Research from Water Tower Research, Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research

Research from Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research is a leading equity research firm that provides research on micro, small and mid cap companies.

Water Tower Research was founded by Wall Street veterans after witnessing a fundamental shift in the investment research industry with the result being a declining knowledge base among investors, a lack of awareness and a shrinking pool of fundamental research being conducted on companies across the small-cap and micro-cap spectrum. The same issues are now increasingly occurring in the mid-cap space. This sea change within the investment community is impacting not only the companies themselves but also current shareholders and potential investors. With significantly less active sell-side sponsorship by Wall Street, a substantial information gap has developed between companies and various constituents in the financial community. The net result is fewer channels for insight and information to flow between companies and investors.

Equity Research Firm

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<h3>KEY HIGHLIGHTS</h3>
<div></div>
<ul>
<li>WTR-CMI last week.&nbsp;Reversing the prior week’s trend, the stock market pulled back last week following the release of disappointing inflation data, with the Russell 2000 and the S&amp;P 500 losing 4.5% and 4.8% of their value, respectively. Our WTR-CMI index of 30 chemicals and materials technology stocks underperformed the broader market by declining 7.2% for the week.&nbsp;EMN’s preannouncement&nbsp;of lower 3Q22 and 2022 expectations drove the stock down nearly 15% and eight of the 30 stocks in our index posted double-digit declines. With all stocks in our WTR-CMI index losing value last week, PKE, AVD, and CTVA delivered relative outperformance by declining less than 2%.</li>
<li>Even ag-chem majors are retrenching.&nbsp;While the overall tone of&nbsp;CTVA’s Investor Day&nbsp;held last week was positive, highlighted by the rollout of a robust R&amp;D pipeline and an announcement of additional $2 billion in share repurchases (on top of existing $1.5 billion authorization), management also laid out plans for&nbsp;coping with slowing economic growth and high inflation expectations&nbsp;by exiting 35 countries and trimming its workforce by 5%.</li>
<li>Tale of two regions.&nbsp;While US passenger vehicle sales in August edged up Y/Y and new&nbsp;car registrations in the EU&nbsp;grew by 4.4% last month,&nbsp;Y/Y growth of passenger vehicles in China was 36% in August&nbsp;following the end of a two-month lockdown of Shanghai and a reduction in the gasoline tax at the end of June. Although the remaining four months of 2022 will feature easy Y/Y comps, given the depressed state of the global auto industry at the end of 2021, slowing economic growth and high energy prices may keep the recovery muted, with questions remaining with respect to 2023. PPG and AXTA may therefore continue to underperform, given their large exposure to the automotive and transportation markets.</li>
<li>CMP stepping up its lithium game.&nbsp;Having previously previewed its ambitions of becoming a lithium supplier to the EV battery industry using its existing Salt Lake resources,&nbsp;CMP picked EnergySource Minerals&nbsp;as its direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology provider and announced a $252 million&nbsp;strategic investment&nbsp;by Koch Minerals &amp; Trading, LLC (KM&amp;T) to help finance Phase 1 of its lithium project.</li>
</ul>
<h3>WTR-CMI WEEKLY PERFORMANCE</h3>
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/299/221/original/image_26154726621663790447378.png?1663790451" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="299221"></figure>
<h2>Ag-Tech and Bio-Ag</h2>
<p>September USDA report acknowledges reality.&nbsp;We recently highlighted the disconnect between the August USDA Crop Production Report and the boots-on-the-ground crop tour that implied much lower commodity grain expectations. Last week, the USDA released its&nbsp;September report, which reflected the crop tour’s findings and lowered its outlook for soybean and corn production by lowering the three main components:&nbsp;planted acre, harvested acres, and yield per acre. Weather pressures and challenges securing sufficient and timely quantities of fertilizers and pesticides may have been behind the reduction in productivity expectations for US farmers reflected in the report. Lower expected Brazilian crop and what appears to be lower-than-anticipated US production are likely to result in stable, if not higher, commodity crop prices, which would go a long way in helping US farmers deal with still-elevated input costs in the 2022-23 season. Also mitigating lower production is&nbsp;lower demand from industrial end markets, such as ethanol and biofuels, which are slowing due to the overall slowdown in the US economy and miles driven.</p>
<p>Farmers remain cautious.&nbsp;Creighton University’s Rural Mainstreet Index&nbsp;(RMI) reading for September improved somewhat from August’s reading of 44 to 46.3, marking the fifth straight month of readings under 50, with 50 being a growth-neutral outlook, signaling that US farmers are bracing for another difficult year and a downturn in economic activity. Supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures for everything from inputs to fuel to equipment to land values continue to weigh on farmers’ minds. Farmers and bankers are now also bracing for escalating interest rates, even higher farm input costs, and drought. Higher expected crop values as mentioned above may help mitigate some of the cost pressures farmers will be facing, but high energy and natural gas costs constraining fertilizer and pesticide production and leading to their higher costs and still-snarled logistics may result in even greater scarcity of needed inputs, suggesting ag-chem companies such as CTVA, FMC, and AVD, as well as CF and MOS may continue to enjoy strong demand. It may also provide opportunities for companies offering different technologies, such as bio-based pesticides, seed treatment, and soil conditioning to expand their geographic and crop reach, as farmers look for every advantage and avenue to facilitate their production. This would be a positive for emerging bio-ag companies such as BIX and BHIL.</p>
<h2>Battery and Energy Technology</h2>
<p>EV growth spurs demand and drives higher metal prices.&nbsp;As EV growth continues to accelerate, supply of metals required to build EV batteries is barely keeping pace, driving metal prices higher as a result,&nbsp;with lithium carbonate prices in China&nbsp;setting a new record at just over $71/kg. Nor is lithium an exception. Brazilian mining company&nbsp;Vale expects nickel demand&nbsp;to surge 44% by 2030 from current levels, with most new supply coming from Indonesia, Canada, and Australia. The company also expects there to be a structural deficit of the metal even when factoring in current announced production and mining expansions. An emerging player with the potential to become the second-largest nickel supplier in the world in the mid-term and the largest in the longer term is a Canadian late-stage development company&nbsp;The Metals Company&nbsp;(NASDAQ: TMC), which is getting ready to commercialize undersea collection and processing of polymetallic nodules found in ocean depths between Mexico and Hawaii.</p>
<p>Working at cross purposes.&nbsp;We recently wrote about the disconnect between national governments’ efforts to expand and domesticate the sourcing and production of materials critical in enabling the EV and energy storage transformation on the one hand and local government agencies and NGOs doing their best to push “not in my back yard” agenda when it comes to mines, processing plants, and other facilities needed to support green energy goals. We previously highlighted the issues PLL is having in securing the permits needed to begin mining and processing lithium in North Carolina. Another development-stage lithium player running into similar NGO obstacles is LAC, which is facing strong opposition to its&nbsp;Nevada mine development from environmental groups and other NGOs. While Tesla CEO thinks mining is “relatively easy” compared with lithium refining competencies and is exploring&nbsp;Tesla getting into the lithium processing business, the fact remains that additional sources of lithium, whether by direct lithium extraction from brine à la CMP and LAC, spodumene mines, or expansion of brine extraction in the Andes, are sorely needed to decouple our dependence on China and other geopolitically sensitive neighborhoods. That means governments will need to rethink their approach to incentivizing domestic development of mine and processing plant resources.</p>
<h2>Chemicals and Materials News</h2>
<p>N.I.M.B.Y.&nbsp;Everyone wants a more sustainable world. Everyone wants less plastic and other pollution. But it seems nobody wants plants and facilities that can deliver on those wants in their neighborhood—Not in My Back Yard syndrome—at least not in developed countries with a strong NGO ecosystem. The problem goes beyond permitting new mineral and metal mines, processing plants, or refineries. Even scrap plastic sorting facilities are frowned upon. Just ask PureCycle Technologies’ (NASDAQ: PCT) CEO Dustin Olson, who has received a&nbsp;letter signed by 50 different NGOs&nbsp;requesting the company abandon its plans for a new plastic sorting facility in Florida.</p>
<h2>Rating and Price Target Changes</h2>
<p>ASH –&nbsp;Credit Suisse initiated coverage of the stock with an Outperform rating and $210 price target (PT).</p>
<p>CTVA –&nbsp;KeyBanc raised its PT to $72 from $64 and reiterated its Overweight rating; BMO raised its PT to $72 from $66 and reiterated its Outperform rating; JP Morgan raised its PT to $65 from $63 and reiterated its Outperform rating; Jefferies raised its PT to $77 from $70 and reiterated its Buy recommendation; Deutsche Bank raised its PT to $75 from $68 and reiterated its Buy recommendation.</p>
<p>EMN –&nbsp;Jefferies lowered its PT to $94 from $97 and maintained its Hold rating; Tudor Pickering lowered its PT to $98 from $105 and maintained its Hold rating; Stifel Nicolaus lowered its PT to $112 from $134 and reiterated its Buy recommendation; CFRA lowered its PT to $110 rom $115 and reiterated its Buy rating; Wells Fargo downgraded the stock to Equal Weight from Overweight and lowered its PT to $95 from $110; KeyBanc lowered its PT to $111 from $125 and reiterated its Overweight rating; Citigroup lowered its PT to $93 from $102 and maintained its Neutral rating; RBC lowered its PT to $82 from $97 and maintained its Sector Perform rating; Deutsche Bank lowered its PT to $95 from $115 and reiterated its Buy recommendation.</p>
<p>LTHM –&nbsp;Vertical Research downgraded the stock to Hold from Buy, despite raising its PT to $35 from $33.</p>
<p>PPG –&nbsp;Wells Fargo lowered its PT to $130 from $135 and maintained its Equal Weight rating.</p>
<p>SHW –&nbsp;Evercore ISI lowered its PT to $260 from $285 and reiterated its Outperform rating.</p>
<h2>Recent WTR Publications and Upcoming Events</h2>
<p>Management Series Report – Loop Industries Founder and CEO Daniel Solomita (NASDAQ: LOOP)</p>
<p>Management Series Report and 2Q22 Update for Westwater Resources (NYSE: WWR)</p>
<p>Initiation of Coverage – Westwater Resources (NYSE: WWR)</p>
<h3>DISCLOSURES</h3>
<div></div>
<p>Water Tower Research (“WTR”) is a professional publisher of investment research reports on public companies and, to a lesser extent, private firms (“the Companies”). WTR provides investor-focused content and digital distribution strategies designed to help companies communicate with investors.<br><br>WTR is not a registered investment adviser or a broker/dealer nor does WTR provide investment banking services. WTR operates as an exempt investment adviser under the so called “publishers’ exemption” from the definition of investment adviser under Section 202(a)(11) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. WTR does not provide investment ratings / recommendations or price targets on the companies it reports on. Readers are advised that the research reports are published and provided solely for informational purposes and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities or the rendering of investment advice. The information provided in this report should not be construed in any manner whatsoever as personalized advice. All users and readers of WTR’s reports are cautioned to consult their own independent financial, tax and legal advisors prior to purchasing or selling securities.<br><br>Dmitry Silversteyn, who is the writer of this report, covers the BioEconomy and Chemicals &amp; Materials Technology sectors for WTR. Mr. Silversteyn and members of his household have no personal or business-related relationship to the subject company other than providing digital content and any ancillary services WTR may offer.<br><br>Unless otherwise indicated, WTR intends to provide continuing coverage of the covered companies. WTR will notify its readers through website postings or other appropriate means if WTR determines to terminate coverage of any of the companies covered.<br><br>In certain instances, including this report, WTR will write research covering non-clients. Readers should assume that WTR may seek to turn these non-paying companies into paying clients. Likewise, WTR may seek to transform these non-clients into paying clients of it or of its affiliate, which provides services such as presenting at sponsored investor conferences, distributing press releases, advising on investor relations and broader corporate communications and public relations strategies as well as performing certain other related services (“Ancillary Services”). The companies that WTR covers in our research are not required to purchase or use Ancillary Services of WTR or an affiliate might offer to clients.<br><br>The manner of WTR’s potential research compensation and Ancillary Services to covered companies raise actual and perceived conflicts of interest. WTR is committed to manage those conflicts to protect its reputation and the objectivity of employees/analysts by adhering to strictly written compliance guidelines.<br><br>The views and analyses included in our research reports are based on current public information that we consider to be reliable, but no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to their accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or correctness. Neither we nor our analysts, directors, officers, employees, representatives, independent contractors or agents shall be liable for any omissions, errors or inaccuracies, regardless of cause, foreseeability or the lack of timeliness of, or any delay or interruptions in the transmission of our reports to content users. This lack of liability extends to direct, indirect, incidental, exemplary, compensatory, punitive, special or consequential damages, costs, expenses, legal fees, losses, lost income, lost profit or opportunity costs.<br><br>All investment information contained herein should be independently verified by the reader or user of this report. For additional information, all readers of this report are encouraged to visit WTR’s website www.watertowerresearch.com.</p>

KEY HIGHLIGHTS


WTR-CMI last week.&nbsp;Reversing the prior week’s trend, the stock market pulled back last week following the release of disappointing inflation data, with the Russell 2000 and the S&amp;P 500 losing 4.5% and 4.8% of their value, respectively. Our WTR-CMI index of 30 chemicals and materials technology stocks underperformed the broader market by declining 7.2% for the week.&nbsp;EMN’s preannouncement&nbsp;of lower 3Q22 and 2022 expectations drove the stock down nearly 15% and eight of the 30 stocks in our index posted double-digit declines. With all stocks in our WTR-CMI index losing value last week, PKE, AVD, and CTVA delivered relative outperformance by declining less than 2%.
Even ag-chem majors are retrenching.&nbsp;While the overall tone of&nbsp;CTVA’s Investor Day&nbsp;held last week was positive, highlighted by the rollout of a robust R&amp;D pipeline and an announcement of additional $2 billion in share repurchases (on top of existing $1.5 billion authorization), management also laid out plans for&nbsp;coping with slowing economic growth and high inflation expectations&nbsp;by exiting 35 countries and trimming its workforce by 5%.
Tale of two regions.&nbsp;While US passenger vehicle sales in August edged up Y/Y and new&nbsp;car registrations in the EU&nbsp;grew by 4.4% last month,&nbsp;Y/Y growth of passenger vehicles in China was 36% in August&nbsp;following the end of a two-month lockdown of Shanghai and a reduction in the gasoline tax at the end of June. Although the remaining four months of 2022 will feature easy Y/Y comps, given the depressed state of the global auto industry at the end of 2021, slowing economic growth and high energy prices may keep the recovery muted, with questions remaining with respect to 2023. PPG and AXTA may therefore continue to underperform, given their large exposure to the automotive and transportation markets.
CMP stepping up its lithium game.&nbsp;Having previously previewed its ambitions of becoming a lithium supplier to the EV battery industry using its existing Salt Lake resources,&nbsp;CMP picked EnergySource Minerals&nbsp;as its direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology provider and announced a $252 million&nbsp;strategic investment&nbsp;by Koch Minerals &amp; Trading, LLC (KM&amp;T) to help finance Phase 1 of its lithium project.

WTR-CMI WEEKLY PERFORMANCE

Ag-Tech and Bio-Ag
September USDA report acknowledges reality.&nbsp;We recently highlighted the disconnect between the August USDA Crop Production Report and the boots-on-the-ground crop tour that implied much lower commodity grain expectations. Last week, the USDA released its&nbsp;September report, which reflected the crop tour’s findings and lowered its outlook for soybean and corn production by lowering the three main components:&nbsp;planted acre, harvested acres, and yield per acre. Weather pressures and challenges securing sufficient and timely quantities of fertilizers and pesticides may have been behind the reduction in productivity expectations for US farmers reflected in the report. Lower expected Brazilian crop and what appears to be lower-than-anticipated US production are likely to result in stable, if not higher, commodity crop prices, which would go a long way in helping US farmers deal with still-elevated input costs in the 2022-23 season. Also mitigating lower production is&nbsp;lower demand from industrial end markets, such as ethanol and biofuels, which are slowing due to the overall slowdown in the US economy and miles driven.
Farmers remain cautious.&nbsp;Creighton University’s Rural Mainstreet Index&nbsp;(RMI) reading for September improved somewhat from August’s reading of 44 to 46.3, marking the fifth straight month of readings under 50, with 50 being a growth-neutral outlook, signaling that US farmers are bracing for another difficult year and a downturn in economic activity. Supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures for everything from inputs to fuel to equipment to land values continue to weigh on farmers’ minds. Farmers and bankers are now also bracing for escalating interest rates, even higher farm input costs, and drought. Higher expected crop values as mentioned above may help mitigate some of the cost pressures farmers will be facing, but high energy and natural gas costs constraining fertilizer and pesticide production and leading to their higher costs and still-snarled logistics may result in even greater scarcity of needed inputs, suggesting ag-chem companies such as CTVA, FMC, and AVD, as well as CF and MOS may continue to enjoy strong demand. It may also provide opportunities for companies offering different technologies, such as bio-based pesticides, seed treatment, and soil conditioning to expand their geographic and crop reach, as farmers look for every advantage and avenue to facilitate their production. This would be a positive for emerging bio-ag companies such as BIX and BHIL.
Battery and Energy Technology
EV growth spurs demand and drives higher metal prices.&nbsp;As EV growth continues to accelerate, supply of metals required to build EV batteries is barely keeping pace, driving metal prices higher as a result,&nbsp;with lithium carbonate prices in China&nbsp;setting a new record at just over $71/kg. Nor is lithium an exception. Brazilian mining company&nbsp;Vale expects nickel demand&nbsp;to surge 44% by 2030 from current levels, with most new supply coming from Indonesia, Canada, and Australia. The company also expects there to be a structural deficit of the metal even when factoring in current announced production and mining expansions. An emerging player with the potential to become the second-largest nickel supplier in the world in the mid-term and the largest in the longer term is a Canadian late-stage development company&nbsp;The Metals Company&nbsp;(NASDAQ: TMC), which is getting ready to commercialize undersea collection and processing of polymetallic nodules found in ocean depths between Mexico and Hawaii.
Working at cross purposes.&nbsp;We recently wrote about the disconnect between national governments’ efforts to expand and domesticate the sourcing and production of materials critical in enabling the EV and energy storage transformation on the one hand and local government agencies and NGOs doing their best to push “not in my back yard” agenda when it comes to mines, processing plants, and other facilities needed to support green energy goals. We previously highlighted the issues PLL is having in securing the permits needed to begin mining and processing lithium in North Carolina. Another development-stage lithium player running into similar NGO obstacles is LAC, which is facing strong opposition to its&nbsp;Nevada mine development from environmental groups and other NGOs. While Tesla CEO thinks mining is “relatively easy” compared with lithium refining competencies and is exploring&nbsp;Tesla getting into the lithium processing business, the fact remains that additional sources of lithium, whether by direct lithium extraction from brine à la CMP and LAC, spodumene mines, or expansion of brine extraction in the Andes, are sorely needed to decouple our dependence on China and other geopolitically sensitive neighborhoods. That means governments will need to rethink their approach to incentivizing domestic development of mine and processing plant resources.
Chemicals and Materials News
N.I.M.B.Y.&nbsp;Everyone wants a more sustainable world. Everyone wants less plastic and other pollution. But it seems nobody wants plants and facilities that can deliver on those wants in their neighborhood—Not in My Back Yard syndrome—at least not in developed countries with a strong NGO ecosystem. The problem goes beyond permitting new mineral and metal mines, processing plants, or refineries. Even scrap plastic sorting facilities are frowned upon. Just ask PureCycle Technologies’ (NASDAQ: PCT) CEO Dustin Olson, who has received a&nbsp;letter signed by 50 different NGOs&nbsp;requesting the company abandon its plans for a new plastic sorting facility in Florida.
Rating and Price Target Changes
ASH –&nbsp;Credit Suisse initiated coverage of the stock with an Outperform rating and $210 price target (PT).
CTVA –&nbsp;KeyBanc raised its PT to $72 from $64 and reiterated its Overweight rating; BMO raised its PT to $72 from $66 and reiterated its Outperform rating; JP Morgan raised its PT to $65 from $63 and reiterated its Outperform rating; Jefferies raised its PT to $77 from $70 and reiterated its Buy recommendation; Deutsche Bank raised its PT to $75 from $68 and reiterated its Buy recommendation.
EMN –&nbsp;Jefferies lowered its PT to $94 from $97 and maintained its Hold rating; Tudor Pickering lowered its PT to $98 from $105 and maintained its Hold rating; Stifel Nicolaus lowered its PT to $112 from $134 and reiterated its Buy recommendation; CFRA lowered its PT to $110 rom $115 and reiterated its Buy rating; Wells Fargo downgraded the stock to Equal Weight from Overweight and lowered its PT to $95 from $110; KeyBanc lowered its PT to $111 from $125 and reiterated its Overweight rating; Citigroup lowered its PT to $93 from $102 and maintained its Neutral rating; RBC lowered its PT to $82 from $97 and maintained its Sector Perform rating; Deutsche Bank lowered its PT to $95 from $115 and reiterated its Buy recommendation.
LTHM –&nbsp;Vertical Research downgraded the stock to Hold from Buy, despite raising its PT to $35 from $33.
PPG –&nbsp;Wells Fargo lowered its PT to $130 from $135 and maintained its Equal Weight rating.
SHW –&nbsp;Evercore ISI lowered its PT to $260 from $285 and reiterated its Outperform rating.
Recent WTR Publications and Upcoming Events
Management Series Report – Loop Industries Founder and CEO Daniel Solomita (NASDAQ: LOOP)
Management Series Report and 2Q22 Update for Westwater Resources (NYSE: WWR)
Initiation of Coverage – Westwater Resources (NYSE: WWR)
DISCLOSURES

Water Tower Research (“WTR”) is a professional publisher of investment research reports on public companies and, to a lesser extent, private firms (“the Companies”). WTR provides investor-focused content and digital distribution strategies designed to help companies communicate with investors.  WTR is not a registered investment adviser or a broker/dealer nor does WTR provide investment banking services. WTR operates as an exempt investment adviser under the so called “publishers’ exemption” from the definition of investment adviser under Section 202(a)(11) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. WTR does not provide investment ratings / recommendations or price targets on the companies it reports on. Readers are advised that the research reports are published and provided solely for informational purposes and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities or the rendering of investment advice. The information provided in this report should not be construed in any manner whatsoever as personalized advice. All users and readers of WTR’s reports are cautioned to consult their own independent financial, tax and legal advisors prior to purchasing or selling securities.  Dmitry Silversteyn, who is the writer of this report, covers the BioEconomy and Chemicals &amp; Materials Technology sectors for WTR. Mr. Silversteyn and members of his household have no personal or business-related relationship to the subject company other than providing digital content and any ancillary services WTR may offer.  Unless otherwise indicated, WTR intends to provide continuing coverage of the covered companies. WTR will notify its readers through website postings or other appropriate means if WTR determines to terminate coverage of any of the companies covered.  In certain instances, including this report, WTR will write research covering non-clients. Readers should assume that WTR may seek to turn these non-paying companies into paying clients. Likewise, WTR may seek to transform these non-clients into paying clients of it or of its affiliate, which provides services such as presenting at sponsored investor conferences, distributing press releases, advising on investor relations and broader corporate communications and public relations strategies as well as performing certain other related services (“Ancillary Services”). The companies that WTR covers in our research are not required to purchase or use Ancillary Services of WTR or an affiliate might offer to clients.  The manner of WTR’s potential research compensation and Ancillary Services to covered companies raise actual and perceived conflicts of interest. WTR is committed to manage those conflicts to protect its reputation and the objectivity of employees/analysts by adhering to strictly written compliance guidelines.  The views and analyses included in our research reports are based on current public information that we consider to be reliable, but no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to their accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or correctness. Neither we nor our analysts, directors, officers, employees, representatives, independent contractors or agents shall be liable for any omissions, errors or inaccuracies, regardless of cause, foreseeability or the lack of timeliness of, or any delay or interruptions in the transmission of our reports to content users. This lack of liability extends to direct, indirect, incidental, exemplary, compensatory, punitive, special or consequential damages, costs, expenses, legal fees, losses, lost income, lost profit or opportunity costs.  All investment information contained herein should be independently verified by the reader or user of this report. For additional information, all readers of this report are encouraged to visit WTR’s website www.watertowerresearch.com.

Mat-Chem Notes for the Week Ended September 18, 2022

AlphaSituations-Event/Catalyst Driven Research, AlphaSituations

Robert Sassoon

AlphaSituations-Event/Catalyst Driven Research

AlphaSituations

Since its establishment, AlphaSituations has delivered a track record of outperformance with a hit rate of winners of more than 70% of its portfolio of ideas generating annualized average returns of 20%. In January 2022, AlphaSituations was contracted by Water Tower Research, an investor engagement and stakeholder communication platform to provide coverage of Special Situations

Event-Driven

<p>Special Purpose Acquisition Companies or SPACs have been making a comeback in the last 3 years, but remain an underappreciated segment of the event-driven sector (as far as we know, they do not yet have an ETF dedicated to them). A SPAC, is essentially a shell company that does not initially own operations of its own, but has the stated purpose to identify and purchase a business that is consistent with the investment objectives of the SPAC. While historically,  SPAC investment interest has embraced a variety of sectors, including healthcare, technology, energy and industrials with mixed results, the two most recently announced SPAC transactions are focused on the North American gaming sector,  one which is starting to generate more interest among investors.</p><p>This Insight looks in detail at the two transactions announced last month - <em>Diamond Eagle Acquisition Corp (DEAC US)/DraftKings, SBTech</em> and<em> Leisure Acquisition Corp (LACQ US)/GTWY Holdings</em>. While the former creates a unique play on the the fast emerging regulated online sports betting market in the US, the latter provides an opportunity to participate in an above peer average growth proposition at a deeply discounted valuation relative to peers.</p>

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies or SPACs have been making a comeback in the last 3 years, but remain an underappreciated segment of the event-driven sector (as far as we know, they do not yet have an ETF dedicated to them). A SPAC, is essentially a shell company that does not initially own operations of its own, but has the stated purpose to identify and purchase a business that is consistent with the investment objectives of the SPAC. While historically,  SPAC investment interest has embraced a variety of sectors, including healthcare, technology, energy and industrials with mixed results, the two most recently announced SPAC transactions are focused on the North American gaming sector,  one which is starting to generate more interest among investors.This Insight looks in detail at the two transactions announced last month - Diamond Eagle Acquisition Corp (DEAC US)/DraftKings, SBTech and Leisure Acquisition Corp (LACQ US)/GTWY Holdings. While the former creates a unique play on the the fast emerging regulated online sports betting market in the US, the latter provides an opportunity to participate in an above peer average growth proposition at a deeply discounted valuation relative to peers.

United States

Ensysce Biosciences, Inc. operates as a clinical stage biotech company. The Company focuses on stemming the prescription drug abuse epidemic. Ensysce Biosciences serves customers worldwide.

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Ensysce Biosciences (ENSC US)

Mat-Chem Notes for the Week Ended September 18, 2022

KEY HIGHLIGHTS WTR-CMI last week. Reversing the prior week’s trend, the stock market pulled back last week following the release of disappointing...

Water Tower Research

MergerTalk: Game On For SPACs

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies or SPACs have been making a comeback in the last 3 years, but remain an underappreciated segment of the...

Robert Sassoon

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