Fed Slowdown Belief Powers Stock Market Into Halloween Weekend – $AAPL $ATOS $BRQS $GME $IWC $PCVX $TSLA Rise!

By John F. Heerdink, Jr.

Quote of the Day: “Research is creating new knowledge.” – Neil Armstrong

Happy Saturday All!

I hope all is well and that you are out enjoying your weekend. As for the markets this week, investors overall realized a strong move across the indices that continued to be fed by the belief that the Fed is going to be altering its recent interest rate path. The Fed meets next Tuesday and Wednesday and is now expected to make the .75 basis point increase, but also to serve a message that will allow for lesser rate bumps to appear as early as December. A couple of the FOC voters came out this week jumping the gun by relaying a message of support for this altered less hawkish path. The newfound belief has also been given some fuel by the macroeconomic schedule reports this week that included confirmation including the September Pending Home Sales report that was served on Friday that confirmed a significant 10.2% drop or nearly double was expected. 30-year mortgages are now at +7% and it is crushing the housing market as they Fed had intended in their fight against inflation. Fuel was also served again by the current earnings season where now 164 companies, approximately 50% of the S&P 500, have reported their quarterly report. A few of the household, especially tech names, have disappointed i.e. Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Meta Platforms, (formerly Facebook in name) (META), Microsoft (MSFT) & Tesla (TSLA), which in total represent a whopping 20% of the S&P 500. In turn, the markets have been moving strongly higher the last 2 weeks as the S&P 500 closed at 3,901 another 4% for the week, and is now down 18.2% YTD. The Dow 30 closed higher at 32,862 and up 5.7% for the week and is now down on 9.6% YTD with 2 components Caterpillar (CAT) & Honeywell (HON) charging forward after beating expectations and serving positive outlooks. The Nasdaq closed at 11,102 and up by 2.2% weekly & is still down 29% YTD. The CBOE Volatility Index (^VIX) closed at $25.75, -13.27% over the last 5-days and remains up +49.54% YTD. The small caps on the Russell 2000 also had an up week and closed at 1,846.92 and up 6.0% for the week & is now down 17.74% YTD. The MicroCaps continued trade the positive train too as the iShares Micro-Cap ETF (IWC) closed at $112.94, +5.70% over the last 5-days and is now down 19.17% YTD.

In the US, the yield curve ended the week significantly lower with the 2-yr note yield moving down 9 basis points at 4.42% & the 10-yr note yield falling 20 basis points to end at 4.01%. Oil prices closed on Friday to end at $88.19/bbl, up 3.7% this week. The US dollar was also tamed a bit again this week as it moved down from last Friday’s close of $111.88 to $110.67.

THE MAC REPORTS

On Monday, the preliminary October IHS Markit Manufacturing PMI dropped significantly and below the Mendoza line at 49.9 versus & the preliminary October IHS Markit Services PMI came in at lower as well at 46.6.

On Tuesday, the August FHFA Housing Price Index report that came in .7% lower, the August S&P Case-Shiller Home report also came in lower than expected at 13.1%, & the October Consumer Confidence report came in at 102.5, again lower than expected.

On Wednesday, the Weekly MBA Mortgage Application Index report came in 1.7% lower. The September Advanced International Trade in Goods report cane in $92.2B lower. The September Advanced Retail Inventories report showed a .4% move higher. The September Advanced Wholesale Inventories report showed a .8% increase. The September New Home Sales report cam in higher than expected at 603K.

On Thursday, the US Q3 GDP report came in at 2.6% giving evidence that the United States economy rebounded, however note that this was weakest growth in 2 years. The Weekly Initial Claims report confirmed that it came in lower at 217K, while the Weekly Continuing Claims report came in higher at 1.438M. The September Durable Orders report came in higher at .4%.

On Friday, the September Personal Income report showed a .4% increase, while the September Personal Spending report showed a .6% rise. The September PCE Prices also ticked up .3%as expected. The Q3 Employment Cost Index report came in lower at 1.2%. The September Pending Home Sales report confirmed a significant 10.2% drop or nearly double was expected. The October University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Final report came in at 59.9.

BIOTECH AND HEALTHCARE

Biotech stocks moved overall higher again this week as equity raises, combinations, and even an IPO of significant size are being completed. As a glowing example, Vaxcyte (PCVX, +110.69% over the last 5-days), a clinical-stage vaccine innovation company engineering high-fidelity vaccines to protect humankind from the consequences of bacterial diseases, announced the pricing of $600 Million Public Offering. Overall the Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) rose again this week and closed at $129.68, +7.26% over the last 5-days, & is down -15.03% YTD. The NYSE ARCA Biotech Index (^BTK) closed at 4,939.92, +5.55% over the last 5-days and is now down -10.48% YTD. The SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) closed at $83.76, +6.24% over the last 5-days & is now down 25.% YTD. The 52-week range is is now $61.78-$134.79.

The iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF (IYH) closed at $276.47, +5.10% over the last 5-days.

EV, TECH, CONSUMER, FINANCIALS

Apple (AAPL) closed at $155.74, +5.75% over the last 5-days. Apple enjoys a 6.82% weighting in the S&P 500. On Thursday, after the close, Apple reported its fiscal Q4 earnings confirming record revenue, but missed Wall Street’s expectations with regard to iPhone & their services segment.

tesla

EV giant Tesla (TSLA) closed at $228.52, +6.57% over the last 5-days.

Tesla reported Q3 earnings after the close on Wednesday missing expectations. According to Tesla’s press release, “In the third quarter, we produced over 365,000 vehicles and delivered over 343,000 vehicles. Historically, our delivery volumes have skewed towards the end of each quarter due to regional batch building of cars. As our production volumes continue to grow, it is becoming increasingly challenging to secure vehicle transportation capacity and at a reasonable cost during these peak logistics weeks. In Q3, we began transitioning to a more even regional mix of vehicle builds each week, which led to an increase in cars in transit at the end of the quarter. These cars have been ordered and will be delivered to customers upon arrival at their destination.”

According to Reuters, Tesla this week listed over 6,900 jobs on its career website. This equates to about a 50% increase surge since mid-June, when Reuters began tracking the data.

According to Reuters, Elon Musk, is launching a perfume called “Burnt Hair” that he said sold 10k bottles to earn a million dollars in its first few hours of release and costs $100/bottle and is set to start shipping Q1/2023.

Shares of ADT Inc. (ADT), the most trusted brand in smart home and small business security, closed at $8.70, -1.14% over the last 5-days.

On Oct. 13, ADT, announced that it has issued and sold in a private placement to State Farm 133.3 million shares of ADT common stock for a gross purchase price of $1.2 billion. In September, ADT announced a new partnership with State Farm to revolutionize the homeownership experience through innovation in the detection and mitigation of property losses. In addition to the equity investment, State Farm has committed up to $300 million to fund product and technology innovation, customer growth and marketing activities in connection with the partnership. State Farm has funded the first $100 million and the two companies will collaborate to approve initiatives utilizing the funds.

Shares of JPMorgan (JPM) closed at $126.08, +3.15% over the last 5-days. On October 20, Chase, the largest co-brand card issuer in the U.S., The Walt Disney Company (DIS) and Visa (V) announced a multi-year extension of the Disney Visa Card, Disney Premier Visa Card and Disney Visa Debit Card programs. For nearly two decades, the three companies have worked together to offer Disney Cardmembers exclusive benefits, rewards, experiences and perks that enhance their relationship with the Disney brand.

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) $103.41, -13.33% over the last 5-days. On Thursday, October 27, 2022, Amazon missed expectations and forecast with regard to their financial results for Q3 that ended September 30, 2022 and beyond. Amazon now projects revenues to come between $140-$148B for Q4 vs. $155B which is what Wall Street had expected.

Shares of Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) closed at $235.87, -2.58% over the last 5-days. On Wednesday, Microsoft, reported its fiscal Q1 results beating expectations, but offered lower guidance. Microsoft highlighted that its cloud-computing services provided strength, but then its Azure infrastructure business increased at a slower than expected rate.

Shares of Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) closed at $163.02, +1.78% over the last five days. Salesforce has been recognized by Gartner as a Leader in the 2022 Magic Quadrant for Sales Force Automation Platforms. It is the 16th consecutive year that Salesforce has received this recognition. On September 21, Salesforce announced the appointment of Robin Washington as Lead Independent Director of the Company’s Board of Directors, effective September 15, 2022. Washington, who also chairs the Board’s Audit Committee, succeeds Sanford Robertson, who will continue to serve as a Director and Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Shares of NVIDIA (NVDA), a pioneer in accelerated computing, closed at $138.34, +10.97% over the last 5-days. On Oct. 18, Oracle and NVIDIA announced a multi-year partnership to help customers solve business challenges with accelerated computing and AI. The collaboration aims to bring the full NVIDIA accelerated computing stack — from GPUs to systems to software — to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).

Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) closed at $38.89, +8.39% over the last 5-days.

The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) closed at $129.58, +4.21% over the last 5-days.

Walt Disney Company (DIS) closed at $105.95, +3.83% over the last 5-days. On October 25, Reuters reported that Disney’s streaming service Disney+ stated that it would exclusively stream one of BBC’s highly revered shows, “Doctor Who”, to audiences outside the U.K. and Ireland.

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.

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.

Shares of McDonald’s (MCD) closed at $274.52, +7.85% over the last 5-days. On October 27, McDonald’s Corporation announced results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022 and highlighted the following: 1) Global comparable sales increased nearly 10%, with growth across all segments, 2) U.S. comparable sales increased more than 6% for the quarter, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of comparable sales growth for the segment, & 3) Digital Systemwide sales* in our top six markets were nearly $7 billion for the quarter, representing over a third of total Systemwide sales in those markets.

GOLD & SILVER

Gold prices closed at $1,649/oz., -$11/oz. & silver prices closed at $19.25/oz., -$.19/oz. for the week.

Hecla Mining (HL) closed at $4.67, -2.51% over the last 5-days & First Majestic (AG) closed at $8.40, -.59% over the last 5-days.

October 18, First Majestic Silver Corp. (AG) announced that total production in the third quarter of 2022 from the Company’s four producing operations, the San Dimas Silver/Gold Mine, the Jerritt Canyon Gold Mine, the Santa Elena Silver/Gold Mine and the La Encantada Silver Mine, reached a new Company record of 8.8 million silver equivalent (“AgEq”) ounces consisting of 2.7 million ounces of silver and 67,072 ounces of gold. In the first nine months of 2022, the Company has produced 8.1 million ounces of silver and 185,355 ounces of gold for total production of 23.7 million AgEq ounces, or approximately 71% of the Company’s 2022 guidance midpoint of producing 32.6 to 34.6 million ounces. The Company’s financial results for the third quarter of 2022 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 9, 2022.

On Sept. 7, Hecla Mining Company and Alexco Resource Corp. (NYSE American: AXU; TSX:AXU) announced that the Alexco acquisition has been completed.

MEMES CENTRAL

AMC Entertainment (AMC) closed at $6.51, +.31% over the last 5-days. Reportedly, AMC’s LA-based theaters have added “Laser” and can can expect improved picture contrast, maximum picture brightness, & apparently a more vivid color on-screen. On October 24, Fathom Events, a recognized leader in the entertainment industry as one of the top distributors of content to movie theaters in North America that is owned by AMC Entertainment, Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L), announced that “The Dark Crystal” is returning to the big screen in celebration of its 40th Anniversary. The movie is a masterful, live-action fantasy starring some of the most imaginative creatures ever put on film. Do you remember it?

GameStop (GME) closed at $28.17, +11.34% over the last 5-days as the longs won this week. Note that approx. 20% of GME’s outstanding shares are sold short landing it with a short interest ratio of 7.6. 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.

Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHIP) closed at $.4620, -.5.71% over the last 5-days. On Oct. 13, Seanergy announced the closing of its previously announced $28.0 million term loan secured by two 2010-built Capesize vessels, M/V Fellowship and M/V Premiership, with a prominent European financing institution. The facility has refinanced an existing facility at an interest rate is 2.50% plus SOFR per annum compared to 3.50% plus LIBOR in the previous facility secured by the same vessels. The $28 million principal will amortize over a five-year term through quarterly instalments averaging approximately $1.2 million and a $4.1 million final balloon payment at maturity.

CRYPTO & BITCOIN

Bitcoin (BTC) closed nicely above the 20k mark at $20,666.84, +6.83%% over the last 5-days at the time this report was prepared.

ENERGY

The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund or ETF (XLE) closed at $89.25, +2.67% over the last 5-days. Chevron (CVX) closed at $179.98, +3.92% over the last 5-days.

Oil prices closed on Friday to end at $88.19/bbl, up 3.7% this week.

NEXT WEEK

A full set of 5 trading days will be back in play next week… Expect volatility.

VP WATCHLIST UPDATES

Please review our complete VP Watchlist that includes Apple (AAPL), Disney (DIS), Tesla (TSLA) & a select group of emerging names. The pages will allow you to learn more and keep up with these companies daily.

For now, please see the summaries from the VP Watchlist below:

Shares of Natural-Killer cell (NKcell) focused biopharmaceutical firm Fate Therapeutics (FATE) closed at $20.80, +13.01% over the last 5-days.

- Fate will host a conference call and live audio webcast on Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 5:00 PM ET to report its third quarter 2022 financial results and provide a corporate update. In order to participate in the conference call, please register using the conference link here. The live webcast can be accessed under “Events & Presentations” in the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.fatetherapeutics.com.

- Fate will present clinical and preclinical data for the Company’s induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) product platform at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 37th Annual Meeting being held in Boston, MA, and virtually, November 8-12, 2022.

Shares of Atossa Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATOS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company seeking to discover and develop innovative medicines in areas of significant unmet medical need in oncology, with a current focus on breast cancer and radiation-induced lung injury, closed at $.98, +19.51% over the last 5-days.

- On October 25, Atossa announced that it has retained Richard Graydon, M.D., Ph.D. as interim chief medical officer. Dr. Graydon will devote all of his professional time to the Atossa clinical programs. Prior to joining Atossa, Dr. Graydon served as Senior Director of Clinical Development at Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) where he was responsible for leading compound development and clinical trial programs for Janssen Pharmaceuticals. At Janssen, he oversaw the early to late-stage development and the 2022 approval of BCMA-directed CAR T-Cell therapy (cilta-cel) for Multiple Myeloma, as well as daratumumab, imbruvica, siltuximab and other compounds for solid tumor and hematological malignancies. Previously, he held the role of Director of Clinical Development at Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., where he led the early and late-stage development of the small molecule targeted therapy quizartinib for FLT3-positive Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Additionally, he led the early-stage development of the MDM2 inhibitor milademetan in hematological malignancies and liposarcomas. Dr. Graydon spent time in clinical practice following completion of his specialty training in hematology and oncology at Harvard Massachusetts General Hospital. He earned his M.D. and Ph.D. at Stanford University, and undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering at Cornell University. Dr. Graydon is the author of The Genetic Risks of Cancer: The Effects of DNA, Genomics and Inheritance on Aging and Survival.
- On Oct. 24, Atossa announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted the clinical hold and authorized initiation of its Phase 2 neoadjuvant clinical study of (Z)-endoxifen in premenopausal women with early-stage estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) breast cancer. This is the first study of Atossa’s proprietary (Z)-endoxifen in the United States. At this time, Atossa also announced that it is discontinuing its COVID-19 program (AT-301) so that it can refocus resources on this critical study in breast cancer. “Continuing the development of our proprietary (Z)-endoxifen here in the United States has been a key goal which builds on the recent issuance of a U.S. patent for our proprietary (Z)-endoxifen and results from our Phase 2 “window-of-opportunity” study in Australia,” commented Steven Quay, M.D., Ph.D., Atossa’s CEO, Chairman and President. “We are excited to have engaged Dr. Matthew Goetz, the Erivan K. Haub Family Professor of Cancer Research Honoring Richard F. Emslander, M.D. at Mayo Clinic and Director of the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer SPORE, as the lead principal investigator for this multi-center study. We look forward to opening the study in the fourth quarter.”
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 July 28, Jason McCarthy Ph.D., a biotech analyst at the Maxim Group, put out a note reconfirming his BUY rating and a $4 target price on Atossa.

- On July 7, 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 INVO Bioscience (NASDAQ: INVO), a medical device company focused on creating alternative treatments for patients diagnosed with infertility and developers of INVOcell®, the world’s only in vivo Intravaginal Culture System, closed at $1.13/share, but have traded up to $1.19 in the aftermarket on Friday. The 52-wk range is $.63 – $4.28.

- On Oct. 21, INVO Bioscience announced the publication of a review discussing existing literature and current use of intravaginal culture (IVC) as an option for patients seeking fertility therapies. The review, titled “Intravaginal embryo culture: a successful alternative to standard IVF that may improve access to care,” by Dr. Amber R. Cooper was published in the Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Findings included that Intravaginal culture (IVC) of embryos is a successful and well-tolerated option for many patients & IVC has similar outcomes when compared to standard IVF with or without ICSI. Findings included: Intravaginal culture (IVC) of embryos is a successful and well-tolerated option for many patients & IVC has similar outcomes when compared to standard IVF with or without ICSI. A copy of the publication is available at:Intravaginal embryo culture: a successful alternative to standard IVF that may improve access to care.

- 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 c. 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 $22.00, +7.21% over the last 5-days.

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. (Nasdaq: BRQS, $.79, +10.49% over the last 5-days), 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 Oct. 21, Borqs announced its financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and highlighted that Revenues for the first half 2022 reached $30.1 million, 141% Year-Over-Year (YOY) growth, thew Revenue forecast for 2022 is $50-55 million, YOY growth of over 69%, & their backlog currently stands at $50 million for Holu Hou Energy, LLC (HHE), a majority-owned solar & energy storage system subsidiary.

On October 12, Borqs announced that the Company has forayed into two/three-wheelers automotive space by developing the Telematics Control Unit (TCU) and has successfully demonstrated the newly developed TCU in India Mobile Congress held in New Delhi from October 1 to 4. The newly developed TCU is installed on a two-wheeler and connected to the internet via the cellular network. Indian electric vehicle market was valued at USD 1,434.04 billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach USD 15,397.19 billion by 2027. India’s automotive sector is dominated by two-wheelers (scooters, motorbikes) and three-wheelers (autos and rickshaws) that play a significant role in last-mile mobility in the country. The total sales of electric two-wheelers, including high-speed and low-speed, in the 12-month period (January-December) in 2021 increased by 132% over the corresponding year 2020.

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.

- 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.
  
  “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.”
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.

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.

Thanks again for your attention this week. Please continue to share your thoughts, questions, & ideas as we move forward.

In the meantime, please enjoy the balance of the weekly newsletter’s videos, quotes, updates and let’s find ways to crush it again this year!

Investing & Inspiration

“Research is creating new knowledge.” – Neil Armstrong
“The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.” – Jonas Salk
“Man is a creative retrospection of nature upon itself.” – Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel
“There’s something about taking a plow and breaking new ground. It gives you energy.” – Ken Kesey
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” – William Feather
“The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion.” – Nadia Boulanger
“More business is lost every year through neglect than through any other cause.” – Rose Kennedy
“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” – Archimedes
“A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read.” – Mark Twain
“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – Francis of Assisi
“Without labor nothing prospers.” – Sophocles
“Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them.” – Albert Einstein
“This is the precept by which I have lived: Prepare for the worst; expect the best; and take what comes.” – Hannah Arendt
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller
“He who is brave is free.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” – Elon Musk
“I choose a block of marble and chop off whatever I don’t need.” – Auguste Rodin
“Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers.” – Robert Green Ingersoll
“He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” – Lao Tzu
“Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man.” – Stewart Udall
“In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.” – Dalai Lama
“A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.” – Bob Dylan
“Inflation destroys savings, impedes planning, and discourages investment. That means less productivity and a lower standard of living.” – Kevin Brady
“If we give something positive to others, it will return to us. If we give negative, that negativity will be returned.” – Allu Arjun
“A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” ~ George S. Patton
“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