$NCMI

Healthcare Alkermes ($ALKS) announced that it received notices of partial termination in respect of two license agreements with Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc ($ACAD) 3Q EPS ($0.09) vs est. ($0.26) on sales $131.6Mm vs est. $127.8Mm, says narrows FY Nuplazid sales guide to $480-500Mm Castle Biosciences ($CSTL) 3Q EPS ($0.47) vs est. ($0.41) on revs $23.5Mm vs est. $23Mm; says on track to achieve FY total revs guide of $89-93Mm vs est. $91.9Mm Clover Health ($CLOV) Q3 revs $427.2M vs est. $413.1M, adj EBITDA ($102.3M) vs est. ($99.5M); sees FY revs $1.42B-$1.47B vs est. $1.44B Curaleaf holdings ($CURLF) Q3 revenue $317M vs est. $328.3M, adj EBITDA $71M vs est. $92.1M; remains on track to generate revenue within lower end of $1.2B-$1.3B annual guidance range; said the acquisition of Tryke Companies reported earlier today bolsters its position in NV, AZ, UT and will be immediately accretive to margins and cash flow Fluidigm Corp ($FLDM) 3Q EPS ($0.18) vs est. ($0.22) on revs $28.5Mm vs est. $30Mm; says undertaking review of various options including with regard to strategic alternatives Invitae Corporation ($NVTA) Q3 adj EPS ($0.81) vs est. ($0.71) on revenue $114.4M vs est. $126.5M driven by billable volume 296k (+89% YoY); now sees FY revenue $450M-$475M, from $475M-$500M and below est. $484.5M Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. ($MRTX) 3Q EPS ($1.55) vs est. ($2.89) on revs $71.8Mm Nevro Corp. ($NVRO) Q3 EPS loss ($1.44) vs. est. loss (-$0.87); Q3 rev $93.2M vs. est. $91.59M; sees Q4 revs $94M-$98M Oak Street Health, Inc. ($OSH) Q3 EPS loss (-$0.49) vs. est. loss (-$0.42); Q3 revs $388.7M vs. est. $356.7M; The Company cared for approximately 100,500 risk-based patients, representing 76% of its total patients; adjusted EBITDA was $(64.3M), compared to $(22.8M) YoY SI-BONE ($SIBN) Q3 EPS ($0.48) vs est. ($0.42) on revenue $22.3M vs est. $22.5M, lowered FY21 revenue view to $89M-$90M from $92M-$94M (vs est. $92.7M) as uncertainty surrounding Covid-19’s impact on elective procedures and healthcare infrastructure remains Shockwave Medical ($SWAV) Q3 EPS $0.05 vs. est. loss (-$0.06); Q3 revs $65.2M vs. est. $61.2M; sees FY21 revenue $227M-$228M vs. est. $223.43M, which represents 235% to 236% growth YoY SmileDirectClub, Inc. ($SDC) shares fall -23%; 3Q EPS ($0.23) vs est. ($0.13) on revs $138Mm vs est. $$181Mm; guides FY revs $630-650Mm vs est. $757Mm Tactile Systems ($TCMD) shares fell -12%; 3Q EPS ($0.17) vs est. $0.12 on revs $52.5Mm vs est. $57.4Mm; sees FY revs +9-10% or $203.5M-$206M from $216.3M-$224.5M, below est. +18.7% Merck ($MRK) said the U.S. government will buy 1.4 million additional courses of their COVID-19 pill, molnupiravir, for about $1 bln and that the U.S. has now committed to purchase a total of about 3.1 million courses of molnupiravir for about $2.2 billion Haemonetics ($HAE) Q2 adj EPS $0.60 vs. est. $0.61; Q2 revs $239.9M vs. est. $241.4M; lowers FY22 adj EPS view to $2.40-$2.65 from $2.60-$3.00 and narrows its FY22 revenue view to up 13%-17% from up 13%-18% Technology, Media & Telecom Bandwidth Inc. ($BAND) Q3 adj EPS $0.25 vs. est. $0.08; Q3 revs $130.6M vs. est. $125.3M; guides Q4 EPS loss (15c-11c) vs. est. loss (-$0.01); sees Q4 revs $115.7M-$120.7M vs. est. $125.5M 3D Systems ($DDD) 3Q adj EPS $0.08 vs est. $0.05 on revs $156.1Mm vs est. $144.8Mm; guides FY adj gr mgn 41-43% vs est. 42.7% Five9 Inc. ($FIVN) 3Q adj EPS $0.28 vs est. $0.23 on revs $154.3Mm vs est. $146.8Mm; guides 4Q revs $164.5-165.5mm vs est. $157.8Mm, sees 4Q adj EPS $0.36-0.37 vs est. $0.34; sees FY revs $$600.5-601.5Mm vs est. $585.2Mm and adj EPS $1.09-1.10 vs est. $1.02 Instructure Holdings, Inc. ($INST) 3Q EPS ($0.10) vs est. $0.14 on revs $107.2Mm vs est. $101.1Mm; sees 4Q revs $106.9-107.9Mm vs est. $104.1Mm; guides FY revs $401.7-402.7Mm vs est. $397.4Mm, sees FY adj EBITDA $143.6-144.6Mm vs est. $130Mm Luminar Technologies, Inc. ($LAZR) shares rise 50%; said at the NVIDIA GTC conference that its lidar solution has been selected to be part of the sensor suite in the NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion autonomous vehicle reference platform. This AI vehicle computing platform accelerates development of autonomous consumer vehicles with planned production starting in 2024. New Relic ($NEWR) Q2 adj EPS loss (10c) vs. est. loss (13c); Q2 revs $196M vss. Est. $182.21M; cuts FY22 adj EPS loss view to (60c)-(54c) from (52c)-(49c) while boosts FY22 revenue view to $778M-$782M from $730M-$735M (est. $736.8M) National CineMedia ($NCMI) Q3 EPS loss (19c) vs. est. loss (13c); Q3 revs $31.7M vs. est. $41.24M; Q3 adjusted OIBDA improved to negative $8.2 million for the third quarter of 2021 from negative $11.2 million for the third quarter of 2020 Roblox ($RBLX) shares rise 29%; Q3 EPS (13c) vs est. (14c) on bookings $637.8M vs est. $636.5M, revenue $509.5M, avg DAUs 47.3M vs est. 46.6M, hours engaged 11.2B (+28% YoY), avg booking per DAU $13.49 Sanmina ($SANM) Q4 adj EPS $0.95 vs. est. $0.99; Q4 revs $1.64B vs. est. $1.7B; sees Q1 adj EPS 90c-$1.00 vs. est. $1.01; sees Q1 revs $1.6B-$1.7B below consensus $1.76B Square Space ($SQSP) Q3 EPS 4c vs est. 14c on revenue $201M vs est. $205.2M; sees Q4 revenue $203M-$206M vs est. $205.2M, raised annual revenue forecast to $780M-$783M from $772M-$780M (est. $778.4M) and unlevered FCF to $117M-$122M from $102M-$116M TripAdvisor ($TRIP) 3Q adj EPS $0.16 vs est. $0.24 on revs $303Mm vs est. $304.4Mm; avg monthly unique users on branded websites rose to about 76% of 2019 comparable period; says CEO will step down during 2022 Vuzix Corporation ($VUZI) Q3 EPS loss (-$0.13), in-line with ests; Q3 revs $3.02M vs. est. $3.79M; General and Administrative expense for the three months ended September 30, 2021 was $3.1 million versus $1.6 million for the comparable 2020 period Xperi Holding Corporation ($XPER) 3Q adj EPS $0.53 vs est. $0.34 on res $219.4Mm vs est. $215.4Mm; guides FY revs $870-890Mm vs est. $882.2Mm Zynga ($ZNGA) 4Q EPS ($0.04) vs est. $0.07 on revs $704.7Mm vs est. $666Mm, qtrly bookings $668Mm +6%, average mobile DAUs 38Mm +21%, qtrly avg mobile MAUs 183Mm +120%; sees FY revs $2.78B vs est. $2.81B, sees FY bookings $2.814B

Monday, November 8, 2021 Futures Up/Down % Last Dow 72.00 0.20% 36,287 S&P 500 4.25 0.09% 4,694 Nasdaq 9.00 0.06% 16,360 U.S. futures are looking to open at new record highs (again) after Washington passed a smaller form of its highway, broadband and other infrastructure improvement spending deal this weekend, as the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed through Congress on Friday. A very important week of economic data coming up with monthly CPI, PPI inflation data mid-week. Crypto assets rising to records ahead of the inflation reports as Bitcoin up 8% nearing $66K, Ethereum record highs up over 6% above $4,700, Litecoin tops $200, up over 5.75% as crypto assets surging again. Tech futures underperform following weakness in Tesla (TSLA) after its CEO Elon Musk on Saturday asked his 62.5 million followers on Twitter in a poll if he should sell 10% of his Tesla stock. The world’s richest person had previously said he could face a “massive” tax bill this year as he has to exercise a large number of stock options coming due next year. In Asian markets, The Nikkei Index fell -100 points to 29,507, the Shanghai Index rose 0.2% to just under 3,500, and the Hang Seng Index declined 100 points to 24,763. In Europe, the German DAX is down about -0.1% at 16,035, while the FTSE 100 is flat holding just above 7,300. Last week the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow notched their fifth straight weekly advances (longest streak for the S&P since Aug 2020); for the week, the S&P 500 rose 2%, the Dow added 1.42%, the Nasdaq gained 3.05% and the Russell 200o over 6%. The Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) notched its 10th winning session in a row on Friday while the S&P 500 scored another record high on Friday and booked a week of solid gains following a strong U.S. jobs report and positive data for Pfizer’s experimental pill against COVID-19, which helped boost travel and other economic reopen sectors. The news kept the run going for equities after investors earlier in the week digested the Federal Reserve’s decision to start reducing its monthly bond purchases put in place to support the economy. Market Closing Prices Yesterday The S&P 500 Index gained 17.47 points, or 0.37%, to 4,697.53 The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 203.72 points, or 0.56%, to 36,327.95 The Nasdaq Composite climbed 31.28 points, or 0.20%, to 15,971.59 The Russell 2000 Index advanced 34.65 points, or 1.44% to 2,437.08 Events Calendar for Today No major U.S. economic data Earnings Calendar: Earnings Before the Open: ATRO, AXSM, BKI, COTY, DS, EDIT, EHTH, GATO, GTES, HLIO, KOS, LINC, NERV, NSSC, RDNT, RDUS, RETA, THS, TTD, USFD, VAC, VUZI, WOW, ZIXI Earnings After the Close: ACAD, AEIS, AEL, AMBC, AMC, AMPH, AMRS, APEI, APPF, APTS, ASUR, ATER, AVEO, BAND, BRP, CARA, CBT, CHRS, CLRS, CLOV, CSSE, CSTL, CXW, DDD, DOOR, ENV, FIVN, FLDM, FRPT, FSK, FTK, GOSS, HIL, IEA, IFF, IIN, INST, IPAR, JKHY, KERN, LMND, LOTZ, MRC, MRTX, MWA, NCMI, NEWR, NNI, NVRO, NVTA, OCIUL, OUST, PRA, PRI, PRIM, PYPL, RBLX, REAL, SANM, SCOR, SDC, SNCR, SPCE, SWSP, SWAV, SWX, TCMD, TREX, TRIP, TWO, XNCR, ZIOP, ZNGA Other Key Events: Credit Suisse 30th Annual Healthcare Conference, 11/8-11/11 (virtual) JPMorgan Global Consumer, Retail & Luxury Conference, 11/8-11/21 (virtual) EEI Financial Conference, 11/7-11/9 (virtual) REITWorld 2021 Annual Conference, 11/9-11/12 (virtual) Macro Up/Down Last Nymex 1.22 82.49 Brent 1.09 83.83 Gold -0.50 1,818.50 EUR/USD -0.0002 1.1564 JPY/USD 0.05 113.46 10-Year Note +0.032 1.485% World News China’s export growth moderated slightly to 27.1% yoy in October, above the 22.8% consensus expectation, implying a sequential gain of 2.6% in October (a modest slowdown from +3.0% in September) despite electricity constraints in October. At the same time, imports rose 20.6% yoy in October, missing expectations of a 26.2% surge, but fell 3.2% sequentially in October (vs. -0.7% in September). As a result of the far bigger growth in exports over imports, the monthly trade surplus rose further to a record high of $84.5bn in October, supporting the appreciation of the Chinese yuan in October, even as China’s economy has slowed down sharply in recent months. China’s trade surplus with the United States was $40.75 billion in October based on customs data showed on Sunday, down from $42 billion in September. For the first ten months of the year, the surplus was $320.67 billion – Reuters Highway, broadband and other infrastructure improvement spending deal this weekend, as the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed through Congress on Friday and among parts of the deal, allows for $7.5 billion spending for building out a network of electric vehicle chargers and another $7.5 billion for low or zero-emission buses and ferries. Sector News Breakdown Consumer Tesla Inc ($TSLA) CEO Elon Musk on Saturday asked his 62.5 million followers on Twitter in a poll if he should sell 10% of his Tesla stock. The world’s richest person had previously said he could face a “massive” tax bill this year as he has to exercise a large number of stock options coming due next year. “Note, I do not take a cash salary or bonus from anywhere. I only have stock, thus the only way for me to pay taxes personally is to sell stock,” Musk said on Twitter on Saturday. Rivian Automotive ($RIVN) raises IPO price range to $72.00-$74.00 from $57.00-$62.00. Separately, Barron’s noted Rivian Automotive (RIVN) is set to go public this coming week at a market value that could exceed that of Honda Motor (HMC) despite having sold just a handful of vehicles, with a market cap around $64 billion Haverty’s (HVT) announces special cash dividend, quarterly cash dividend, and additional authorization under stock repurchase program Peloton ($PTON) has halted hiring across all departments effective immediately, CNBC reported late Friday, a day after it slashed its full-year outlook amid slowing momentum for its fitness products Coty ($COTY) agrees to sell additional partial stake in Wella to KKR in exchange for about 56% of Preferred Coty shares owned by KKR Marriott Vacations ($VAC) Q3 adjusted EPS $1.60 vs. est. $1.42; Q3 revs $1.05B vs est. $1.07B; said occupancies at our resorts this quarter were very strong despite the Delta variant and contract sales were within 3% of 2019 levels, driving 25% sequential growth in Adjusted EBITDA Energy China’s crude oil imports plunged in October to the lowest since September 2018, as large state-owned refiners withheld purchases because of rising prices while independent refiners were restrained by limited quotas to import. The world’s biggest crude oil importer brought in 37.8 million tonnes last month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Sunday, equivalent to 8.9 million barrels per day (bpd). – Reuters FirstEnergy ($FE) agrees to sell a 19.9% stake in its three regulated transmission businesses to Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) for $2.4B Financials Berkshire Hathaway Inc ($BRK/A) said that global supply chain disruptions kept a lid on its ability to generate profit; Q3 operating profit rose 18% but missed analyst forecasts amid goods shortages that crimped consumer spending; net income, meanwhile, fell 66%, reflecting lower gains from stock holdings such as Apple Inc and Bank of America Corp. Alleghany ($Y) mentioned positively in Barron’s saying shares should not be overlooked noting under CEO Weston Hicks, Alleghany has used a similar strategy to create an attractive, smaller-scale version of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway ($BRK.A) R. Berkley ($WRB) announced that its Board of Directors has declared a special cash dividend on its common stock of $1.00 per share to be paid on December 22 to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 7 Healthcare Cannabis stocks rose late Friday after Marijuana Moment reported a fresh Republican-led attempt to legalize marijuana. The States Reform Act led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) is still in the preliminary stage, and a final version is expected to be filed later this month. As U.S. health authorities expand use of the leading Covid-19 vaccines, researchers investigating heart-related risks linked to the shots are exploring several emerging theories, including one centered on the spike protein made in response to vaccination. Researchers aren’t certain why the messenger RNA vaccines, one from Pfizer Inc. ($PFE) and partner BioNTech SE ($BNTX) and the other from Moderna Inc., are likely causing the inflammatory heart conditions myocarditis and pericarditis in a small number of cases. – WSJ https://on.wsj.com/3mQqCVY Alcon ($ALC) has acquired Ivantis, developer and manufacturer of the novel Hydrus Microstent, a minimally-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) device designed to lower intraocular pressure for open-angle glaucoma patients in connection with cataract surgery for $475M in upfront consideration Genetron Holdings ($GTH) has formed a strategic partnership with oncology laboratory solution provider NeoGenomics (NEO) to drive global oncology drug research and development. Industrials & Materials Boeing ($BA) directors agreed to a $237.5 million settlement of claims that they turned a blind eye to safety issues related to 737 Max jetliners whose crashes have cost the company more than $20 billion, according to court documents Blade Air Mobility ($BLDE) is bringing ride-sharing to helicopters-just don’t call it the Uber ($UBER) of the sky. The stock can take off without that comparison, Barron’s reported. Blade Air Mobility is a less risky way to invest in the eVTOL future, though certainly not risk-free BHP is close to a deal to sell its controlling interest in two Australian coal mines to Stanmore Resources Ltd. ($STMRF) for ~$1.25B, the Wall Street Journal reports. Technology, Media & Telecom New Oriental Education & Technology ($EDU), Gaotu Techedu ($GOTU), and Tal Education ($TAL) shares all rising over 20% after the WSJ reported that China plans to issue more than a dozen licenses that would allow companies to offer after-school tutoring. The report said Gaotu Techedu (GOTU) and Yuanfudao, a unit of Tencent ($TCEHY), have held talks about resuming tutoring to students in the ninth grade and below https://on.mktw.net/3EVcxg5 Trinseo ($TSE) has begun work to explore the divestiture of its Styrenics businesses and plans to launch a formal sales process in Q1 of 2022. The scope of this potential divestiture is expected to include the Feedstocks and Polystyrene reporting segments as well as the company’s 50% ownership of Americas Styrenics AU Optronics ($AUOTY) reports October revenue of NT$30.38B (+18.1% Y/Y, -9.9% M/M); the total panel area shipment reached around 2.08 million square meters in October 2021, down by 4.3% month-over-month. ChipMOS ($IMOS) reports October revenue of $82.3M (-2.3% M/M; +10.7% Y/Y).

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Monday, August 9, 2021 Futures Up/Down % Last Dow -110.00 0.32% 34,979 S&P 500 -8.25 0.19% 4,421 Nasdaq 10.50 0.07% 15,106 Stock futures traded mostly lower Monday as investors increased bets the Federal Reserve would pull back on stimulus following a stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report last week. Stocks closed higher on Friday, adding to its string of weekly advances as the S&P 500 index hits its 44th record high after a strong monthly jobs report fuels a further rotation into riskier assets. The U.S. economy added 943,000 jobs in July as hiring surged and employers raised wages to lure workers. It marked the second straight month of impressive growth. For the week, unofficially, the S&P rose 0.94%, the Dow added 0.78%, and the Nasdaq gained 1.11%. U.S. Treasury yields rose Friday after the jobs report, rising 8.7 bps at 1.3036%, its highest of the day, as equity indexes closed at record highs (back down at 1.28%). The financial sector saw its biggest daily percentage gain since July 20, while materials scored their best day in nearly a month as consumer discretionary stocks lagged. In Asian markets, The Nikkei Index gained 91 points to 27,820, the Shanghai Index rises 36 points (over 1%) to 3,494, the Hang Seng Index jumps 104 points to 26,283. In Europe, the German DAX is down -30 points to 15,730, while the FTSE 100 is down about -25 points, dipping just below 7,100. Bitcoin prices are higher by over 5% to $45,000 while Ethereum prices extend last week gains, also up over 5% topping $3,000. Oil prices looking lower again as WTI Crude slips 3.75% or over $2.50 to $65.70 (lowest levels since June) as worries about the COVID Delta variant’s impact on global growth increase. Goldman Sachs cut its forecast for China Q3 and full-year GDP, but does expect the government to bring the outbreak under control in about a month. Also, China’s crude imports slipped to the lowest since May last month after operations were halted at key ports on the east coast due to a typhoon. The nation imported 41.24 metric tons of crude in July, according to data. Gold prices slide $22 or over 1$ at $1,742.00 an ounce – but well-off overnight lows after plunging just below $1,700 an ounce Market Closing Prices Yesterday The S&P 500 Index gained 7.42 points, or 0.17%, to 4,436.52 The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 144.26 points, or 0.41%, to 35,208.51 The Nasdaq Composite declined -59.36 points, or 0.40%, to 14,835.76 The Russell 2000 Index advanced 11.75 points, or 0.53% to 2,247.76 Events Calendar for Today 10:00 AM EST JOLTs Job Openings for June Earnings Calendar: Earnings Before the Open: AGEN, AMRX, APD, AVYA, AXSM, BALY, BFLY, BHV, CEVA, CRNC, DISH, DRNA, DS, EBIX, ELAN, ENR, EPZM, HE, III, ITCI, JOUT, KOS, LINC, MPAA, RDNT, SCPL, SGMS, SNDX, TGNA, TSN, TTD, USFD, VTRS, WHF, WKHS Earnings After the Close: ACM, ADMS, AMC, APEI, APPF, APPS, ASUR, AVD, BCEI, BRP, CABO, CARA, CBT, CCXI, CF, CMBM, CMP, CSTL, CXW, DDD, DOOR, ELY, ETH, EVBG, FGEN, FSK, FTK, GBDC, GOOD, HALO, IIIV, IIN, INO, IPAR, LOTZ, MESA, MODN, MYO, NCMI, NHI, OMER, OSH, OUST, PEN, PLNT, PRPL, QLYS, REAL, REI, RETA, RPAY, SAIL, SENS, SNCR, STE, SWAV, TALK, TPTX, VUZI, WES, ZIOP Other Key Events: BTIG Biotechnology Conference 2021 (virtual), 8/9-8/10 Cowen Annual Communications Infrastructure Hybrid Summit, 8/9-8/12 Cowen 9th Annual Internet & Media Bus Tour (virtual), 8/9-8/13 KeyBanc Capital Markets Technology Leadership Virtual Forum, 8/9-8/12 Needham 10th Annual Industrial Technologies 1:1 Conference (virtual), 8/6-8/9 Macro Up/Down Last Nymex -2.60 65.68 Brent -2.53 68.17 Gold -22.00 1,741.00 EUR/USD -0.0006 1.1756 JPY/USD -0.08 110.17 10-Year Note -0.008 1.28% World News China’s export growth slowed in July, adding to concerns the economy’s recovery will face fresh pressure in the second half of the year. Exports grew 19.3% in dollar terms in July from a year earlier, while imports rose 28.1%, the customs administration said Saturday. That left a trade surplus of $56.58 billion for the month. Sector News Breakdown Consumer Sanderson Farms ($SAFM) is said close to a deal to sell itself to Cargill and Continental Grain for about $4.5B. The deal, which could be announced as soon as tomorrow, is expected to value Sanderson Farms (SAFM) at $203 per share – WSJ https://on.wsj.com/3yAS4dD Philip Morris ($PM) has raised its bid for British drugmaker Vectura ($VEGPF) to 165 pence, or $2.29, per share, according to Reuters, citing the tobacco company. Tesla ($TSLA) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies and up tgt to $850 from $700 as sees higher global battery electric demand, more battery and assembly capacity coming on stream, a broader and mix-accretive model line-up with more Model Ys and the new S and no legacy issues to contend with Conagra Brands ($CAG) files automatic mixed securities shelf Spectrum Brands Holdings ($SPB) mentioned positively in Barron’s, calling it an undervalued stock that lets investors bet on multiple Covid-era trends at once. It has the defensive characteristics of a consumer- staples brand and its debt problems appear to be easing. Ross Stores ($ROST) and WW Int’l ($WW) will benefit from shoppers buying new wardrobes and getting back in shape for a return to the office according to Barron’s. Starbucks ($SBUX) and Ruth’s Hospitality Group ($RUTH) fell on delta concerns, but both have seen sales momentum as cities reopen ManpowerGroup ($MAN) announces new stock repurchase program for up to 4M shares Haverty’s ($HVT) announces new $25M stock repurchase program Energy Oil prices looking lower as WTI Crude slips 3.75% or over $2.50 to $65.70 (lowest levels since June) as worries about the COVID Delta variant’s impact on global growth increase. Goldman Sachs cut its forecast for China Q3 and full-year GDP, but does expect the government to bring the outbreak under control in about a month. Also, China’s crude imports slipped to the lowest since May last month after operations were halted at key ports on the east coast due to a typhoon. The nation imported 41.24 metric tons of crude in July, according to data. Saudi Aramco made net profit of 95.5 billion riyals ($25.5 billion) in the second quarter, the highest level since the end of 2018. Free cash flow rose to $22.6 billion Financials Berk­shire Hath­away Inc. ($BRKA) said Q2 net earn­ings rose 7%, boosted by im­proved re­sults for its rail­road, util­i­ties and en­ergy com­pa­nies. Op­er­at­ing earn­ings, which ex­clude some in­vest­ment re­sults, rose to $6.7B from $5.5B in the year prior. Prof­its in­creased within the com­pa­ny’s rail-road, util­i­ties and en­ergy di­vi­sions but de­clined at the com­pa­ny’s vast in­sur­ance op­er­a­tions Hudson Pacific Properties ($HPP), a real estate investment trust that leases space in West Los Angeles, could gain on bets its Hollywood producer and plastic surgeon tenants won’t give up their offices according to Barron’s. Boston Properties ($BXP) was also recommended for its exposure to the thriving health care and tech sectors in Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area. DiamondRock ($DRH) files automatic mixed securities shelf Healthcare Exact Sciences ($EXAS) has approached Invitae ($NVTA) about a possible merger, Bloomberg reported late Friday while saying the companies are not in active talks, and if a deal materializes, it could be an all-stock deal with a low premium https://bit.ly/37wMxch Eton Pharmaceuticals’ ($ETON) antiepileptic topiramate oral solution FDA action date has been delayed three months to November 6, 2021, according to an SEC filing after a decision was expected on Friday. Lexicon ($LXRX) files $200M mixed securities shelf Epizyme Inc. ($EPZM) rises after announcing a deal with Hutchmed China to develop Tazverik, a medicine used to treat certain patients with epithelioid sarcoma and others with follicular lymphoma Elanco ($ELAN) Q2 adj EPS $0.28 vs. rest. $0.26; Q2 revs $1.28B vs. est. $1.23B; sees Q3 adj EPS $0.15-$0.19 vs. est. $0.20; sees Q3 revs $1.075B-$1.1B vs. est. $1.09B Industrials & Materials HVAC stocks Carrier Global ($CARR), Lennox International ($LII), Trane Technologies ($TT), and Johnson Controls International ($JCI)-have all reported strong calendar Q2 earnings and are up an average of more than 40% this year, according to Barron’s. Article notes the HVAC business is rapidly becoming one of the most consistent end markets in the industrial universe, and it’s also becoming an important ESG play Air Products ($APD) Q3 adj EPS $2.31 vs. est. $2.36; Q3 revs $2.6B vs. est. $2.49B; sees Q4 adj EPS $2.44-$2.54 vs. est. $2.51; narrows FY21 adj EPS view to $8.95-$9.05 from $8.95-$9.10 (est. $9.07); sees 2021 cap-ex spending of about $2.5B Barrick Gold ($GOLD) Q2 adj EPS $0.29 vs. est. $0.28; Q2 revs $2.89B vs. est. $3.06B Technology, Media & Telecom Dish ($DISH) Q2 EPS $1.06 vs. est. $0.89; Q2 revs $4.49B vs. est. $4.43B; Q2 Net Pay-TV subscribers decreased approximately 67,000, compared to a net decrease of approximately 96,000 in the year-ago quarter; closed the quarter with 10.99M Pay-TV subscribers, including 8.55M DISH TV subscribers and 2.44M SLING TV subscribers Nokia ($NOK) could continue to rally (after rising 56% YTD) according to Barron’s as it recovers from a period of underperformance. It will benefit from telecom operators upgrading their equipment to support 5G and the work- at-home trend. It’s also a meme stock favored by retail investors. Corporate tech spending is forecast to rise again, and two stocks to benefit from the trend are Microsoft ($MSFT) and Cisco Systems ($CSCO), according to Barron’s. LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, could get a boost from increased worker mobility and job listings. Evercore ISI analyst Amit Daryanani sees a path for Cisco to reach $100 per share TikTok owner ByteDance Ltd. is reviving plans to list in Hong Kong by early next year even as Chinese authorities widen their crackdown on the country’s technology companies, the Financial Times reported