Anne Zimmerman, Co-Chair Small Business for America’s Future, joins Yahoo Finance to discuss, the future outlook for small businesses amid COVID-19.

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Before we spend countless hours researching a company, we like to analyze what insiders, hedge funds and billionaire investors think of the stock first. This is a necessary first step in our investment process because our research has shown that the elite investors' consensus returns have been exceptional. In the following paragraphs, we find out […]

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Dexamethasone, a cheap and widely used steroid, has become the first drug shown to be able to save lives among COVID-19 patients in what scientists hailed as a “major breakthrough”. Results of trials announced on Tuesday showed dexamethasone, which is used to reduce inflammation in other diseases, reduced death rates by around a third among the most severely ill COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital. The results suggest the drug should immediately become standard care in patients with severe cases of the pandemic disease, said the researchers who led the trials.

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The treatment, also known as abemaciclib, is approved to treat certain forms of breast cancer but not prevent cancer from recurring, and analysts estimate the data could add billions to its sales. About 30% of patients with a common subtype of early breast cancer that the drug targets are at a high-risk of their cancer returning, despite progress in the treatment. “Assuming 40%-50% penetration into this high risk population translates to an about $2 billion incremental market opportunity,” J.P. Morgan analyst Chris Schott said in a note to clients.

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Penny stocks, they divide market watchers like no other. Some investors steer clear of these tickers going for less than $5 apiece, as poor fundamentals or overwhelming headwinds could be keeping them down in the dumps.On the other hand, penny stocks lure the more risk-tolerant. Not only does the bargain price tag mean you get more bang for your buck, but also even minor share price appreciation can yield huge percentage gains. The implication? Major returns for investors.Based on the above, weeding out the long-term underperformers from the penny stocks going for gold can pose a significant challenge. In this case, the activity of legendary stock pickers can provide some inspiration.Among these Wall Street titans is Ken Griffin. The guru, who began trading from his dorm room at Harvard University, went on to found hedge fund Citadel in 1990, with Griffin serving as CEO. Given that the fund now manages over $33 billion in capital, it’s no wonder investor focus locks in on Citadel when moves are made.Currently, “we're in the moving business. So unless we think there's a very clear reason as to why an asset we own is going to appreciate soon, that's just not where we're going to be. And we drove our business away from balance-sheet intensive businesses to – in a sense – all skill-based businesses,” Griffin commented.Taking all of this into consideration, we used TipRanks’ database to find out what the analyst community has to say about three penny stocks that Griffin's fund snapped up recently. It turns out that the analyst consensus has rated each a “Strong Buy." Not to mention substantial upside potential is also on the table.Millendo Therapeutics (MLND)Primarily focused on developing new treatments for endocrine diseases, Millendo Therapeutics wants to address the significant unmet medical needs of patients. At $2.07, its share price could reflect the ideal entry point given everything the company has going for it.Pulling the trigger for the first time, Griffen joined MLND’s growing list of fans. Recently, Citadel bought up 374,653 shares, with the value of this new holding coming in at just under $2 million.Also singing the healthcare name’s praises is Roth Capital analyst Yasmeen Rahimi. At the beginning of May, MLND announced that it expects to have interim data in Q3 2020 from currently enrolled patients in the Phase 2b study evaluating nevanimibe (ATR-101), its ACAT1 inhibitor, in classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), which was halted due to COVID-19. This development is especially exciting for the 5-star analyst as she believes success in this indication is very likely.Currently, the only approved treatment option for patients with CAH are glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid replacement therapies, but these can lead to overtreatment and growth retardation. “Thus, in our view, there remains an urgent need for interventions that can alleviate the serious health risks associated with cortisol deficiency and excessive androgen levels in CAH,” Rahimi said.MLND tackles the condition from a different angle as “nevanimibe's mechanism of action (MOA) utilizes an elegant approach to CAH treatment by working upstream of these pathways and reducing the available reservoir of cholesterol esters, which are used in the synthesis of steroid hormones.” This allows for the suppression of excess steroid production as well as a more selective MOA.Expounding on this, Rahimi noted, “In our view, nevanimibe’s selectivity gives it a major advantage in specifically reducing steroid synthesis in the adrenal cortex, which targets the root cause of CAH… Nevanimibe’s strength lies in its potential to offer an adrenal-targeted approach that can allow patients to better balance their control of excess androgen secretion with the required glucocorticoid replacement therapy.”With data from nevanimibe’s Phase 2a trial demonstrating strong levels of both efficacy and safety, the deal is sealed for Rahimi. To this end, the top analyst rates MLND a Buy along with a $6 price target. This target implies shares could climb 190% higher in the next twelve months. (To watch Rahimi’s track record, click here) Looking at the consensus breakdown, most other analysts are on the same page. With 3 Buys and 1 Hold, the word on the Street is that MLND is a Strong Buy. The $5.25 average price target puts the upside potential at 153%. (See MLND stock analysis on TipRanks)MEI Pharma (MEIP)Hoping to build a top oncology franchise, MEI Pharma boasts a strong development pipeline that includes four compelling drug candidates. Currently going for $3.49 apiece, the share price could present investors with the chance to get in on the action.Not wanting to miss out on an opportunity, Citadel added a new MEIP holding to the fund. Griffin’s fund acquired 1,055,185 shares, with the value of the purchase landing at $1.7 million.Turning now to the analyst community, Wells Fargo’s Jim Birchenough is also optimistic about MEIP’s long-term growth prospects. The 5-star analyst explains that a recent ASCO KOL investor event related to its lead candidate, ME-401, strengthened his bullish thesis.“We continue to view ME-401 as a best-in-class PI3Kδ inhibitor with superior safety and tolerability driving long-term dosing resulting in improved outcomes. We remain confident that the pivotal TIDAL follicular lymphoma (FL) trial will be positive and support product approval in 2021. The recent global alliance with Kyowa Kirin will accelerate development beyond 3rd line-plus FL into earlier stage disease and more broadly into other lymphomas in 2021,” Birchenough commented.Looking at the trial’s design, it utilizes a 60mg once per day dose for two 28-day cycles, which is then followed by a 7-days on 21 days off intermittent dosing schema. This design is important as the intermittent dosing “mitigates against the risk for early discontinuation due to immune-related toxicity secondary to on-target inhibition of regulatory T cell function.” Additionally, should an 83% response rate be achieved, “both duration of disease and progression free survival will be superior to those for approved PI3K inhibitors, ZYDELIG, ALIQOPA and COPIKTRA.”It should be noted that FL has a complicated treatment landscape. However, based on efficacy data for ME-401±rituximab, Birchenough argues that the therapy could be a second-line chemo-free option that’s more easily tolerated.In line with his bullish take, Birchenough reiterated an Overweight call and $13 price target. Should the target be met, a twelve-month gain of 272% could be in store. (To watch Birchenough’s track record, click here) Like Birchenough, other analysts also take a bullish approach. MEIP’s Strong Buy consensus rating breaks down into only Buys, 5, in fact. Given the $11.40 average price target, the upside potential lands at 204%. (See MEIP stock analysis on TipRanks)Kezar Life Sciences Inc. (KZR)Last but not least we have Kezar Life Sciences, which develops treatments for patients with autoimmune diseases and cancer. With encouraging new data supporting its most advanced asset, KZR-616, some think that its $4.96 share price looks like a steal.This appears to be the stance taken by Griffin. Boosting its KZR holding by a whopping 1,338%, Citadel snapped up 859,760 shares. Now at 924,034 shares, the fund’s total stake in the company is valued at over $4 million.Weighing in for H.C. Wainwright, 5-star analyst Raghuram Selvaraju says the recently published interim data from the Phase 1b part of the MISSION trial testing KZR-616 is incredibly promising. Pointing out this readout is most likely one of several data sets from interim analyses, he notes that “improvements were seen across seven measures of disease activity, and two out of two patients with lupus nephritis (LN) experienced a >50% reduction in proteinuria, a biomarker of disease severity.” On top of this, the candidate exhibited a robust safety and tolerability profile at the step-up dose, which could solve the tolerability issues produced by a higher dose.Digging a bit deeper into the results, as of the data cutoff on May 4, the trial had 39 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients enrolled across five dose cohorts evaluating 45mg and step-up dosing to 60mg weekly for 13 weeks. Out of the patients that finished treatment in cohorts 2a and 2b, a majority saw all seven measures of disease activity improve.Selvaraju added, “Improvement in disease activity persisted following completion of treatment, pointing to sustained impact with KZR-616. We are hopeful that this could prove a harbinger of disease-modifying potential.”Even though COVID-19 has led to significant slowdowns and forced the company to fully pause some of its three KZR-616 studies, the situation may be improving soon, in Selvaraju’s opinion. KZR is still able to conduct trials at private clinics, and it already implemented an in-home nursing solution.It should come as no surprise, then, that Selvaraju stayed with the bulls. In addition to keeping a Buy rating on the stock, the analyst bumped up the price target to $12. This new target suggests shares could soar 148% in the next year. (To watch Selvaraju’s track record, click here)All in all, other analysts echo Selvaraju’s sentiment. 4 Buys and no Holds or Sells add up to a Strong Buy consensus rating. Based on the $15 average price target, which is more aggressive than Selvaraju’s, a twelve-month gain of 210% could be in the cards. (See KZR's stock-price forecast on TipRanks)To find good ideas for penny 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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We at Insider Monkey have gone over 821 13F filings that hedge funds and prominent investors are required to file by the SEC The 13F filings show the funds' and investors' portfolio positions as of March 31st, near the height of the coronavirus market crash. In this article, we look at what those funds think […]

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(Bloomberg) — The Trump administration is preparing a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure proposal as part of its push to spur the world’s largest economy back to life, according to people familiar with the plan.A preliminary version being prepared by the Department of Transportation would reserve most of the money for traditional infrastructure work, like roads and bridges, but would also set aside funds for 5G wireless infrastructure and rural broadband, the people said.President Donald Trump is scheduled to discuss rural broadband access at a White House event on Thursday.An existing U.S. infrastructure funding law is up for renewal by Sept. 30, and the administration sees that as a possible vehicle to push through a broader package, the people said. They asked not to be identified because the Trump proposal isn’t final and hasn’t been announced.The news buoyed U.S. stock futures early Tuesday, including for companies that may benefit from a burst of new public spending. Fluor Corp. surged 11% before regular U.S. trading, while Vulcan Materials Co. climbed 8.3%.The draft plan is emerging as lawmakers from both parties and Trump debate the timing and scope of more stimulus for a U.S. economy plunged into recession by nationwide lock-downs needed to halt the spread of coronavirus. It’s the latest sign of momentum in Washington for some kind of infrastructure spending blitz ahead of the election.House Democrats have offered their own $500 billion proposal to renew infrastructure funding over five years. It’s unclear how long the administration’s draft would authorize spending or how it would pay for the programs.Trump is pushing to rev up the U.S. economy — which four months ago was the centerpiece of his argument for a second term — as he trails Democrat Joe Biden in most national polls. The White House has explored ways to shift the next round of federal virus aid from personal financial support to growth-fostering initiatives, such as infrastructure spending.The White House declined to comment specifically on the administration’s plans.“Since he took office, President Trump has been serious about a bipartisan infrastructure package that rebuilds our crumbling roads and bridges, invests in future industries, and promotes permitting efficiency,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement.Trump has periodically called for more spending on infrastructure, including during his 2016 presidential campaign. In March, as the pandemic tightened its grip on the U.S., he urged as much as $2 trillion in new investment in U.S. roads, bridges and tunnels.That echoed his push two years ago for Congress to dedicate $1.5 trillion toward new infrastructure investment. But hopes for federal legislation ended in May 2019 after Democrats said Trump walked out of a meeting on a $2 trillion plan and vowed not to work with them unless they stopped investigating him and his administration.Lawmakers who attended a closed-door meeting with the president in February 2018 said he told them he’d support a 25-cent per-gallon increase in gas taxes, but Trump never publicly endorsed it. The idea drew opposition from Republicans who don’t want to raise taxes and Democrats worried about the impact on low-income populations.It’s possible that the infrastructure measures currently being drafted could be rolled into the next round of pandemic relief. The House passed $3 trillion in additional stimulus in May, but the Republican-led Senate spurned that bill and will instead weigh its options next month.The Democratic bill to reauthorize the current infrastructure program was unveiled this month. It includes investments in roads and bridges, funding to make certain projects more resilient to climate change, and funding for public transit and Amtrak, among other priorities. The House Transportation committee is set to take up the measure on Wednesday.The existing surface transportation authorization law, known as the FAST Act, authorizes $305 billion over five years and expires on Sept. 30. Lawmakers will either extend it or come up with a long-term replacement. It’s not yet clear how closely the administration’s plan will align with the Democrats’ proposal — or with what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell might do.Infrastructure spending has long held appeal for lawmakers as a way to spur growth, and the pandemic is renewing calls to fast-track roads and other projects. Mary C. Daly, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, called for public-works spending on infrastructure, including projects that could help low-income people.“We need to focus on investments that leverage the talent of everyone and contribute to the economy’s long-term growth prospects,” Daly said in a speech Monday. She cited health, education and digital infrastructure, such as internet access.One major question facing lawmakers will be how to pay for the measures, a hurdle that has stopped previous moves on infrastructure. Increasing the federal gas tax to support a massive round of new spending is unlikely though, as Trump cheers low gas prices and calls for other measures, including a payroll tax cut, to put cash in Americans’ pockets as the country copes with fallout from the virus.Congress has shown little concern about the more than $2 trillion allocated to curb the pandemic’s economic damage, though some conservatives have begun to urge Trump to turn off the taps. But interest rates are near zero, making additional government spending more palatable, Daly said.“Now is an especially good time to take on this type of debt,” Daly said. “Even before the crisis, we were in an environment of low interest rates – and that is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. This makes public spending relatively cheap and easy to finance.”(Updates with futures trading in fifth paragraph)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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Shares in iQIYI Inc. (IQ) jumped 35% in pre-market trading amid a report that China’s online gaming company Tencent Holdings Ltd. (TCEHY) is seeking to become the largest shareholder in the video streaming company.The stock leaped to $25.78 after Reuters reported that Tencent approached iQIYI’s 56.2% owner Baidu Inc. (BIDU) to buy a stake of as-yet undetermined size. Shares in Baidu rose 7.2% to $125.25 in early trading.According to the report, Tencent wants to cut costs and counter competition in a sector boosted by stay-at-home coronavirus policies.“A tie-up would improve their bargaining power when producing and purchasing content, and lower marketing costs that would otherwise be spent on grabbing users from each other,” according to a person quoted in the Reuters report.Plans are at an early stage and subject to change. The potential deal would bring together two of China’s biggest media networks, with each boasting over 110 million paid subscribers at March-end.Nasdaq-listed iQIYI has a market capitalisation of $14 billion and shareholder voting power is 92.7% controlled by Baidu. Both Tencent and iQIYI have seen content expenses grow as they compete with each other as well as operators of user-generated video sharing sites such as Bilibili Inc (BILI) and Bytedance, owner of TikTok.Taken together, China's online video market is set for 2020 revenue of 156.6 billion yuan ($22.1 billion).Tencent shares have advanced 18% so far this year as stay-at-home orders boosted demand for its online gaming products. The stock was little changed at $56.83 at the close on Monday.Five-star analyst Jason Helfstein at Oppenheimer who has a Buy rating on the company with a $58 price target believes that Tencent will continue to take market share due to innovation.“There is still ample runway for its burgeoning advertising business with the largest online audience in China,” Helfstein wrote in a note to investors. “We see great potential in the company’s new initiatives: mini programs, cloud, and video. The success of any of these would add significant value to the company’s overall ecosystem.”Indeed, all six analysts covering Tencent stock are bullish on its outlook, giving it a firm Strong Buy consensus. Meanwhile the $60.50 average analyst price target indicates 6% upside potential from current levels. (See Tencent Holdings stock analysis on TipRanks).Related News: Google Mulling Purchase of Stake in Indian Vodafone Idea Google Faces Arizona Lawsuit Over ‘Unfair’ Location Data Storing Microsoft Seeks $2B Stake In India’s Jio Platforms- Report More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * First Horizon, IberiaBank Get U.S. Regulatory Nod For Merger * IBM Snaps Up Spanugo Cybersecurity Provider Lifting Shares In Pre-Market * Acadia Files Nuplazid Label Expansion; Analyst Sees 'Significant' Potential * Honeywell Forms Unmanned Aerial Systems Unit For Drones Market

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Norwegian Air and SAS are adding more flights to their schedules from July onwards as demand begins to recover following the COVID-19 pandemic, the two Nordic carriers said on Tuesday. SAS will use 40 of its aircraft in July, up from 30 in June, as it adds flights from the Nordics to Spain, Italy and Portugal among others. “As restrictions and inbound travel rules are relaxed, we are seeing a rise in demand for travel,” SAS said in a statement.

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In this article we will take a look at whether hedge funds think Chaparral Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CHAP) is a good investment right now. We check hedge fund and billionaire investor sentiment before delving into hours of research. Hedge funds spend millions of dollars on Ivy League graduates, unconventional data sources, expert networks, and get tips […]

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