$RAIL

BREAKING: One of the largest railroad unions, SMART-TD, voted to reject a contract brokered by the White House, bringing the country once again closer to a rail strike

⚠️ BIDEN TO DELIVER REMARKS AT 11 AM (1500 GMT) ON RAIL DISPUTE RESOLUTION - WHITE HOUSE

US Department of Labor Says Rail Companies, Union Reach Tentative Agreement

this rail strike is the last thing we need

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/transportation/us-rail-strike-threat-could-halt-auto-crop-shipments

https://cointelegraph.com/news/vc-roundup-lightning-network-payment-rail-defi-trading-platform-and-blockchain-security-firm-raise-millions

By Madeline Chambers and Can Sezer BERLIN/ISTANBUL (Reuters) -The deal between Moscow and Kyiv to unblock Ukrainian grain exports may offer a way forward to a possible ceasefire in the five-month conflict, said former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The first grain-carrying ship to leave Ukrainian ports in wartime safely anchored off Turkey's coast on Tuesday and is due to be inspected on Wednesday. "The good news is that the Kremlin wants a negotiated solution," Schroeder told Stern weekly and broadcasters RTL/ntv on Wednesday, adding he had met Putin in Moscow last week. "A first success is the grain deal, perhaps that can be slowly expanded to a ceasefire," he said. Schroeder, chancellor from 1998 to 2005, has criticised the war in Ukraine but refused to condemn Putin. Meanwhile, Russia has accused the United States of being directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine and not just supplying Kyiv with arms. Russia's defence ministry, headed by an ally of Putin, said comments made by Vadym Skibitsky, Ukraine's deputy head of military intelligence, to Britain's Telegraph newspaper showed that Washington was entangled in the conflict. Skibitsky told the paper there was consultation between U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence officials before strikes and Washington had an effective veto on intended targets, but that U.S. officials were not providing direct targeting information. "All this undeniably proves that Washington, contrary to White House and Pentagon claims, is directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. "It is the Biden administration that is directly responsible for all Kyiv-approved rocket attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure in populated areas of Donbas and other regions, which have resulted in mass deaths of civilians." There was no immediate reaction from the White House or Pentagon to the ministry's assertions. The Pentagon did deny, however, Moscow's claims that Russia had destroyed six U.S.-made HIMARS missile systems since the start of the Ukraine war. Russia regularly claims it has hit HIMARS but has yet to show proof. DONBAS: 'JUST HELL' Ukraine's General Staff on Wednesday catalogued continued heavy Russian shelling of Kharkiv and other towns and villages in its vicinity, as well as air and missile strikes on civilian objects. Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday said that despite arms supplies from the West, his country's forces could not yet overcome Russian advantages in heavy guns and manpower. "This is very much felt in combat, especially in the Donbas. ... It is just hell there. Words cannot describe it." Reuters was not able to verify battlefield reports. Germany's Schroeder said the future of Donbas was complicated. The traditional industrial heartland in Ukraine's east has seen some of the war's heaviest fighting. "A solution based on the Swiss cantonal model will have to be found," he said, adding it would have to be seen if Putin would go back to a pre-war "contact line" in a ceasefire. Switzerland has 26 semi-autonomous cantons or provinces. Solutions to crucial problems such as Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, could be found over time, "maybe not over 99 years, like Hong Kong, but in the next generation", he said. Britain's defence ministry said the rail link connecting Russian-occupied Kherson in southern Ukraine with Crimea was highly unlikely to be operational due to a Ukrainian strike against a Russian ammunition train. Russian forces are likely to repair the railway line in a few days, although it will remain a vulnerability for Russian forces and their logistical resupply route from Crimea into Kherson, Britain said in an intelligence update on Twitter (NYSE:TWTR). Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it calls a "special military operation". Kyiv and the West have condemned it as an unprovoked war of aggression. At a U.N. conference on Tuesday, Igor Vishnevetsky, deputy director of the department for non-proliferation and arms control of the Russian foreign ministry, refuted all allegations of "unprovoked aggression". He also added that Moscow was convinced a nuclear war "must never be fought". SAFE PASSAGE Meanwhile, a July 22 U.N.-brokered deal to unblock Ukrainian grain exports had an initial success as the first loaded ship since Russia's invasion safely anchored off the Turkish coast. The vessel, the Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni was at the entrance of the Bosphorus Strait, which connects the Black Sea to world markets, around 1800 GMT on Tuesday, some 36 hours after leaving the Ukrainian port of Odesa. The ship, which is carrying 26,527 tonnes of corn to Lebanon, is due to be inspected on Wednesday in Turkey. The exports from one of the world's top grain producers are intended to help ease a global food crisis. Known as Europe's breadbasket, Ukraine hopes to export 20 million tonnes of grain held in silos and 40 million tonnes from the harvest now under way, initially from Odesa and nearby Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk. Russia has called the Razoni's departure "very positive" news. It has denied responsibility for the food crisis, saying Western sanctions have slowed its exports.

EU Looking to Ban Russian Gold in New Sanctions Package Price cap on Russian oil exports not seen coming any time soon Measures could include adjustments to earlier trade sanctions A 12.5 kilogram gold ingot at the Prioksky non-ferrous metals plant in Kasimov, Russia. A 12.5 kilogram gold ingot at the Prioksky non-ferrous metals plant in Kasimov, Russia. Source: Bloomberg By Alberto Nardelli 1 July 2022 at 6:48 pm AWST The European Union is working on new sanctions to target Russian gold, matching a move by the Group of Seven nations aimed at further choking off Moscow’s revenue sources, according to people familiar with the matter. Russia is the second largest gold mining country in the world, and its gold exports were estimated to be worth £12.6 billion in 2021. When the UK, the US, Japan and Canada unveiled their plans to ban new gold imports from Russia earlier this week, Britain said the measure would have a “huge impact” on Vladimir Putin’s ability to fund his armed forces and oligarchs’ attempts to avoid the impact of financial sanctions by buying bullion. Industry analysts are less enthusiastic, describing the ban as largely symbolic because penalties imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine have effectively already closed off European and US markets. And even flows to traditional centers of trading in London and Zurich have mostly dried up due to self-sanctioning by the industry. Preparations for the new sanctions package are ongoing and some nations will be pushing to add more measures to the proposals before they are presented to member states for approval, one of the people said. The new package will also cover fixes to previously approved measures, which could include adjustments to rules around the transit of sanctioned goods to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private discussions. Some officials have raised concerns that Lithuania could be pressured into allowing banned goods to transit through the country to Kaliningrad. Lithuania is imposing restrictions in line with sanctions agreed by the whole bloc, and people as well as the vast majority of goods continue to move freely between the two parts of Russia. Still, prohibitions on more Russian goods are set to come into force this month and the European Commission has been seeking to agree new guidance with Vilnius before then amid worries the standoff could escalate. One of the people said any rules on applying sanctions would need to be for the whole EU and not single out Lithuania. Moscow has threatened to retaliate against the EU member state if it continues to block rail transport of goods such as steel.

*BILL ACKMAN SAYS 'DELIGHTED' TO AGAIN BE A CP RAIL HOLDER $CP

I use a 15 min on gold, riding the rail, R3, or trying to

**@PeterMcCormack:** Peter, #bitcoin can walk and chew gum at the same time…* Store of value* Medium of exchange* Payment rail* Energy grid stabiliser* Programmable financial services* Censorship resistant* Decentralised* VerifiableGold = store value + industrial + doorstop https://t.co/3EL7VN4Uc6 https://twitter.com/PeterMcCormack/status/1467838016794542080

**@pkedrosky:** Today's headlines and associated salivating about electric trucks from Tesla and Ford seem carefully calibrated to piss me the fk off. Ridiculous vehicles, rolling examples of Jevon's paradox crossed with high-energy rail weapons against pedestrians and cyclists. https://twitter.com/pkedrosky/status/1466799432616144900

The rumble on the rail is the hikes that follow

*Biden Administration Issues Cybersecurity Directives for Freight and Passenger Rail *Orders Will Affect 90% of U.S. Passenger Rail Systems, 80% of Freight Rail Systems *Orders Require Rail Systems to Report Cybersecurity Incidents to Homeland Security

After slipping last week, U.S. stock futures are edging higher to start the trading week, with Treasury yields little changed as markets remain in “wait-and-see” mode regarding the timing of accelerated tightening by the Fed after last weeks sharply higher inflation readings. Investors also prepare for a busy week of quarterly earnings in the retail sector with results from WMT, LOW, TGT and HD among those expected this week as earnings season wraps up. In Asian markets, The Nikkei Index gained +0.56% to 29,776, the Shanghai Index fell -5 points to 3,533, and the Hang Seng Index advanced +0.25% to 25,390, In Europe, the German DAX is up about +0.1% at 16,100, while the FTSE 100 is little changed at 7,340. Stocks finished Friday near the highs, but for the week, the S&P 500 500 fell 0.3%, the Dow fell 0.6% and the Nasdaq fell 0.7%, as each snapped their 5-week winning streaks amid heightened inflation fears. Before the bell today, the November Empire State Manufacturing Index arrives, with economists predicting a small rise from the month before in the only main data point on the schedule today. The dollar is steady, oil prices are lower and Bitcoin/crypto assets are looking higher. Overall, it looks like a strong start to the trading week, but will gains hold? Events Calendar for Today 8:30 AM ET Empire Manufacturing for November…est. 21.2 Earnings Calendar: Earnings Before the Open: ACM, AYRO, BFLY, CMAX, CVSI, DMRC, DNA, GOED, JAGX, KALA, OEG, ONDS, PTN, RAIL, RMBL, SEAT, TLS, TSN, URGN, VVNT, WE, YOU Earnings After the Close: AAP, ASTG, AGIL, ATHX, AXON, BIOC, BKYI, BODY, CMP, COMS, COOK, CSPR, DM, EDR, ETON, FPAY, GLAD, IDEX, INVO, JJSF, LCID, LFG, MARK, MIRM, NRDY, PLBY, POWW, PRCH, RAX, RXT, SGBX, SNDX, TALK, UAVS, VTSI, XL, XSPA, ZEV Other Key Events: BTIG Digital Health Forum $virtual, 11/15 Stifel 2021 Healthcare Conference $virtual, 11/15-11/17 Wolfe Industrial Growth & Technology Conference 2021 $virtual, 11/15 Macro Up/Down Last Nymex -1.00 79.79 Brent -1.16 81.01 Gold -1.90 1,863.00 EUR/USD -0.0002 1.1443 JPY/USD -0.03 113.86 10-Year Note +0.006 1.554% World News China Oct Industrial O/P higher: 3.5% y/y vs 3% consensus; China Oct Industrial Production higher: 10.9% vs 10.8% consensus; China Oct Retail Sales higher: 4.9% y/y vs 3.5% consensus ECB’s Lagarde said this weekend that conditions for hike in rates unlikely to be met next year; GDP still expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels by year end; price pressures to normalize as supply bottlenecks unwind; no evidence of negotiated wages Hackers compromised a Federal Bureau of Investigation $FBI email system on Saturday and sent tens of thousands of messages warning of a possible cyberattack, according to the agency and security specialists. Jayson Albano reports. Sector News Breakdown **Consumer** Tesla $TSLA shares slipping -2%; CEO Elon Musk on Sunday asked Bernie Sanders on Twitter whether the U.S. senator wants him to sell more shares after Sanders demanded the wealthy pay their “fair share” of taxes. “Want me to sell more stock, Bernie? Just say the word,” Musk tweeted. Meanwhile, “The Big Short” investor Michael Burry tweeted that “Musk doesn’t need cash, he just wants to sell Tesla Macy’s $M, Nordstrom $JWN and Signet Jewelers $SIG among mall-based retailers that are enjoying a revival on expectations consumers will spend a record $851 billion this holiday season, a 9.5% jump from last year, Barron’s reported, citing the National Retail Federation **Energy** Negotiators from almost 200 countries clinched a deal that seeks to keep the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement alive, breaking new ground in the fight against climate change but punting the hardest decisions into the future. After two weeks of often fraught United Nations COP26 talks, delegates agreed to reduce the use of coal **Financials** S&P Global $SPGI won U.S. antitrust approval to buy IHS Markit $INFO to create a financial data giant spanning everything from bond ratings and commodities prices to tracking trade flows across the world after the Justice Department cleared the $39 billion deal **Healthcare** Regeneron $REGN announces $3B share buyback plan Pfizer $PFE strong R&D makes stock a good long-term bet, according to Barron’s. Notes two years ago, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla asked investors to take a big gamble on the research-and-development operation, and that bet is looking smarter than ever **Industrials & Materials** Deere $DE and union officials reach a third preliminary contract agreement on a contract in a bid to end a four-week-old strike; the previous offer included 10% pay raises, a signing bonus of $8,500, made workers eligible for health insurance sooner, and maintained no-premium health insurance coverage. The United States said late Friday it will open talks with Japan over tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Japan last week asked the United States to abolish the “Section 232” tariffs imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration in 2018. **Technology, Media & Telecom** American Tower Corp. $AMT is said to near an agreement to acquire CoreSite Realty $COR for about $10B in an all-cash deal according to a Bloomberg report saying they could announce the acquisition of the data center operator as soon as this week. The report comes after Reuters reported last week that CoreSite was exploring options after getting a takeover approach. Walt Disney $DIS stock tumbled to near a one-year low this week following high-profile misses in its streaming and theme-parks segments according to Barron’s, which could make for an attractive entry point for patient investors CrowdStrike $CRWD initiated at underweight with a $247 target at Morgan Stanley saying the firm’s early leadership position is becoming increasingly challenged Shopify $SHOP downgraded to Hold from Buy at Loop Capital

UK Market Closed lower yesterday, amid strength in the British Pound and led by losses in energy sector stocks. Trainline declined 7.1%, despite reporting a profit in the first half as passengers returned to rail and shifted to digital ticketing. Darktrace dropped 5.1%, following news that private equity firm, Vitruvian Partners sold a portion of shares in the cybersecurity group through a placing. Next fell 3.3%, after the company warned over slowdown in sales growth in the final quarter due to declining demand led by Covid-19 lockdowns and supply-chain constraints. Pets at Home shed 1.9%, after the company announced the exit of its Chief Executive Peter Pritchard. On the flipside, Royal Mail rose 1.5%, after a top broker upgraded its rating on the stock to ‘Neutral’ from ‘Sell’. The FTSE 100 slipped 0.4%, to close at 7,248.9, while the FTSE 250 fell 0.1%, to end at 23,117.0. . Europe Market Finished higher yesterday. TeamViewer jumped 11.0%, after the company confirmed its full year revenue outlook. Deutsche Lufthansa climbed 7.0%, after the airline operator reported an increase in profit for the first time in the third quarter since the coronavirus pandemic. Bayerische Motoren Werke rose 1.5%, after the automaker reported a jump in its third quarter profit. On the other hand, Vestas Wind Systems plunged 18.2%, after the company reported a decline in its profitability margin in the third quarter of 2021, due to cost inflation of materials and supply chain instability. Zalando declined 9.5%, after the company reported a sharp drop in its third quarter profits. The FTSEurofirst 300 index gained 0.4%, to close at 1,863.9. Among other European markets, the German DAX Xetra 30 marginally rose to close at 15,960.0, while the French CAC-40 advanced 0.3%, to settle at 6,950.7. . US Market Closed higher yesterday, after the Federal Reserve (Fed) announced plans to taper its $120.0 billion bond buying programme. Bed Bath & Beyond surged 15.2%, after the company announced that it has partnered with Kroger (KR) and stated that its share buyback program was proceeding ahead of schedule. Lyft jumped 8.2%, after the company reported upbeat results in the third quarter. CVS Health climbed 5.7%, after the company posted stronger than expected revenue and earnings in the third quarter and lifted its annual outlook. Gap advanced 5.4%, after the company announced that Italian retailer OVS would acquire all of its 11 store locations in Italy. T-Mobile US added 5.3%, after the telecom company reported better than expected profit in the third quarter. On the contrary, Zillow Group plunged 24.9%, after the company announced that it is closing its homebuying unit, Offers. The S&P 500 gained 0.7%, to settle at 4,660.6. The DJIA rose 0.3%, to settle at 36,157.6, while the NASDAQ advanced 1.0%, to close at 15,811.6. . Asia Market We’re trading higher this morning, after the Fed revealed plans to start tapering bond purchases. The. In Japan, Fuji Electric and JTEKT have advanced 4.1% and 5.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, NEXON and Kao have dropped 3.5% and 4.5%, respectively. In Hong Kong, Link Real Estate Investment Trust and Meituan have risen 1.0% and 2.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, Sands China and Henderson Land Development have fallen 2.7% and 3.5%, respectively. In South Korea, NK Mulsan and Doosan have climbed 9.4% and 17.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, Maniker and NCsoft have declined 8.1% and 12.0%, respectively. The Nikkei 225 index is trading 0.8% firmer at 29,758.8. The Hang Seng index is trading 0.3% up at 25,092.2, while the Kospi index is trading 0.5% higher at 2,989.8.

too big for rail

Thursday, September 16, 2021 U.S. futures are pointing to a lower open, pulling back ahead of weekly jobless claims and retail sales data (economists are looking for a 0.8% drop in retail sales for August, compared with a 1.1% fall the month) while Asian markets fell for a 4th straight day following China’s broadening crackdown on corporate profitability. In Asian markets, The Nikkei Index fell -188 points to 30,323, the Shanghai Index dropped -49 points (1.34%) to 3,607 and the Hang Seng Index tumbled -365 points to 24,667. In Europe, the German DAX is up about 75 points to 15,690, while the FTSE 100 is higher by 30-points to 7,050. Oil prices are flat after marching higher yesterday after Energy Department data showed a bigger-than-expected 6.4 million decline in domestic stockpiles. The stock market erased most of this week’s losses, on Wednesday, eyeing a low-volume trading day today for Yom Kippur as some investors and traders leaving early. The S&P 500 rose +0.9% and Dow a +0.7% climb and the Nasdaq rose +0.8%, snapping its 5-day losing streak. Ten out of eleven S&P sectors were higher led by Energy. Market Closing Prices Yesterday · The S&P 500 Index gained 37.65 points, or 0.85%, to 4,480.70 · The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 236.82 points, or 0.68%, to 34,814.39 · The Nasdaq Composite surged 123.77 points, or 0.82%, to 15,161.53 · The Russell 2000 Index advanced 24.46 points, or 1.11% to 2,234.45 Events Calendar for Today · 8:30 AM ET Weekly Jobless Claims…est. 330K · 8:30 AM EST Continuing Claims…est. 2.785M · 8:30 AM ET Philly Fed Index for September…est. 18.8 · 8:30 AM ET Retail Sales MoM for Aug…est. (-0.8%) · 8:30 AM ET Retail Sales Ex: Autos MoM for Aug…est. (-0.1%) · 10:00 AM ET Business Inventories MoM for July…est. +0.5% · 10:30 AM ET Weekly EIA Natural Gas Inventory Data · 4:00 PM ET Net Long-term TIC Flows for July Earnings Calendar: · Earnings Before the Open: IPHI, LMNX · Earnings After the Close: HRB Other Key Events: · Citigroup Small/Mid-Cap & Growth Conference 2021 (virtual), 9/16-9/17 · European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2021 Virtual Congress, 9/16-9/21 World News · The United States, Britain and Australia announced a new security partnership for the Indo-Pacific in a move hailed by regional allies but denounced by China as intensifying an arms race in the region. Under the partnership, announced by President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the United States and Britain will provide Australia with the technology and capability to deploy nuclear-powered submarines. · US House Ways and Means Committee votes to advance plan to raise taxes on wealthy Americans and corporations as part of Democrats’ reconciliation spending bill Sector News Breakdown Consumer · Beyond Meat (BYND) downgraded to Underweight from Neutral with a price target of $95, down from $120 at Piper saying the company’s current all-channel retail momentum will lag consensus expectations and foodservice consensus estimates may be high · AMC Entertainment (AMC) CEO Aron said yesterday that AMC Theatres will accept Bitcoin for online ticket and concession payments, and similarly accept other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash. · Callaway Golf ($ELY) 4M share Secondary priced at $29.25 · Figs ($FIGS) 8.92M share Secondary priced at $40.25 · Molson Coors Beverage Co. ($TAP) said it plans to expand distribution of its Topo Chico Hard Seltzer nationwide, starting January 2022 · China’s leading ride-hailing app, Didi ($DIDI), has seen its daily users fall by 30% since its initial public offering in New York in June triggered a fierce backlash by Beijing, the Financial Times reported. https://on.ft.com/2XmIqy8 · Laureate Education, Inc. ($LAUR) said its Board approved a plan of partial liquidation (the “Plan”) in connection with the previously disclosed sale of Walden e-Learning LLC Energy, Industrials and Materials · Timken ($TKR) said it expects lower sales and earnings in second half of 2021; said underlying customer demand and end-market momentum remain strong across most sectors and expects a robust industrial market environment for remainder of 2021 and throughout 2022 · Ion Geophysical ($IO) announced that its board of directors has initiated a process to evaluate a range of strategic alternatives in an effort to strengthen its financial position and maximize stakeholder value · Pioneer Natural Resources ($PXD) increased its 2030 goals to a 50% reduction in GHG intensity and a 75% reduction in methane intensity from 2019 baseline · Sibanye Stillwater ($SBSW) agrees to acquire half of Ioneer Ltd.’s Nevada lithium project for $490M – Reuters · The Association of American Railroads reports total weekly US rail traffic down 1.3% Y/Y to 468,610 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending September 11, 2021; Carloads up 4.5% to 223,710; intermodal volume down 6% to 244,900 containers · SpaceX successfully launched four civilians into space Wednesday evening in the first spaceflight staffed wholly by commercial astronauts, which is not a government-backed crew to orbit Earth. The aerospace company run by Elon Musk launched the crew of Inspiration4 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center shortly after 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The mission will take the four astronauts 360 miles from Earth for at least three days before they splash down in one of several spots off the Florida coast. Financials · Enact Holdings ($ACT) 13.31M share IPO priced at $19.00 · Veritex ($VBTX) boosts share buyback to $250M from $175M Healthcare · Aerie Pharmaceuticals ($AERI) shares fall -19%; a Phase 2b study of the company’s experimental treatment for dry eye disease failed to meet the main goal of the trial · Exelixis ($EXEL) announces results from Phase 3 CheckMate -9ER trial demonstrating efficacy benefits regardless of prior nephrectomy status with Cabometyx (cabozantinib) in combination with Bristol Myers Squibb’s (BMY) Opdivo (nivolumab) vs. sunitinib for patients with previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). · Moderna ($MRNA) said a study of breakthrough COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals supports the need for a booster shot. Moderna identified 88 breakthrough COVID cases among 11,431 people vaccinated between December 2020 and March 2021, but 162 cases in the group who got their shots between July and October of last year. · Travere Therapeutics ($TVTX) reported a joint collaboration and licensing agreement with Vifor Pharma for the commercialization of Sparsentan in Europe, Australia and New Zealand · BioXcel Therapeutics ($BTAI) presents results from ongoing phase 2 trial of BXCL701 in combination with KEYTRUDA® in aggressive forms of prostate cancer at ESMO · The FDA has decided not to take a stand on the efficacy of a booster shot from Pfizer ($PFE), as the agency says it doesn’t have enough data to make a decision, and that it’s only seen an observational study in Israel. · Invitae Corp ($NVTA) files for stock shelf of up to 6.3 mln common shares by the selling stockholders · Takeda’s ($TAK) EXKIVITY™ (mobocertinib) approved by U.S. FDA as the first oral therapy specifically designed for patients with EGFR Exon20 Insertion+ NSCLC Technology, Media & Telecom · Electronic Arts ($EA) announces Battlefield 2042 is now set to launch worldwide on November 19, 2021 (shares of EA fell yesterday on talk it might have been delayed into 2022, but launch also a month later than originally expected); reiterating net bookings guidance for fiscal year 2022 provided on august 4, 2021, despite this change in launch date for Battlefield 2042 · Cisco ($CSCO) upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse at Credit Suisse · ForgeRock ($FORG) 11M share IPO priced at $25.00 · Texas Instruments ($TXN) raises quarterly dividend 13% to $1.15 from $1.02 per share · Adobe ($ADBE) announced the upcoming availability of Payment Services for Adobe Commerce, “the industry’s leading end-to-end commerce application for B2B, D2C and hybrid use cases · InterDigital ($IDCC) sees Q3 revenue $119M-$121M vs. est. $111.64M, driven by both an expected $15M of recurring revenue and $30M of non-recurring revenue from a fixed price license agreement signed during Q

Monday, August 16, 2021 Futures Up/Down % Last Dow -104.00 0.29% 35,316 S&P 500 -12.25 0.29% 4,449 Nasdaq -41.50 0.27% 15,084 U.S. futures are pulling back from all-time highs as investors await Tuesday’s town hall event by Fed chair Jerome Powell where they’ll be looking for clues as to whether recent economic data is sufficient progress for the central bank to consider tapering stimulus, while geopolitical market concerns also weighing. Several Fed officials lately have discussed just when the central bank might begin its tapering of bond purchases. The Fed has been buying $120 billion a month in Treasury, agency and mortgage bonds to keep interest rates low and support the economy during the pandemic. The concerns come after the Dow and the S&P 500 both pushed to their fourth straight record closes Friday as Wall Street looked beyond falling U.S. consumer sentiment in July. U.S. consumer sentiment fell in early August to the lowest level in nearly a decade as Americans grew more concerned about the economy’s prospects, inflation and the recent surge in coronavirus cases. The University of Michigan’s preliminary sentiment index fell by 11 points to 70.2, the lowest since December 2011, data released Friday showed. In Asian markets, The Nikkei Index tumbled -453 points (1.62%) to 27,523, the Shanghai Index was little changed at 3,517 and the Hang Seng Index dropped -210 points to 26,181. In Europe, the German DAX pulls back -85 points from record highs to 15,890, while the FTSE 100 slips -80 points (1.1%) to 7,140. Oil prices hitting 15-month lows as WTI crude futures fall below $67 per barrel. Cryptocurrency-exposed stocks rise with Bitcoin edging higher. Chinese large cap stocks listed in the U.S. fall in premarket trading on Monday amid another round of criticism from state media over online games Market Closing Prices Yesterday The S&P 500 Index gained 7.17 points, or 0.16%, to 4,468.00 The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 15.53 points, or 0.04%, to 35,515.38 The Nasdaq Composite edged higher 6.64 points, or 0.04%, to 14,822.90 The Russell 2000 Index declined -20.96 points, or 0.93% to 2,223.11 Events Calendar for Today 8:30 AM ET Empire Manufacturing for Aug 4:00 PM ET Net Long-term TIC flows for June Earnings Calendar: Earnings Before the Open: BLDE, CBLI, DLPN, MICT, MLSS, ONDS, RAIL, SGBX, TLGT, TSHA, UAVS, UWMC, VEI, VYNT, YOU Earnings After the Close: ACRX, ATCX, BIOC, BKYI, CTEK, CVV, DNMR, DPW, EDR, ETON, EVLV, GERN, GOEV, IDEX, MBII, NVGS, OSMT, POWW, QRHC, QSI, $RBLX, RMO, SMTI, SSKN, TLS, XSPA, ZEV Other Key Events: EnerCom Oil & Gas Conference (virtual), 8/15-8/18 BWS Financial Growth and Value Conference (virtual), 8/16-8/17 Needham MedTech and Diagnostics Conference (virtual), 8/16-8/17 Truist Atlanta Bank Summit (virtual) 8/16-8/17 Macro Up/Down Last Nymex -0.90 67.54 Brent -0.83 69.76 Gold -4.25 1,775.50 EUR/USD -0.0012 1.1785 JPY/USD -0.29 109.30 10-Year Note -0.029 1.268% World News Taliban fighters on Sunday took over the Afghan capital and President Ashraf Ghani fled abroad, leaving the government in collapse, as a U.S.-led military operation began to airlift Western diplomats, civilians and Afghans likely to be targeted by the country’s new rulers, the WSJ reported. By evening, the main road to the Kabul airport was packed with Afghans desperately trying to escape and with thousands of U.S. troops protecting the evacuation effort China July Industrial Output missed: y/y 6.4% vs 7.8% consensus; China July Retail Sales missed: y/y 8.5% vs 11.5% consensus; China July House Price Index lower: y/y 4.6% vs 4.7% previous Japan Q2 GDP beat: q/q 0.3% vs 0.2% consensus; Japan Q2 GDP Annualized beat: 1.3% q/q vs 0.7% consensus Sector News Breakdown Consumer Carvana ($CVNA) still has room to run according to Barron’s noting shares went public in 2017 at $15 a share but has rocketed higher since then, including roughly quadrupling in price since just before the pandemic, to a recent $360. Barron’s noted Wall Street expects Carvana to continue to grow revenue at rates north of 30% vs. mid-single-digit rates for CarMax (KMX). Wendy’s ($WEN) mentioned positively in Barron’s saying it wasn’t that long ago that Wendy’s briefly became a meme stock, but on Wednesday, the company reported quarterly results, and even analysts who were lukewarm about the stock walked away impressed, Stitch Fix ($SFIX), a subscription service for clothing with over 4 million customers, could become the “Nordstrom of the future,” said Mario Cibelli of Marathon Partners Equity Management to Barron’s. Shares have fallen on concerns about potential churn, but the company has potential outside of the U.S. and U.K. markets. Marriott Vacations Worldwide ($VAC), one of the top companies in the timeshare industry with high exposure to Hawaii and Orlando, could produce 20% annual returns for shareholders in the coming years, according to Barron’s, as per David Baron, a manager of the Baron Focused Growth Hyatt Hotels ($H) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Apple Leisure Group from affiliates of each of KKR (KKR) and KSL Capital Partners for $2.7 billion in cash JELD-WEN Holding Inc. ($JELD) said its largest shareholder, Onex Corp. is selling off nearly half its stake in the building products company (14.88M shares of its 32.1M disclosed stake), equating to about 15% of the shares outstanding, with the company planning to buying back close to half of the shares being sold. JELD said it plans to repurchase about $200 million of the offering Energy, Industrials and Materials Boeing’s ($BA) shares could rise by 35% if they fix their problems noting shares trade nearly 50% below their March 2019 high of $440.62, and few if any Boeing watchers expect the stock, now around $238, to revisit that record in the next few years. If CEO Dave Calhoun takes bold steps to restore the company’s engineering supremacy and repair its balance sheet, shares could rise. Compass Minerals ($CMP) Q2 EPS loss (-$0.49) vs. est. loss (-$0.05); Q2 revs $199.4M vs. est. $221.77M; said expects Q3 Salt segment revenue to benefit from strong volume growth as well as year-over-year operating earnings improvement, partially offset by slightly lower pricing. Woodside Petroleum is in advanced talks to buy BHP’s (BHP) petroleum division in a ~A$20B (US$14.7B) deal – WSJ Financials Capital One Financial ($COF) July net-charge offs were 1.45% vs. 3.82% YoY and delinquencies 1.71%vs. 2.44% YoY Healthcare Enlivex Therapeutics ($ENLV) obtains authorization from Israel’s ministry of health to initiate a clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of its Allocetra therapy on Covid-19 patients Technology, Media & Telecom The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) issued a decision on a case involving Google ($GOOGL) and Sonos ($SONO), ruling that the Alphabet unit infringed five of Sonos’ patents DouYu ($DOYU) Q2 adj EPS loss (-$0.05) vs. est. loss (-$0.34); Q2 revs $361.92M; average mobile MAUs in Q2 increased by 3.9% to 60.7M from 58.4M in the same period of 2020; quarterly average paying user count in Q2 was 7.2M, compared with 7.6M in the same period of 2020 T-Mobile US ($TMUS) said it was investigating claims of a data breach that involves the personal data of 100 million users. T-Mobile said it was aware of the claims made by a hacker in a forum post and has been “actively investigating their validity.” Ping Identity ($PING) announces 6M share common stock offering for holders

INFRASTRUCTURE BILL BREAKDOWN:  -ROADS/BRIDGES: $110 BLN -RAIL: $66 BLN -POWER GRID: $65 BLN -BROADBAND: $65 BLN -WATER (INC. PIPES): $55 BLN -PUBLIC TRANSIT: $39 BLN -AIRPORTS: $25 BLN -POLLUTION CLEANUP: $21 BLN -PORTS: $17BN -EV CHARGE STATIONS: $7.5 BLN

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

/*============================================= = Friday, June 11, 2021 = =============================================*/ Futures Up/Down % Last Dow 75.00 0.22% 34,429 S&P 500 4.25 0.11% 4,233 Nasdaq 13.50 0.09% 13,963 Stock futures are looking higher, trying to build off yesterday’s gains as the S&P 500 Index posted its first closing high in over a month and as the Nasdaq Composite outperformed (rising over 0.75%) as the yield on the benchmark 10-year yield fell to its lowest levels since March, now down around the 1.43% level. Market fears of rising prices and inflation have deteriorated despite another spike in CPI yesterday when prices topped 5% on YoY basis, its highest levels since 2008 as investors hang on to the notion (implied by the Fed) that the price hikes are indeed transitory. Market gains were paced by strong gain in healthcare and REITs. In Asian markets, The Nikkei Index fell -9 points to 28,948, the Shanghai Index slid -21 points to 3,589, and the Hang Seng Index rose 103 points to 28,842. In Europe, the German DAX is up about 40 points to 15,610, while the FTSE 100 is higher by 45 points to 7,133. Market Closing Prices Yesterday The S&P 500 Index gained 19.63 points, or 0.47%, to 4,239.18 The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 19.10 points, or 0.06%, to 34,466.24 The Nasdaq Composite jumped 108.58 points, or 0.78%, to 14,020.33 The Russell 2000 Index declined -15.72 points, or 0.68% to 2,311.41 Events Calendar for Today 10:00 AM EST University of Michigan Sentiment June-P 1:00 PM EST Baker Hughes Weekly rig count data Other Key Events: FBN Securities Silicon Valley Tech Tour (virtual), 6/10-6/11 Oppenheimer Virtual Software & Semiconductor Bus Tour, 6/7-6/11 Macro Up/Down Last Nymex 0.13 70.42 Brent 0.14 72.66 Gold -6.00 1,892.50 EUR/USD -0.0014 1.2156 JPY/USD 0.16 109.49 10-Year Note -0.021 1.437% World News The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee unveiled on Thursday a bipartisan surface transportation bill that would authorize $78 billion over five years, including sharply higher passenger rail funding, along with tougher auto safety requirements. Ten Senate Democrats and Republicans say they reached five-year, nearly $1 trillion infrastructure deal ‘; agreement calls for about $974 bln in infrastructure spending over five years without raising taxes. The package includes about $579 bln in new spending. UK Apr GDP beat m/m: 2.3% m/m vs 2.2% cons; 3m/3m 1.5% in-line; y/y 27.6% in-line; UK April Trade Balance smaller deficit: -£10.96b vs -£12.1b consensus; UK Apr Trade Balance non-EU smaller deficit: -£5.55b vs -£6.54b previous Sector News Breakdown Consumer Chewy ($CHWY) 1Q EPS $0.09 vs. est. ($0.03) on sales $2.14B vs. est. $2.13B; Gross margin of 27.6% expanded 420 bps YoY; net margin of 1.8% improved 480 bps YoY; Q1 adjusted EBITDA of $77.4M; Q1 active customers 19.8M, up 31.6% from last year Dave & Busters ($PLAY) Q1 EPS $0.40 vs. est. loss (-$0.19); Q1 revs $265.3M vs. est. $256.6M; Q1 comp store sales fell -35%; sees Q2 revs $335M-$350M vs. est. $287.4M Copa Holdings ($CPA) reports revenue passenger miles dropped 58% to 753.6M in May 2021 vs. May 2019; capacity down 53.4% to 970.9M available seat miles as compared to May 2019 Energy, Industrials and Materials The IEA forecasts global oil demand to recover to pre-pandemic levels late next year and urged OPEC and its allies to keep markets balanced by tapping their plentiful spare production capacity Livent ($LTHM) 13M share Secondary priced at $17.50 REV Group ($REVG)5M share Secondary priced at $15.50 Navigator Holdings ($NVGS) Q1 EPS $0.05 vs. est. $0.05; Q1 revs $85.7M vs. est. $71.29M Financials AGNC Investment ($AGNC) estimates tangible net book value per share of $16.82 as of May 31, 2021, down 6.4% from $17.96 it estimated at April 30. Agree Realty ($ADC) 4M share Spot Secondary priced at $71.50 Manning & Napier ($MN) reports preliminary AUM $22.1B as of May 31 Victory Capital Holdings, Inc. ($VCTR) reported assets under management (AUM) of $160.9 billion as of May 31, 2021 TaskUs ($TASK)2M share IPO priced at $23.00 Healthcare Vertex Pharma ($VRTX) shares declined over 10% after abandoning further development of VX-864 for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency saying that the treatment benefit seen in a phase 2 study is “unlikely to translate into substantial clinical benefit.” Jury selection began this week in a case considered one of the biggest and most complicated in the effort to hold corporations liable for the opioid crisis according to Barron’s. The trial, in New York, was delayed a year because of the pandemic. New York state and two of its counties, Nassau and Suffolk on Long Island, are suing a number of companies, including Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), McKesson ($MCK) and Teva Pharmaceutical ($TEVA), for monetary damages Tyme Technologies, Inc. ($TYME) completes strategic review, announces oasis breast trial with Georgetown University, and reports fiscal year 2021 financial results; review identified breast cancer as a priority indication for development, a focus on second-line pancreatic cancer, and continuation of trial in high-risk sarcomas CureVac ($CVAC) slides; The efficacy of CureVac’s Covid-19 vaccine is still hard to determine but is set to remain in focus as critical data from the phase 3 trial is expected this month, Berenberg says. Analysts at the bank say the trial’s progress seems encouraging and could facilitate a rapid regulatory discussion in the coming months. They expect the CVnCoV vaccine to be 70% to 80% effective – DJ PTC Therapeutics ($PTCT) announced interim results from the ongoing RAINBOWFISH trial that demonstrated pre-symptomatic infants with spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA Vertex Pharmaceuticals ($VRTX) and CRISPR Therapeutics ($CRSP) announce new data on 22 patients, with follow-up of at least 3 months, treated with CRISPR/Cas9-based gene-editing therapy, CTX001 Technology, Media & Telecom Nvidia ($NVDA) has agreed to acquire DeepMap, a startup committed to building high-definition maps for autonomous vehicles to navigate the world safely Didi Chuxing, China’s biggest ride-hailing firm, made public the filing for its long-anticipated U.S. stock market listing, setting the stage for what is expected to be the world’s biggest initial public offering this year. SeaChange ($SEAC) 1Q adj EPS ($0.07) vs. est. ($0.09) on revs $5.1Mm vs. est. $4.9Mm; qtr end backlog $20.1Mm

/*============================================= = Thursday, June 10, 2021 = =============================================*/ Futures Up/Down % Last Dow 80.00 0.23% 34,410 S&P 500 2.25 0.07% 4,211 Nasdaq -37.50 0.27% 13,766 U.S. stock futures are mixed into key monthly inflation data as the May Consumer Price Index (CPI) is set to be revealed at 8:30 AM, with an expected MoM rise of 0.4% for both headline and core prices and YoY prices to rise 4.7% (which would be the biggest YoY rise since 2008) and 3.4% (would be highest since YoY core spike since 1993) for headline and core respectively. Treasury yields have been sliding over the last week to one-month lows around 1.50% for the benchmark 10-year ahead of the data, as it appears markets have accepted the recent rise in prices as “transitory” which is what the Fed has been echoing for weeks now. While the Fed has pledged not to hike interest rates before 2023, some economists say that is wishful thinking if these levels of inflation keep up. The S&P 500 flirted with a record high Wednesday before retreating in afternoon trading, once again nearly tagging its 4,238.04-record intraday high. The yield on 10-year Treasuries sank to almost 1.47%, while the 30-year bond touched 2.148%, the lowest since March 1. On a weekly basis, the S&P 500 is on track for its smallest range as a percentage of the prior week’s close since mid-October 2017. In Asian markets, The Nikkei Index rose 97 points to 28,958, the Shanghai Index rose 19 points to 3,610 and the Hang Seng Index slipped -3 points to 28,738. In Europe, the German DAX is up over 320 points to top 15,600, while the FTSE 100 is up around 25 points to 7,105. Not much going on in individual stock news other than several new IPO’s pricing overnight and open for trading today along with momentum sectors remaining very volatile including Reddit/WSB related “meme” stocks and Bitcoin leveraged stocks. Events Calendar for Today 8:30 AM EST Consumer Prices (CPI) MoM for May…est. 0.4% 8:30 AM EST Consumer Prices (CPI) YoY for May…est. 4.7% 8:30 AM EST CPI Ex: Food & Energy MoM for May…est. 0.4% 8:30 AM EST CPI Ex: Food & Energy YoY for May…est. 3.4% 8:30 AM ET Weekly Jobless Claims…est. 370K 8:30 AM EST Continuing Claims…est. 3.602M 10:30 AM ET Weekly EIA Natural Gas Inventory Data 2:00 PM EST Federal Budget for May Earnings Calendar: Earnings Before the Open: A LOT, $FCEL, JW/A, $KSPN, $SIG Earnings After the Close: $AVO, $CGRN, $CHWY, $NVGS, $PLAY, $SEAC, $TPCS, $TYME, $ZDGE Other Key Events: Baird Global Consumer, Technology & Services Conference 2021 (virtual), 6/8-6/10 Deutsche Bank Global Consumer Conference (virtual), 6/7-6/10 FBN Securities Silicon Valley Tech Tour (virtual), 6/10-6/11 Goldman Sachs Healthcare Conference (virtual), 6/8-6/10 Goldman Sachs 25th Annual European Financials Conference (virtual), 6/8-6/10 Jefferies Healthcare Virtual Conference, 6/8-6/10 Oppenheimer Virtual Software & Semiconductor Bus Tour, 6/7-6/11 Piper Global Exchange & FinTech Conference (virtual), 6/9-6/10 REITWeek 2021 Investor Virtual Conference, 6/8-6/10 Market Closing Prices Yesterday The S&P 500 Index slipped -7.71 points, or 0.18%, to 4,219.55 The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell -152.68 points, or 0.44%, to 34,447.14 The Nasdaq Composite dipped -13.16 points, or 0.09%, to 13,911.75 The Russell 2000 Index declined -16.63 points, or 0.71% to 2,327.13 Macro Up/Down Last Nymex 0.08 70.04 Brent 0.14 72.36 Gold -9.00 1,879.55 EUR/USD -0.0018 1.2162 JPY/USD -0.12 19.51 10-Year Note +0.012 1.501% World News A bipartisan group of House moderates on Wednesday unveiled an eight-year, $1.25 trillion infrastructure plan designed to help break the months-long impasse over President Biden’s top domestic legislative priority. The framework offered by the 58-member Problem Solvers Caucus calls for more than $959 billion for traditional infrastructure, including highways, bridges, rail, airports and waterways; $25 billion of that money would be set aside for electric vehicle infrastructure, including electric buses. Sector News Breakdown Consumer GameStop ($GME) Q1 adj EPS loss (-$0.45) vs. est. loss (-$0.84); Q1 sales $1.3B vs. est. $1.16B; says may offer and sell up to 5 mln shares of its common stock, from time to time, in “at-the-market” offerings – shares slip on offering; named two Amazon executives as its CEO and CFO – Matt Furlong will succeed George Sherman as CEO and Mike Recupero will succeed Jim Bell as CFO; continues to suspend guidance; says Q2 sales trends continue to reflect momentum, with may total sales increasing approximately 27% compared to last year; Oxford Industries ($OXM) Q1 adj EPS $1.89 vs. est. $1.06; Q1 sales $266M vs. est. $233.1M; raises FY21 EPS view to $4.85-$5.15 from $2.80-$3.20 (est. $3.05); raises FY21 revenue view to $1.015B-$1.05B from $940M-$980M (est. $968.86M) RH ($RH) shares rise 6%; Q1 adj EPS $4.89 vs. est. $4.10; Q1 revs $860.8M vs. est. $757.65M; raising our outlook for revenue growth in fy21 to a range of 25% to 30% from prior outlook of 15%-20%; sees 2q adj operating margin in range of 25.9% to 26.1% and Q2 revs growth 35%-37%; Q1 adjusted gross margin of 47.3% of sales vs. 41.8% a year ago and 46.1% consensus Celsius Holdings ($CELH)52M share Spot Secondary priced at $62.50 Leslie’s ($LESL) 24.5M share Secondary priced at $27.64 Energy, Industrials and Materials Blocked by US President Joe Biden, Canada’s TC Energy ($TRP) said Wednesday it had officially terminated the Keystone XL Pipeline project, throwing in the towel on a controversial initiative opposed by environmental activists. Callon Petroleum ($CPE) and Continental Resources ($CLR) downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform at RBC Capital with a price target of $54 (up from $44) and tgt of $40 (up from $34) respectively, citing strong relative performance and believes that its upside is now in line with its peers Marathon Oil ($MRO) upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital with a price target of $18 from $14 saying the stock provides an attractive opportunity to express bullishness on oil prices, while the company’s “ultra-low” break-even point and maintenance capital program support robust free cash flow generation at even depressed commodity prices Greif Inc. ($GEF) Q1 adj EPS $1.13 vs. est. $1.06; Q2 sales $1.34B vs. est. $1.26B; Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $52.5 million to a source of $152.3 million; total debt decreased by $368.9 million Financials AllianceBernstein L.P. ($AB) announced that preliminary assets under management increased to $731 billion during May 2021 from $724 billion at the end of April; firmwide net inflows, coupled with market appreciation, drove the 1% increase Franklin Resources, Inc. ($BEN) reported preliminary month-end assets under management of $1,543.5 billion at May 31, 2021, compared to $1,529.3 billion at April 30, 2021. Virtus Investment partners, Inc. ($VRTS) reported total assets under management (aum) as of May 31, 2021 of $175.5 billion. in addition, the company provided services to $3.7 billion of other fee-earning assets that are not included in assets under management. Bank of Hawaii ($BOH) announces the offering of 7.2M depositary shares for gross proceeds of $180M Clarivate ($CLVT)462M share Secondary priced at $26.00 Healthcare Aclaris Therapeutics ($ACRS)04M share Spot Secondary priced at $17.75 Apria ($APR)5M share Secondary priced at $27.00 Clover Health Investments ($CLOV) downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Bank America with an unchanged price target of $10 noting the 100% rally in the past week and shares are now trading at a 70% premium to Alignment Healthcare (ALHC), its closest comp LifeStance ($LFST) 40M share IPO priced at $18.00 Technology, Media & Telecom The global semiconductor market will rise from 6.8% in 2020 to 19.7% this year to ~$527B according to World Semiconductor Trade Statistics estimates. For 2022, the global semiconductor market is projected to grow by 8.8% to $573B, driven by double-digit growth of the Memory category ChipMOS ($IMOS) reports May revenue of $84.4M (+2.4% M/M; +30.7% Y/Y) TSMC’s ($TSM) May revenue rose 19.8% Y/Y and 0.9% M/M to NT$112.360B Xilinx ($XLNX) has acquired Silexica, a privately-held provider of C/C++ programming and analysis tools; terms not disclosed Genius Sports ($GENI) 22M share Secondary priced at $19.00 Materialise ($MTLS) 4M share Spot Secondary priced at $24.00 PLBY Group ($PLBY)72M share Secondary priced at $46.00 Zeta Global ($ZETA)5M share IPO priced at $10.00 1stDibs ($DIBS)75M share IPO priced at $20.00 com ($MNDY) 3.7M share IPO priced at $155.00 Jamf Holding ($JAMF)5M share Secondary priced at $33.00 Asana ($ASAN) disclosed that its CEO Dustin Moskovitz bought 500K shares of common stock on June 7th in a total transaction size of $19.7M Latch Inc. ($LTCH) 1Q revs $6.6Mm +143%, booked ARR $38.9Mm +120%, total bookings $71.7Mm +89%; says plans to increase investments in sales and marketing as well as new experiences and products; guides 2Q revs $9-10Mm with total bookings $82-87Mm and adj EBITDA ($17Mm) to ($20Mm); sees FY revs $47-51Mm with total bookings $290-325Mm and adj EBITDA ($75Mm) to ($95Mm) Verint Systems ($VRNT) Q1 adj EPS $0.44 vs. est. $0.35 on revs $202Mm vs. est. $196.5Mm, cloud revs up more than 35% YoY; guides FY adj EPS $2.23 at midpoint vs. est. $2.19, sees FY revs $860Mm +/- 2% vs. est. $861.7Mm (sees cloud revs +30-35%, sees new PLE bookings 10+%)

UK Markets Finished in the green yesterday, supported by gains in industrial sector stocks. Genuit Group climbed 5.4%, after the company announced that it witnessed a robust start to the year and issued an upbeat profit forecast. Royal Mail advanced 2.8%, after the company reported a rise in its annual pretax profits. NatWest Group gained 2.4%, following a rating upgrade on the stock to ‘Outperform’ from ‘Sector Perform’. Ferguson added 2.1%, after a top broker raised its target price on the stock to 10,000.0p from 9,100.0p. Meanwhile, Trainline plunged 23.2%, after the British government announced that it would set up a website and app called Great British Railways which would sell tickets and maintain rail infrastructure. BT Group slid 0.7%, after a top broker downgraded its rating on the stock to ‘Hold’ from ‘Buy’. The FTSE 100 advanced 1.0%, to close at 7,019.8, while the FTSE 250 rose 0.7%, to end at 22,392.0. .

oh shit you said old...they rail?

Man... if $RAIL continues to hold 6.90's o/u could get crazy

$RAIL is moving

wow $RAIL was just to early yesterday

watchlist: $MVIS, $HOFV, $FNKO, $YVR, $Rail , $TME

he mentioned high speed rail too

$rail holding trend very well

got some $RAil short

California's $100 Billion Nightmare High-Speed Rail Project ..

they wont do speed rail it would ne cool though

We don't have any speed rail

penny $RAIL

were you long or short on $APOP? the float scared me out and I couldn't find dilution so I stayed away > @Math said: $APOP $ENOB $CSCW $RAIL were much easier names

$APOP $ENOB $CSCW $RAIL were much easier names

CANADIAN PACIFIC AND KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN AGREE TO COMBINE TO CREATE THE FIRST U.S.-MEXICO-CANADA RAIL NETWORK

“Sparking the second great railroad revolution. Biden will make sure that America has the cleanest, safest, and fastest rail system in the world — for both passengers and freight. His rail revolution will reduce pollution, connect workers to good union jobs, slash commute times, and spur investment in communities that will now be better linked to major metropolitan areas. To speed that work, Biden will tap existing federal grant and loan programs at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and improve and streamline the loan process. In addition, Biden will work with Amtrak and private freight rail companies to further electrify the rail system, reducing diesel fuel emissions.”

no keystone mean warren buffett's rail roads can start making $$$ carrying oil again

just a small part of what $PLTR does: https://www.wired.com/story/palantirs-gods-eye-view-of-afghanistan/#intcid=recommendations_wired-right-rail-vidi-experiment_fe34566f-5100-48e0-a6cd-0d729f5d568d_popular4-1

Good question....that is needed....high speed rail, road and bridge repairs...we are about 20 years behind other developed countries....it would have the biggest positive economic impact too ..... but the airlines and Amtrak probably lobbying against high speed rails ...... lol'lol > @Marcosx said: no infrastructure?

$RAIL wilding

china's power line carries enough power to equate to 1000 rail cars of coal at a time

I agree...Is a long and expeditious course but worth it.I have been working on it since July and I have all her books📚.Got to stay the course because at least I know I'm on right rail tracks.

wait till they sit on that commuter rail listening to coughs and sneezes