Archive for September, 2010

Opexa Therapeutics Inc (Nasdaq: OPXA) Buzz Stock of the Day

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

Opexa TherapeuticsWe originally covered Opexa Therapeutics in September of 09, today Opexa (Nasdaq: OPXA) shares surged as much as 23.4%  to a high of $1.95 ahead of the stem cell research firm’s presentation this afternoon at the Rodman & Renshaw healthcare conference. Neil K. Warma, Opexa’s President and Chief Executive Officer will deliver a corporate presentation that will include an overview of the Company’s ongoing clinical development program for Tovaxin, the Company’s lead therapy for Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

In addition to Opexa’s corporate presentation, other contributing factors are at play in the Company’s surging share prices. Vista Partners, a research and consulting firm, announced Monday that it has initiated coverage on Opexa Therapeutics with a twelve month target price of $4.40, representing a 300% premium to Friday’s closing value.
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Ross Silver, Principal Analyst at Vista Partners stated, “Opexa’s lead clinical candidate Tovaxin®, an autologous cellular immunotherapy for the treatment of Multiple sclerosis, has shown promising clinical data to date.” Silver went on to address Opexa’s stem cell therapy partnership with Novartis (NYSE: NVS) stating that approval of other autologous cellular immunotherapy treatments, most notably Dendreon’s Provenge, has increased knowledge and acceptance of stem cell therapies and would “likely increase Opexa’s value amongst potential partners.”

Lastly, ongoing court battles over federally funded stem cell research have been affecting the Stem Cell Stocks Index, which is trading down -2.5% for the past 30 days. At the end of last month, all 11 of the Stem Cell Stocks Index components are -30% from their 52-week high with Opexa Therapeutics more than -60% from its peak.

Burger King Holdings, Inc. (BKC) Buzz Stock of the Day

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Burger King WhopperBurger King Holdings, Inc. (BKC) shares surged 14.8% on high volume Wednesday morning on rumors that the 2nd largest hamburger chain in the world is in talks to be taken private by British equity firm 3G Capital Management LLC. The shares jumped as high as $19.19, the biggest surge in four years since the company’s IPO in May 2006.

Sources involved with the negotiations said the buyout discussions are advanced and a possible deal could be reached within a few days, although there is still a possibility that negotiations could collapse. A buyout of Burger King would mark the second time the company has been taken private in the past decade.
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Analysts suggest taking Burger King private would allow the company to focus on some major challenges such as healing strained relations with its franchisees, introducing a new breakfast menu in the U.S. and differentiating itself from McDonalds.

Burger King has been facing serious issues lately, share prices have fallen 13% since the start of 2010, with global sales down -2.3% for the 2010 fiscal year and North American sales declining to a greater extent. Despite recently exceeding expectations with $49 million 4th quarter profits, or 36 cents per share, bottom-line figures were decidedly lower than the previous years’ results. Although the company faces many challenges, attributes such as healthy cash flows and opportunities to grow productivity as it expands abroad are appealing to potential buyers.