focus on responsible and sustainable mining integrated with our vision to become the world’s largest primary silver producer,” stated Keith Neumeyer, President and CEO. “I strongly believe that our efforts in 2021 demonstrated our commitment to sustainability and to improving lives and communities in our host regions while increasing shareholder value, as well as driving positive changes for society and delivering long-term benefits for all First Majestic stakeholders.”

 

FURTHER AFIELD 

Shares of Wolfspeed’s (WOLF), a U.S.-based semiconductor company, closed at $112.94, +31.9% after beating expectations & offering favorable guidance“We delivered an extremely strong quarter to close out the fiscal year and I am very proud of the progress the Wolfspeed team has made in delivering on our goals. We announced a number of exciting customer wins, opened the world’s first fully automated 200mm Silicon Carbide fab at Mohawk Valley, and made significant strides in growing our top-line, while also improving profitability,” said Wolfspeed Chief Executive Officer, Gregg Lowe. “Looking forward, we remain very encouraged about the industry’s prospects for future growth and the activity we are seeing across our end-markets. We had a phenomenal record of $2.6 billion of design-ins in the fourth quarter. This achievement, coupled with the previous two quarters of $1.6 billion each, provides further evidence of the upward pressure we are seeing on our 2026 revenue outlook, which we now believe is between 30 to 40 percent higher than the $2.1 billion we forecasted at the end of last year.”

Shares of Weber Inc (WEBR), the global leader in outdoor cooking products, innovation, and technology, closed at $10, +27.23%. The move came a couple days (Aug, 15) after Weber announced its financial results for the fiscal third quarter 2022, ending June 30, 2022. “Weber is the #1 brand and the global category leader in outdoor cooking. We have an immense opportunity to expand our relationship with the more than 50 million dedicated Weber consumers worldwide, as well as grow our reach in the near and long-term,” said Alan Matula, interim Chief Executive Officer of Weber. “Our third quarter performance reflects the margin pressures we are experiencing as a result of global headwinds in our current operating environment. To strengthen our financial position for fiscal year 2023 and beyond, we are introducing a comprehensive cash flow and cost management plan, which will position Weber to enhance its leadership position in a dynamic outdoor cooking market.”

Shares of Kohl’s Corporation (KSS), closed $31.33, -2.62% after today’s report of their results for the quarter ended July 30, 2022 failed to meet expectations and guidance was less than perfect. Michelle Gass, Kohl’s chief executive officer stated, “Second quarter results were impacted by a weakening macro environment, high inflation and dampened consumer spending, which especially pressured our middle-income customers. We have adjusted our plans, implementing actions to reduce inventory and lower expenses to account for a softer demand outlook. Kohl’s has navigated difficult periods in the past and I am confident in our ability to successfully manage through the current uncertainty. I want to thank our incredible associates around the country for their commitment to Kohl’s and for providing excellent service to our customers every day. We continue to execute on our transformation strategy and are pleased to deliver outsized performance in the nearly 600 stores which have been refreshed and elevated, featuring Sephora as a key cornerstone. While 2022 has turned out to be more challenging than initially expected, Kohl’s remains a financially strong company with significant long-term growth potential. Our $500 million accelerated share repurchase underscores our steadfast confidence in Kohl’s future and focus on creating shareholder value. We also remain firmly committed to our current dividend.”

Memes stock GameStop Corp. (GME) closed at $37.93, -6.39% as the shorts won a battle again today. On July 12, GameStop reportedly launched its NFT marketplace. GameStop said in its release, “The Company’s NFT marketplace is a non-custodial, Ethereum Layer 2-based marketplace that enables parties to truly own their digital assets, which are represented and secured on the blockchain. Over time, the marketplace will expand functionality to encompass additional categories such as Web3 gaming, more creators and other Ethereum environments.”

Shares of Bed Bath and Beyond (BBBY) fell today to close at $18.55, -19.63% today. This negative move came after with Ryan Cohen’s, Chairman of BBBY, filing of a Form 144 on Aug. 16 that confirmed that his RC Ventures fund plans to sell its entire 11.8% stake with the next 90 days.  

Shares of LM Funding America, Inc. (LMFA) , a technology-based specialty finance company with a primary focus on expanding into the cryptocurrency mining business, closed at $1.33, -2.92%. After the close Wednesday, LMFA provided a business update and reported financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2022.

Tomorrow morning prior to the open will bring the earnings reports for John Deere (DE) & Foot Locker (FL). 

 

VP WATCHLIST UPDATES 
 
Shares of Apple (AAPL) closed at $174.15, -.23%. Apple enjoys a 6.82% weighting in the S&P 500. Apple plans to release the iPhone 14 at their September launch event. Did you know that approx. 75% of iPhone users have activated Apple Pay to date?
 
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.
 
 
On July 28, Apple announced financial results for its fiscal 2022 third quarter ended June 25, 2022. The Company posted a June quarter revenue record of $83.0 billion, up 2 percent year over year, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $1.20. Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO stated, “This quarter’s record results speak to Apple’s constant efforts to innovate, to advance new possibilities, and to enrich the lives of our customers. As always, we are leading with our values, and expressing them in everything we build, from new features that are designed to protect user privacy and security, to tools that will enhance accessibility, part of our longstanding commitment to create products for everyone.”  Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO stated, “Our June quarter results continued to demonstrate our ability to manage our business effectively despite the challenging operating environment. We set a June quarter revenue record and our installed base of active devices reached an all-time high in every geographic segment and product category. During the quarter, we generated nearly $23 billion in operating cash flow, returned over $28 billion to our shareholders, and continued to invest in our long-term growth plans.”

Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $.23 per share of the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on August 11, 2022 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 8, 2022.

 
tesla
 
 
 
Last week, it was confirmed that Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk had sold $6.9B of TSLA stock on Tuesday. He also reportedly stated that he wanted to avoid a possible ’emergency sale’ if he was forced to go forward with his purchase of Twitter (TWTR, $44.43, +3.74%.)
 
Tesla’s shareholders of record on Aug. 17, will receive a dividend of 2 new shares for each held after the close of trading on Aug. 24 and the stock will trade at the new, split-adjusted, price the next day, Aug. 25, thus completing its planned 3for 1 stock split.
 
Tesla reported its Q2 earnings after the close on Tuesday, July 19, meeting analysts’ estimates. Tesla stated that it sold 75% of its Bitcoin, turning it into fiat currency, adding $936 in cash to its balance sheet, but they also ended their streak of reporting record revenue. Revenue came in at $16.9 billion vs $16.88 billion expected & Adjusted EPS: $2.27 vs $1.83 expected. Tesla still expects to see 50% annual growth in their vehicle deliveries. Tesla CEO Elon Musk believes thinks that inflation has likely peaked, he stated “If I were to guess — and I would take this with a grain of salt — I think inflation will decline towards the end of this year. We are certainly seeing prices of commodities trending lower.”

 
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) closed at $122.67, -.11%. On Aug. 15th, a report surfaced that Dan Loeb’s Third Point Capital had built a position and was negotiating for ESPN to be rolled out. Here’s Disney’s response. 
 
In last week’s earnings report that beat expectations, Disney highlighted the following: Revenues for the quarter and nine months grew 26% and 28%, respectively, Diluted earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations for the quarter increased to $0.77 from $0.50 in the prior-year quarter. Excluding certain items, diluted EPS for the quarter increased to $1.09 from $0.80 in the prior-year quarter, Diluted EPS from continuing operations for the nine months ended July 2, 2022 increased to $1.66 from $1.02 in the prior-year period. Excluding certain items(1), diluted EPS for the nine months increased to $3.22 from $1.91 in the prior-year period. Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company stated, “We had an excellent quarter, with our world-class creative and business teams powering outstanding performance at our domestic theme parks, big increases in live-sports viewership, and significant subscriber growth at our streaming services. With 14.4 million Disney+ subscribers added in the fiscal third quarter, we now have 221 million total subscriptions across our streaming offerings. We continue to transform entertainment as we near our second century, with compelling new storytelling across our many platforms and unique immersive physical experiences that exceed guest expectations, all of which are reflected in our strong operating results this quarter.”
 
 
 
Atossa Therapeutics (NASDAQ: 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 $1.12 prior to closing at $1.05, -3.67% on 1.093M shares of trading volume and has traded up to $1.09, +3.81% in the aftermarket.
 
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 $30.29, +.26%.
 
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 $.3949/share, +3.92%.
 
On Aug. 9, InMed announced the appointment of Nicole Lemerond to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Nicole Lemerond is a financial executive with over 25 years of experience in investment management, private equity, investment banking and leveraged finance. She has significant experience executing complex transactions, managing diligence processes, raising capital and structuring balance sheets. Throughout her career, Ms. Lemerond has worked with public and private company management teams and boards to increase stakeholder value. She established and led healthcare groups at leading investment firms and has also worked at several large financial institutions, including Lehman Brothers and The Carlyle Group. Ms. Lemerond holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and is a CFA charterholder. Contemporaneous with Ms. Lemerond’s appointment, Adam Cutler has decided to transition off the Board of Directors. Mr. Cutler has served on the Board since 2015, during which time his financial and healthcare expertise has been instrumental in advancing the strategic initiatives of the Company. Over the years, Mr. Cutler has served as Chair of the Audit Committee as well as a member Governance and Nomination Committee. Ms. Lemerond will replace Mr. Cutler as a member of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Governance and Nomination Committee.
 
On July 25, InMed provided an update on its Phase 2 clinical trial using investigational drug INM-755 cannabinol (“CBN”) cream for the treatment of patients with epidermolysis bullosa (“EB”) highlighting the following: 1) Phase 2 clinical trial recently expanded to include adolescents following independent review of early safety data, 2) First adolescent patient with EB enrolled into clinical trial and completed treatment, 3) International patent granted for the use of cannabinol for the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa.
 
On July 18, InMed announced Michael Woudenberg has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Company, overseeing all day-to-day operations. Mr. Woudenberg was previously Senior Vice President of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls. Mike has been an integral part of the executive team for the last four years, supporting multiple functions within the organisation. Prior to joining InMed, Mike had over 20 years of successful drug development, process engineering, GMP manufacturing and general management experience at all levels of various companies. Mike’s intimate knowledge of the Company’s operations and extensive leadership experience make him an ideal candidate to oversee operations and support the long-term strategic growth of the Company. He will continue to report to Eric A. Adams, InMed President and CEO.
 
On June 14, InMed announced that a peer-reviewed scientific study entitled “Effects of Rare Phytocannabinoids on the Endocannabinoid System of Human Keratinocytes” has been published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. The study, in collaboration with Dr. Mauro Maccarrone, Professor and Chair of Biochemistry at the Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Italy, highlights the biological activity of tetrahydrocannabivarin (“THCV”), cannabichromene (“CBC”) and other rare cannabinoids and their potential role in addressing various skin conditions. In the peer-reviewed study, researchers analyzed the effects of rare cannabinoids THCV, CBC, cannabigerol (“CBG”) and cannabigerolic acid (“CBGA”) on the major endocannabinoid system elements in skin cells. Using a widely recognized in vitro model of human keratinocytes, researchers studied how these cannabinoids interacted with several receptors including cannabinoid receptors and other endocannabinoid system components. In summary, each cannabinoid had distinct biological activity via the endocannabinoid system. In particular, THCV was shown to perform as a cannabinoid receptor 1 (“CB1”) antagonist and have a high affinity for the human transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (“TRPV1”), which is involved in skin sensation, as did CBC albeit to a lesser extent. The results from the study support additional research of these rare cannabinoids for their potential effect on skin conditions.“This study represents the first systematic analysis of the effects of the rare cannabinoids THCV, CBC, CBGA and CBG on the major endocannabinoid system elements using human keratinocytes. These initial observations should be considered when exploring the therapeutic potential of rare cannabinoids for the treatment of human skin disease,” said InMed’s scientific advisor, Dr. Mauro Maccarrone. “This peer-reviewed study provides important scientific research investigating the distinctly different physiological effects of rare cannabinoids,” said Dr. Eric Hsu, Senior VP, Preclinical Research and Development. “As we continue to expand our portfolio of rare cannabinoids, including THCV and CBC, evidence-based research is imperative to improving our understanding of their biological activity. There is growing interest in the potential benefits of rare cannabinoids and this study represents InMed’s commitment to contributing to the body of research of rare cannabinoids.” The journal article can be accessed here: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/10/5430.
 
 
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 $.94, but has traded up to $1, +6.36% in the aftermarkets.
 
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 NeuBase Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NBSE), a biotechnology platform company Drugging the Genome™ to address disease at the base level using a new class of precision genetic medicines, closed at $.8450, +4.31%.  The 52-wk range is $.77-$4.40.

On Aug. 11, Neubase reported its financial results for the three-month period ended June 30, 2022, and other recent developments. Dietrich A. Stephan, Ph.D., Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of NeuBase stated, “Thus far in 2022, we have generated new data that strengthens application of the PATrOLTM platform and its potential to output novel genetic medicines that are broadly biodistributed after systemic routes of administration and engage double-stranded nucleic acid targets in the nucleus to resolve gene dysfunction. This includes new PK and biodistribution data for our DM1 development candidate, which were presented at the ASGCT 25th Annual Meeting, that support a differentiated whole-body solution for DM1 patients. The data in each tissue we evaluated also displayed an extended elimination phase with tissue concentrations measurable for at least four weeks following a single intravenous (IV) dose administration and consistent with the durable pharmacology in the transgenic animal models. With these data in hand, we decided to perform additional IND-enabling studies to further characterize our development candidate and confirm our expectations of safety and efficacy. While conducting these additional studies will require us to push our guidance on the timing for our DM1 IND filing to mid-CY2023, patient safety and benefit are of utmost importance to us. We also believe the information that will be generated by these studies will benefit not only our DM1 program but all of our programs and better prepare us to enter the clinic and fulfill our mission of delivering new medicines to patients who currently have no therapeutic options. We continue to generate positive data from other programs in our pipeline, including in HD, that support the ability of the PATrOLTM platform to develop differentiated genetic medicines. We are confident in the ability of our platform and team to advance these drug candidates to clinical trials, and we look forward to providing further updates on our progress.”

As of June 30, 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $29.8 million, compared with approximately $52.9 million as of September 30, 2021.For the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2022, total operating expenses were approximately $8.4 million, consisting of approximately $3.6 million in general and administrative expenses and $4.8 million of research and development expenses. This compares with total operating expenses of approximately $8.8 million for the same period last year, consisting of approximately $3.5 million in general and administrative expenses and $5.3 million in research and development expenses.INmune Bio

 

INmune Bio, Inc. (INMB) closed at $9.02, -.66%.

On August 3, INMB reported its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 and provides a business update. As of June 30, 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $61.2 million. As of August 3, 2022, the Company had approximately 17.9 million common shares outstanding. RJ Tesi, M.D., CEO of INmune Bio stated, “In April, we announced the dosing of our first patient treated with XPro™1595 in the treatment of neuroinflammation as a cause of mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in Phase II clinical trial, AD02. The trial is a blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter study in Australia, in Canada and in the United States. Although the trial in the United States is currently on hold pending conclusion of the FDA’s manufacturing inquiry, we continue to enroll patients in Australia where the trial is proceeding as planned. Additionally, our plan to launch additional blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase II trials in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and TRD will occur after the clinical hold is lifted. Our INKmune™ platform continues to make positive strides. We are actively expanding the INKmune program towards the treatment of solid tumors. INKmune primed NK cells have unique biologic characteristics that should make the therapy effective in solid tumors.”


Shares of Chinook Therapeutics, Inc. (KDNY), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of precision medicines for kidney diseases, closed at $21.75, +.65%.

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.”

Economic Reports

On  Monday, the August Empire State Manufacturing Index came in lower at -31.3 & the August NAHB Housing Market Index came in below expectations at 49.

On Tuesday, the housing starts report for July confirmed a 9.6% M/M drop to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.674M. However, on the positive side, the total industrial production report confirmed a .6% M/M rise in July, while the capacity utilization rate moved up to 80.3%.

On Wednesday, the total retail sales report clocked in flat M/M in July. However, it is interesting to note that when you excluded auto sales, the retail numbers sales actually ticked up .4%, while gasoline station sales dropped a solid 1.8% with the elevated prices of oil. The Weekly MBA Mortgage Applications Index report also confirmed significant 2.3% drop as interest rates have continued to climb overall making housing loans less attractive. The June Business Inventories report also showed a 1.4% increase, but the oil inventories report showed a 7.056M barrel draw.

On Thursday, the weekly initial jobless claims report came in at 250k, while continuing claims came in at 1.437M. The Philadelphia Fed Index moved up to 6.2 in August. The existing home sales report showed a 5.9% M/M drop in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.81M and confirmed a 6 consecutive monthly drop, while total sales in July dropped 20.2% compared to a year ago. The Weekly EIA Natural Gas Inventories report also confirmed an 18 bcf build.

 

Investing & Inspiration

  1. “I never called my work an ‘art’. It’s part of show business, the business of building entertainment.” – Walt Disney
  2. “Hitch your wagon to a star.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

  3. “The greatest remedy for anger is delay.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

  4. “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

  5. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James

  6. “Success – keeping your mind awake and your desire asleep.” – Walter Scott

  7. “If I had to live my life again, I’d make the same mistakes, only sooner.” – Tallulah Bankhead

  8. “When one must, one can.” – Charlotte Whitton

  9. “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” – Epictetus
  10. “If we open a quarrel between past and present, we shall find that we have lost the future.” – Winston Churchill
  11. “Hope is patience with the lamp lit.” – Tertullian
  12. “A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.” – Francis of Assisi
  13. “With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  14. “Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction.” – Anne Frank
  15. “I never think of the future – it comes soon enough.” – Albert Einstein

  16. Hope is but the dream of those who wake.” – Matthew Prior

  17. “The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.” – Jean Paul
  18. “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” – Confucius
  19. “Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.” – George Bernard Shaw

  20. Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.” – Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

  21. “History is a vast early warning system.” – Norman Cousins 

  22. “We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.” – John Dryden

  23. “The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.” – Gilbert K. Chesterton
  24. “Adventure is worthwhile.” – Aesop
  25. “We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
  26. “The return we reap from generous actions is not always evident.” – Francesco Guicciardini
  27. “Courage is knowing what not to fear.” – Plato

  28. “Science may never come up with a better office communication system than the coffee break.” – Earl Wilson

  29. “Progress was all right. Only it went on too long.” – James Thurber

  30. “If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees.” – Hal Borland

  31. “We aim above the mark to hit the mark.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  32. “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” – Desmond Tutu

  33. “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

  34. “Patience is a virtue, and I’m learning patience. It’s a tough lesson.” – Elon Musk

  35. “Great things are done when men and mountains meet.” – William Blake

  36. “The man who has no imagination has no wings.” – Muhammad Ali

  37. “Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil.” – J. Paul Getty

  38. “Action is the foundational key to all success.” – Pablo Picasso

  39. “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

  40. “There are no shortcuts in evolution.” – Louis D. Brandeis

  41. “I am fascinated by what is beautiful, strong, healthy, what is living. I seek harmony.” – Leni Riefenstahl
  42. “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
  43. “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius
  44. “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” – Aristotle Onassis
  45. “Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.” – George S. Patton
  46. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
  47. “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson 
  48. “It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered.” – Aeschylus
  49. “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
  50. “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” – Oprah Winfrey
  51. “Anything simple always interests me.” – David Hockney
  52. “He who angers you conquers you.” – Elizabeth Kenny
  53. “Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.” – Victor Hugo
  54. “The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” – Aldous Huxley
  55. “View health as an investment, not an expense.” – John Quelch
  56. “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” – Amelia Earhart
  57. “Man needs his difficulties because they are necessary to enjoy success.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
  58. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha
  59. “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” – Edmund Burke
  60. “You must do the things you think you cannot do.”- Eleanor Roosevelt
  61. “Success is dependent on effort.” – Sophocles
  62. “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” – George Halas
  63. “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
  64. “And when I breathed, my breath was lightning.” – Black Elk
  65. “Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.” – Joseph Hall
  66. “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
  67. “If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster.” – Clint Eastwood
  68. “We are an impossibility in an impossible universe.” – Ray Bradbury
  69. “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
  70. “I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed.” – Robert H. Schuller
  71. Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Desmond Tutu
  72. “It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” – Thomas Sowell
  73. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha”
  74. Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” –  Boris Pasternak
  75. “Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.” – Khalil Gibran 
  76. “Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” – Bruce Lee
  77. “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  78. “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” –  Colin Powell
  79. “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mahatma Gandhi
  80. “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
  81. “Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.” – W. Clement Stone
  82. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
  83. “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
  84. “Life is too short for long-term grudges.” – Elon Musk
  85. There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.” – Henry Kissinger
  86. “Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall.” – Oliver Goldsmith
  87. “The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever.” – Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
  88. “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
  89. “Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it.” – Rumi
  90. “But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” – Ernest Hemingway
  91. “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” – Sam Levenson
  92. “Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.” – Nelson Mandela
  93. “The social object of skilled investment should be to defeat the dark forces of time and ignorance which envelope our future.” – John Maynard Keynes
  94. “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
  95. “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
  96. “It is the fight alone that pleases us, not the victory.” – Blaise Pascal
  97. “If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.” – W. Edwards Deming
  98. “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
  99. “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” – Abraham Lincoln
  100. “Without investment there will not be growth, and without growth there will not be employment.” – Muhtar Kent
  101. “You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was.” – Abraham Lincoln
  102. “Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” – John F. Kennedy
  103. “Delete the negative; accentuate the positive!” – Donna Karan
  104. “It’s crazy how fast time flies and how things progress.” – Nathan Chen
  105. “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
  106. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw
  107. “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius
  108. 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
  109. “Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” – Helen Keller
  110. “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” – Charles Darwin
  111. “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
  112. “Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.” – Thor Heyerdahl
  113. “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
  114. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” – Audrey Hepburn
  115. “But investment in space stimulates society, it stimulates it economically, it stimulates it intellectually, and it gives us all passion.” – Bill Nye
  116. “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
  117. “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.” – Charlie Chaplin
  118. “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
  119. “Infrastructure investment in science is an investment in jobs, in health, in economic growth and environmental solutions.” – Oren Etzioni
  120. “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
  121. “Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.” – Sun Tzu
  122. “If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
  123. “Beware of missing chances; otherwise it may be altogether too late some day.” – Franz Liszt
  124. “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
  125. “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
  126. “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
  127. “There is little that can withstand a man who can conquer himself.” – Louis XIV
  128. “In tennis, you strike a ball just after the rebound for the fastest return. It’s the same with investment.” – Masayoshi Son
  129. “A camel makes an elephant feel like a jet plane.” – Jackie Kennedy
  130. “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
  131. “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius, Chinese 
  132. “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Edward Everett Hale
  133. “Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.”– Albert Einstein
  134. “Education is not only a ladder of opportunity, but it is also an investment in our future.” – Ed Markey
  135. “The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” – Samuel Johnson
  136. “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
  137. “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
  138. “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
  139. “Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.” – Elie Wiesel
  140. “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
  141. “Success isn’t measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.” – Mike Ditka
  142. “No matter how many goals you have achieved, you must set your sights on a higher one.” – Jessica Savitch 
  143. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”– Arthur Ashe
  144. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
  145. “The amount of work and the amount of both physical and emotional investment it takes to get to the top.” – Drew Bledsoe

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