For investors willing to shoulder additional risk, these may be the best of times for buying stocks. Writing at Morgan Stanley, Michael Wilson, the firm’s head of US equity strategy, firmly believes that the signs are bullish, and that current conditions in the markets closely resemble those of March 2009. That was when market turned upwards after the 2008 financial crisis, beginning the longest bull run in history.Wilson wrote, “A significant driver of our bullish call … was based on the equity-risk premium reaching the same levels observed in March 2009. If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past 10 years, it’s that when risk premium appears you need to grab it before it disappears.”Investors can maximize that premium by finding stocks with the lowest share price and the highest upside potential – in short, by buying into high-rated penny stocks. These equities, typically trading for under $5 per share, offer a minimal cost of entry – and can sometimes show triple digit upside potential. We’ve used the TipRanks database to pull up the details on three such opportunities. All three have received enough support from Wall Street analysts to earn a “Strong Buy” consensus rating. Not to mention each boasts substantial upside potential of over 100%.Organogenesis Holdings (ORGO)Organogenesis’ subsidiaries operate in the world of medical tech, developing new technologies in two markets: wound care, and surgical and sports medicine.Despite a sharp increase in earnings losses during the first quarter, Organogenesis had good news to report. Top-line revenue came in at $61.7 million, modestly beating the forecast but growing 8% year-over-year. Revenues grew substantially in both the wound care and surgical and sports medicine segments. The company finished the quarter with $46.9 million in cash on hand.Organogenesis returned to public trading at the beginning of last year, after 16 years as a private company. Like many high-tech medical companies, it has not yet turned a profit – but it does have exciting prospects for successful products in potentially lucrative sales fields.This potential lies behind 5-star analyst Richard Newitter’s comments. In his report for Leerink, Newitter writes, “As a relatively new public company, we believe ORGO has yet to be fully “discovered” by investors with a below-peer valuation that in our view is highly dislocated from the company’s longer-term sales growth prospects, healthy end-markets, and a scalable long term 70%+ GM business. Ultimately, as investors increasingly come to appreciate ORGO’s potential for sustainable DD top-line growth & increased profitability prospects into the out-years, we think the multiple will expand driving shares higher.”In line with his upbeat outlook, Newitter rates ORGO shares a Buy, and his $7 price target implies a 112% upside potential. In short, the analyst believes that now is the time for investors to get in at the ground level. (To watch Newitter’s track record, click here)All in all, Wall Street analysts are unanimous in their endorsement of the shares. Organogenesis stock has been endorsed with "buy" ratings by all four of the analysts who have voiced an opinion over the past year. Meanwhile, the consensus estimate of analysts is that ORGO, currently trading at $3.33, should rise over 120% to hit $7.50 within a year. (See Organogenesis stock analysis on TipRanks)Usio, Inc. (USIO)Next up on our list is a tech company, Usio. This company provides payment solutions for merchants and billers, offering credit, debit, and prepaid card processing, and automated clearing house payment platforms. Usio aims to combine card issuing and merchant payment processing options into a ‘one stop shop’ platform.A small-cap company, with a market capitalization of just $32 million, Usio is nevertheless in a strong position despite the coronavirus market disruptions. While markets have lost heavily in the current bear cycle – even accounting for the rally we’re experiencing – USIO shares have outperformed and are trading above their late-February levels. The company reported an 18% growth in revenues for Q1 2020, to $7.8 million, along with steady progress towards break-even cash flow. Usio ended the quarter with $1.7 million in cash on hand. These positive results came despite a net loss in Q1 – but it is important to note that Usio’s Q1 losses were 50% lower than in Q4, and beat the quarterly expectation by 14%.Usio has also been able to take advantage of Congressional stimulus funds. The company qualified for a CARES Act loan of $814,000. The loan comes with generous repayment terms, and provides Usio with needed liquidity to meet the coronavirus crisis.Ladenburg Thalmann analyst Jon Hickman sees a clear path forward for Usio, writing, “…we believe Usio's current market valuation is not reflective of the value of the company’s growing presence in the digital payments space. Given the expected increasing revenue growth and future earnings potential, we believe the company should be valued more in line with its current and potential earnings growth.”Hickman’s Buy rating is bolstered by his $4.50 price target, which indicates confidence in a robust 142% one-year upside potential. (To watch Hickman’s track record, click here)USIO shares have a Strong Buy analyst consensus rating, and it is unanimous. All three of the analysts who have reviewed this stock recently have come down with Buy recommendations. The shares are selling for just $1.75, and the average price target matches Hickman’s $4.50. The upside potential, 142%, implies that this stock will more than double in the coming year. (See Usio analyst ratings on TipRanks)Ramaco Resources (METC)The last stock on our list is Ramaco, a coal mining company operating in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The company focuses its output on metallurgical coal, a grade used to produce the refined coke that is required in the steel industry.Even with economic activity greatly reduced in Q1 by the responses to the coronavirus crisis, Ramaco reported a quarterly profit. The 5-cent EPS came in 67% over the forecast. Earnings weren’t the only positive in the Q1 report. Revenue came in at $41.9 million, or 2.5% over the estimates.Ramaco’s main sales theater is the eastern US – but demand there has collapsed due to the economic shutdowns. The company has countered this by turning to foreign customers and accepting aid through the Congressionally passed Paycheck Protection Program. The $8.4 million PPP loan has shored up the company’s liquidity position, and allowed it to resume operations at two mines which were idled on April 1.Lucas Pipes, covering the industry and Ramaco stock for B Riley FBR, notes, “…management pointed to a number of marketing successes in the first quarter, including renewing a relationship with a major European customer, their first test shipment to Asia, and a notice that their product was approved for purchase by major integrated steel mills in Brazil […] While we currently see investors focus on liquidity, then capital returns, and growth opportunities last, we regard these growth projects as long-term options when market conditions improve.”These successes put Ramaco in a solid position to move forward, and Pipes rates the stock a Buy. His price target, at $8, implies a sky-high 221% upside potential this year. (To watch Pipes’ track record, click here)It’s not often that the analysts all agree on a stock, so when it does happen, take note. Ramaco’s Strong Buy consensus rating is based on a unanimous 4 Buys. The stock’s $5.25 average price target suggests a potential upside of 103% and a change from the current share price of $2.56. (See Ramaco stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
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In this article we will check out the progression of hedge fund sentiment towards Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) and determine whether it is a good investment right now. We at Insider Monkey like to examine what billionaires and hedge funds think of a company before spending days of research on it. Given their 2 […]
Insider Monkey has processed numerous 13F filings of hedge funds and successful value investors to create an extensive database of hedge fund holdings. The 13F filings show the hedge funds' and successful investors' positions as of the end of the first quarter. You can find articles about an individual hedge fund's trades on numerous financial […]
In this article you are going to find out whether hedge funds think Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) is a good investment right now. We like to check what the smart money thinks first before doing extensive research on a given stock. Although there have been several high profile failed hedge fund picks, the consensus picks among […]
Biotech firm Novavax has entered its coronavirus vaccine in a Phase 1 clinical trial in Australia — the first in the Southern Hemisphere.
May.24 — Hong Kong protesters battled with riot police in busy downtown areas on Sunday, showing their opposition toward China’s dramatic move to crack down on dissent in the biggest demonstration since the coronavirus swept through the city in January. Stephen Engle reports on “Bloomberg Daybreak: Australia.”
May.25 — Bayer AG has reached verbal agreements to resolve a substantial portion of an estimated 125,000 U.S. cancer lawsuits over use of its Roundup weedkiller, according to people familiar with the negotiations. Tim Loh reports on “Bloomberg Markets: European Open.”(Bloomberg Opinion) — China’s decision to impose a national security law on Hong Kong has spurred speculation of capital flight and an erosion of the city’s status as an international financial center. As a venue for share offerings, at least, the near-term future is looking bright. For that, the territory can thank worsening U.S.-China relations.U.S.-listed Chinese technology companies are lining up to sell stock in Hong Kong, seeking refuge from an environment that has become increasingly less hospitable. Nasdaq-traded JD.com Inc. and NetEase Inc. are planning secondary listings in the city next month, following a trail blazed by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. in November. Optimism that more companies will join them drove shares of Hong Kong’s exchange operator up more than 6% on Monday.There’s every reason to expect these stock offerings to do well, and push Hong Kong back up the rankings of the world’s largest fundraising centers. So far this year, the city is the sixth-largest market by capital raised. It topped the table for the whole of 2019 when New York-listed Alibaba sold $13 billion of stock, underscoring the existence of a strong local investor base for China’s most successful companies.The reception for Alibaba suggests that Asian institutional investors want to be able to trade China’s leading enterprises in their own time zone. JD and NetEase are also among the nation’s technology champions. Beijing-based JD competes with Alibaba in e-commerce, while Hangzhou-based NetEase is behind some of the most popular mobile games in China. Beyond these two, search-engine operator Baidu Inc. is considering delisting from Nasdaq and moving to an exchange nearer home, Reuters reported last week. The coronavirus has exacerbated tensions between Washington and Beijing, while scandals such as fabricated sales at Luckin Coffee Inc. have spurred politicians to push for tighter regulation, giving Chinese companies an incentive to list elsewhere.Hong Kong is an obvious choice. The city burnished its appeal for U.S.-traded companies last week when the compiler of the city’s benchmark Hang Seng Index said it would change its rules to admit secondary listings and companies with dual-class share structures. Stocks that join the benchmark can expect inflows from passive investors such as exchange-traded funds that track the index.Citigroup Inc. reckons that 23 of the 249 Chinese stocks traded in the U.S. meet Hong Kong’s criteria for a secondary listing, which require companies to have a market value of $5.2 billion or, alternatively, a combination of $129 million in annual sales and a $1.3 billion market cap. JD tops the group with a value of $73 billion.An even more alluring prize would be inclusion of secondary listings in Hong Kong’s stock-trading links with the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges, which would enable mainland Chinese investors to buy these shares. Alibaba wasn’t included in the stock connect, to the disappointment of some investors. China’s government could yet decide to make this happen.It’s a reminder that Beijing has levers at its disposal to help shore up Hong Kong’s economy and financial industry, which accounts for a fifth of the city’s gross domestic product — as it did after the SARS epidemic in 2003, when half a million people demonstrated against the Hong Kong government’s first, aborted attempt to introduce national security legislation. Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. surged the most in 18 months Monday even as unrest returned to the city. Listing of American depositary receipts may double the exchange operator’s revenue, Morgan Stanley said. The Hang Seng Index, meanwhile, stabilized after slumping 5.6% on Friday.An exodus of businesses, people and capital may yet imperil Hong Kong’s role as an international financial center. The IPO outlook suggests that, rather than a sudden demise, that’s likely to be a long drawn-out process. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Nisha Gopalan is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering deals and banking. She previously worked for the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones as an editor and a reporter.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Boeing Co (BA) will lay off 400 employees at its aerospace manufacturing facility in Winnipeg as a result of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic."Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Boeing previously announced we would adjust the size of our company to reflect new market realities through a combination of voluntary layoffs, natural turnover and involuntary layoffs," Boeing spokeswoman Jessica Kowal said in a statement.Boeing Winnipeg, which employs 1,600 workers is one of the largest aerospace composite manufacturers in Canada. At the site, Boeing produces over 500 end item composite parts for the company’s commercial airplanes. Major products include wing to body fairings, engine strut forward fairings, landing gear doors, and the engine inlet inner barrel of the new 737 MAX. In addition, Boeing Winnipeg designs and manufactures many parts for the 787 Dreamliner.Earlier this month, Boeing reported that it did not receive a single order in April, while it was also grappling with 108 order cancelations for its grounded 737 MAX plane. Commercial airline travel has fallen off a cliff due to coronavirus-induced lockdown restrictions forcing many airlines around the world to ground the majority of their fleets, suspend aircraft deliveries, and streamline operations.Shares in Boeing dropped another 1.1% to $137.53 on Friday taking this year’s slide to 59%.Despite the steep plunge this year, five-star analyst Kenneth Herbert at Canaccord Genuity still sees limited upside potential in the stock. The analyst last week sharply cut Boeing’s price target to $155 from $175, and maintained a Hold rating, saying that the outlook is now very depressed with expectations of more negative news flow.“While BA has come back from the financial cliff, we see limited opportunity for capital allocation to be a catalyst for the stock, and we believe Boeing now has little flexibility to pursue new aircraft programs if necessary,” Herbert wrote in a note to investors. “We are still cautious on Boeing until we get better visibility on the pace of improvement in air travel and when airlines will start to order aircraft again.”Turning now to the rest of the Wall Street, TipRanks data shows that overall analysts are cautiously optimistic on Boeing shares. The Moderate Buy consensus is based on 7 Buy ratings, 11 Hold ratings and 1 Sell rating. The $162.11 average price target implies 18% upside potential in the stock in the next 12 months. (See Boeing’s stock analysis on TipRanks).Related News: Ryanair Cuts Traffic Target By Almost 50% For Coming Year, Seeks To Reduce Boeing Plane Deliveries Boeing Gets No Orders in April, Customers Cancel 737 MAX Jets Colombian Carrier Avianca Files for Bankruptcy Protection Due to Coronavirus Woes More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * Aurinia Submits FDA New Drug Admission For Novel Voclosporin Kidney Treatment * China’s Tencent To Pour $70B Into ‘New Infrastructure’ Including AI * Australia’s New Century In Talks To Buy Vale’s Nickel, Cobalt Mine * New HBO Max Streaming Service Will Go Live on Wednesday