Tag: NASDAQ: HTBX

  • Stocks to Watch amidst Mixed Market Sentiment

    Stocks to Watch amidst Mixed Market Sentiment

    The markets are headed for a weak start to the day this morning. On one hand, there is the optimism of an easing of trade tensions between the U.S and China. At the beginning of the week, negotiators said there was positive progress on the trade talks.

    The optimism is increased by news that China will be buying a large amount of US soya beans. The positive momentum is also increased by hopes of an end to the restrictions that have shrunk global trade, especially in service-related industries. This week the US FDA approved a COVID-19 treatment, and there are hopes that several vaccines are on the way. However, there are also fears that the effects of the pandemic run deeper. This is evident in the latest consumer data.

    According to the Consumer Confidence Index data, confidence dropped in August to its lowest in 6 years. This is a negative signal to the US economy since two-thirds of it runs on consumer spending. This mixed outlook has seen money continue to flow into big tech stocks.

    This is on the strength of these companies in their core markets. These companies also have the resources and the infrastructure to keep innovating and remain strong despite the prevailing circumstances. Despite the mixed outlook, there are several stocks that look set to start the day on a high note. Some of the big gainers pre-market that could dominate in the day are as below:

    PolyMet Mining Corporation [NYSE: PLM]

    PolyMet Mining Corporation is a top performer this morning and is up by over 700%. This follows the actualization of a 1:10 share split. The reverse share split was approved by the company’s board on the 21st of August. At the time the company stated that after the split, the total issued and outstanding shares will drop from 1,0006,997,495 to 100,699,749. The split does not negatively impact on shareholders as everyone will retain the percentage of stock they held before the reverse split.

    Immunic Inc [NASDAQ: IMUX]

    Immunic Inc is another top performer this morning and is up by 19% pre-market. This is largely a price action move, after the stock’s correction over the last few days. Several days ago, the company announced that it had dosed its first healthy volunteer in his phase 1 clinical program for its IMU-856. The company announced that in pre-clinical studies, the compound had shown a paradigm shift in treating gastrointestinal disease.

    Heat Biologics Inc [NASDAQ: HTBX]

    Heat Biologics Inc is a top performer this morning and is up by over 20%.  This comes after the company announced that it announced that it had published pre-clinical results on a COVID-19 vaccine. With the increased hopes of a COVID-19 vaccine, this stock stands to gain momentum through the day.

     

  • 3 Stocks to Watch This Morning As Hopes of a COVID-19 Vaccine Improves Market Sentiment

    3 Stocks to Watch This Morning As Hopes of a COVID-19 Vaccine Improves Market Sentiment

    The markets have regained renewed optimism and at yesterday’s close, the major indices were in the green. The S&P 500 closed higher by 0.65%, the Dow by 0.61%, and the NASDAQ by 0.71%. This follows increased hopes that there will be a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year. According to research by Deutsche Bank on the market sentiment of 500 market professionals worldwide, 56% of them are positive that there will be a vaccine before the end of 2020.  The sentiment is given weight by promising vaccine news from Oxford University.  The optimism around the markets has seen the value of biotech stocks working on COVID-19 vaccines rally. Most of the action in pre-market trading is happening around the following stocks.

    1. Immuron Limited [NASDAQ:IMRN]

    Immuron Limited [IMRN] is one of the top performers in pre-market trading and is up by 111.91% at the time of writing. This comes after IMRN announced that its IMM-124E, used for manufacturing digestive supplements, has been shown to have neutralizing activity against severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2.  Commenting on this development, the company CEO Dr. Dave Gentry stated that, they know SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of the influenza-like disease that affects the lungs. He added that the virus had been detected in anal swab tests even after in nasal-swab turned positive. This he added, offers leeway for an oral therapeutic approach that inhibits the virus in the gastrointestinal tract. As the world rushes to find a way out of the pandemic, this IMRN will continue to draw investor attention.

    1. Heat Biologics Inc [NASDAQ:HTBX]

    This is another active stock that is building upon its momentum in yesterday’s session. Heat Biologics Inc [HTBX] rallied to close with a gain of 47.15% yesterday and is up by 5% in pre-market trading. This comes after the company announced that the first patient had been treated in a phase-1 clinical trial test for PTX-35. This is the company’s antibody candidate for treating advanced solid tumors. HTBX stated that the trial would include 30 patients and would be testing for dosage and safety.  The trial is also well capitalized and has the support of a $15.2 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.  CEO, Jeff Wolf, stated that this trial was a first step towards advancing the clinical development of PTX-35. This is likely to play into this HTBX stock’s price action when the markets open.

    1. Miragen Therapeutics [NASDAQ:MGEN]

    Miragen Therapeutics [MGEN] is another big gainer in pre-market trading and is up by 21.57%. While there is no major news around MGEN at the moment, the stock is among those in the race for a COVID-19 vaccine.  A month ago, the company announced that it had received encouraging pre-clinical study for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.