Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Our long-term outlook remains neutral on the S&amp;P 500 (SPX) as of our 8/6/24 Compass, after being bullish since early-November 2023.</li>
<li>Since late-July discussed expectations for a 1-to 4-month pullback/consolidation on SPX and QQQ; now it's likely to last closer to four months, and potentially 4- to 6-months from 7/17/24.</li>
<li>At that point the market will decide which way this consolidation resolves. Throughout this pullback we have said that this consolidation could end up being a significant topping pattern.</li>
</ul>


Our long-term outlook remains neutral on the S&amp;P 500 (SPX) as of our 8/6/24 Compass, after being bullish since early-November 2023.
Since late-July discussed expectations for a 1-to 4-month pullback/consolidation on SPX and QQQ; now it's likely to last closer to four months, and potentially 4- to 6-months from 7/17/24.
At that point the market will decide which way this consolidation resolves. Throughout this pullback we have said that this consolidation could end up being a significant topping pattern.


Upgrading Staples, Real Estate, and Health Care to Overweight; List of Concerns Continues to Grow

<ul>
<li>Breadth continues to improve and Russell 2000 (IWM) small-caps and the Dow remain bullish, all while the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) are going through a pullback/consolidation phase.</li>
<li>Considering the Russell 2000 vs. S&amp;P 500 ratio is reversing a 3.5-year downtrend, we expect this trend of small-cap outperformance to continue for months or longer.</li>
<li>With new risk-off signals emerging, potential pullback zones we would look for include 5100-5191 on the S&amp;P 500 and $443-$449 on the QQQ, expecting a low near the election.</li>
</ul>


Breadth continues to improve and Russell 2000 (IWM) small-caps and the Dow remain bullish, all while the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) are going through a pullback/consolidation phase.
Considering the Russell 2000 vs. S&amp;P 500 ratio is reversing a 3.5-year downtrend, we expect this trend of small-cap outperformance to continue for months or longer.
With new risk-off signals emerging, potential pullback zones we would look for include 5100-5191 on the S&amp;P 500 and $443-$449 on the QQQ, expecting a low near the election.


Upgrading Health Care to Market Weight; Risk-Off Signals Suggest SPX and QQQ Pullback to Continue

Covering IPOs, Healthcare and Technology Stocks

Andrei Zakharov

Equity Bottom-Up

Karuna Therapeutics Inc / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>In December 2023, American multinational pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb has agreed to acquire Karuna Therapeutics for $330 per share in cash, implying a total equity value of $14B.</li>
<li>The special meeting of Karuna’s shareholders to be held on March 12, 2023, to consider and vote on various proposals necessary to approve upcoming M&amp;A deal.</li>
<li>I expect the bidding battle among big pharma to acquire Karuna Therapeutics and its valuable pipeline of transformative medicines to treat schizophrenia and psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease.</li>
</ul>


In December 2023, American multinational pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb has agreed to acquire Karuna Therapeutics for $330 per share in cash, implying a total equity value of $14B.
The special meeting of Karuna’s shareholders to be held on March 12, 2023, to consider and vote on various proposals necessary to approve upcoming M&amp;A deal.
I expect the bidding battle among big pharma to acquire Karuna Therapeutics and its valuable pipeline of transformative medicines to treat schizophrenia and psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease.


Karuna Therapeutics: Is The Bidding Battle Underway?

Global Healthcare Analyst

Tina Banerjee

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bristol-myers-squibb-co" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1133:1" rel="noopener">Bristol Myers Squibb Co (BMY US)</a> is acquiring <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/karuna-therapeutics-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28720:1" rel="noopener">Karuna Therapeutics Inc (KRTX US)</a> for $330/share in cash for equity value of ~$14B. The transaction is expected to close in 1H24. </li>
<li>Karuna’s lead asset, KarXT has FDA action date of September 26, 2024 for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults. KarXT has peak annual sales potential of $6–7B.</li>
<li>Considering strong clinical efficacy and favorable risk profile of KarXT, the deal seems to be fairly valued. Current market price of Karuna shares of $318.41 represents absolute spread of ~3.6%.</li>
</ul>



Bristol Myers Squibb Co (BMY US) is acquiring Karuna Therapeutics Inc (KRTX US) for $330/share in cash for equity value of ~$14B. The transaction is expected to close in 1H24. 
Karuna’s lead asset, KarXT has FDA action date of September 26, 2024 for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults. KarXT has peak annual sales potential of $6–7B.
Considering strong clinical efficacy and favorable risk profile of KarXT, the deal seems to be fairly valued. Current market price of Karuna shares of $318.41 represents absolute spread of ~3.6%.


Karuna Therapeutics (KRTX US): BMS Acquisition Offers Decent Short-Term Trading Opportunity

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

<ul>
<li>On 15 January, Orion Corp announced that its subsidiary PAN Orion Corp will purchase a 25.7% stake in Legochem Biosciences for 549 billion won. </li>
<li>LegoChem Bio specializes in antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology. Legochem Bio signed a total of 13 technology transfer contracts amounting to 8.7 trillion won in the past 9 years. </li>
<li>Most investors in Orion Corp would rather have the company focus on its core confectionery/snack business, rather than expand into high risk/high reward biotech business.</li>
</ul>


On 15 January, Orion Corp announced that its subsidiary PAN Orion Corp will purchase a 25.7% stake in Legochem Biosciences for 549 billion won. 
LegoChem Bio specializes in antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology. Legochem Bio signed a total of 13 technology transfer contracts amounting to 8.7 trillion won in the past 9 years. 
Most investors in Orion Corp would rather have the company focus on its core confectionery/snack business, rather than expand into high risk/high reward biotech business.


Orion Corp: Concerns About Diversification into LegoChem Bioscience

United States

AbbVie Inc. researches and develops pharmaceutical products. The Company produces pharmaceutical drugs for specialty therapeutic areas such as immunology, chronic kidney disease, Hepatitis C, women's health, oncology, and neuroscience. AbbVie also offers treatments for diseases including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease.

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Abbvie Inc (ABBV US)

Upgrading Staples, Real Estate, and Health Care to Overweight; List of Concerns Continues to Grow

Upgrading Staples $XLP, Real Estate $XLRE, Health Care $XLV to Overweight; List of Concerns Continues to Grow; Dow $DJI, Equal-Weight S&P 500 $RSP,...

Vermilion Research

Upgrading Health Care to Market Weight; Risk-Off Signals Suggest SPX and QQQ Pullback to Continue

Upgrading Health Care $XLV to Market Weight; New Risk-Off Signals Suggest Pullback in $SPX and $QQQ to Continue, looking for pullbacks to 5100-5191...

Vermilion Research

Karuna Therapeutics: Is The Bidding Battle Underway?

I see a strong wave of M&A activity in neuropsychiatry space and think the risk/reward of owning KRTX shares is favorable despite the substantial...

Andrei Zakharov

Karuna Therapeutics (KRTX US): BMS Acquisition Offers Decent Short-Term Trading Opportunity

BMS is acquiring Karuna Therapeutics for $330/share in cash, with the deal expected to close in 1H24. Current market price of Karuna shares...

Tina Banerjee

Orion Corp: Concerns About Diversification into LegoChem Bioscience

Orion Corp's investment in LegoChem Bio raises concerns about diversification into risky biotech business. Investors would rather have Orion Corp...

Douglas Kim

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52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Upgrading Staples, Real Estate, and Health Care to Overweight; List of Concerns Continues to Grow

Upgrading Staples $XLP, Real Estate $XLRE, Health Care $XLV to Overweight; List of Concerns Continues to Grow; Dow $DJI, Equal-Weight S&P 500 $RSP,...

Vermilion Research

Upgrading Health Care to Market Weight; Risk-Off Signals Suggest SPX and QQQ Pullback to Continue

Upgrading Health Care $XLV to Market Weight; New Risk-Off Signals Suggest Pullback in $SPX and $QQQ to Continue, looking for pullbacks to 5100-5191...

Vermilion Research

Karuna Therapeutics: Is The Bidding Battle Underway?

I see a strong wave of M&A activity in neuropsychiatry space and think the risk/reward of owning KRTX shares is favorable despite the substantial...

Andrei Zakharov

Karuna Therapeutics (KRTX US): BMS Acquisition Offers Decent Short-Term Trading Opportunity

​BMS is acquiring Karuna Therapeutics for $330/share in cash, with the deal expected to close in 1H24. Current market price of Karuna shares...

Tina Banerjee

Orion Corp: Concerns About Diversification into LegoChem Bioscience

Orion Corp's investment in LegoChem Bio raises concerns about diversification into risky biotech business. Investors would rather have Orion Corp...

Douglas Kim

BMS is acquiring Karuna Therapeutics for $330/share in cash, with the deal expected to close in 1H24. Current market price of Karuna shares...