(Bloomberg) — Blackouts that hit millions of Californians in 2019 could be doubly calamitous this year with tech giants Google, Twitter Inc. and Facebook Inc. among the many companies keeping offices closed until the fall or later in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic.If utilities cut power again, home offices set up during the pandemic could go dark and stay dark for days, and they’ll have no corporate offices to flee to for power. In October 2019, more than 3 million people were affected by a series of rolling blackouts over more than a week as PG&E Corp. and Edison International tried to prevent live wires from sparking wildfires.Call it a collision of crises. Blackouts could limit California’s push to revive an economy largely paralyzed by stay-at-home orders this spring. The state, utilities and individual companies are all seeking ways to deal with blackouts before a wildfire season forecast to be worse than normal. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., for one, has “long contemplated this type of scenario,” according to spokesman Adam Bauer.The San Jose-based tech company is building in geographic redundancies, he said, with “the ability to shift work among distributed teams to maintain service to our customers and partners.”Neither Google, Twitter nor Facebook would comment on their plans. The state’s utilities and government officials, though, have said they’re working to minimize the threat.California regulators last month adopted new shutoff rules that will require the companies to restore electricity within 24 hours after the weather clears, although the state’s wind storms can last several days. PG&E, the state’s largest utility, has set its own goal of 12 daylight hours after the winds ease, and has nearly doubled the number of helicopters it will use to look for downed lines.Troublesome SignsStill, there are troublesome signs leading into this year’s wildfire season. A year ago at this time, the state was drought free. Now, almost 50% of California is gripped by drought, with the driest areas occurring across the northern part of the state, according to a June 2 assessment by the U.S. Drought Monitor.The result: an “above normal significant large fire potential,” according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. Already this year, more than 6,600 acres have been burned in the state. Small blazes are already cropping up on an almost daily basisAt the same time, the coronavirus has killed more than 4,900 people in California, forcing companies to allow employees to work at home, closing schools and restricting travel.“The reality is Mother Nature hasn’t changed her mind with respect to wildfires because of covid,” said Don Daigler, director of business resiliency for Edison’s Southern California Edison utility. “We still face the same fire risk as communities as we did last year.”Sheltered in Place“We’re going to have people sheltered in place and without power,” said Carl Guardino, chief executive officer of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group lobbying organization, which represents many of the region’s biggest companies.Guardino’s own home lost electricity for 5 days last year, he said. He ended up moving his family into a hotel. he said. Now, though, even that solution is unlikely given the coronavirus shutdowns.To be sure, many Californians have already turned to back-up power generators. Generac Holdings Inc. saw its sales in the state surge 300%, its chief executive officer told Bloomberg a month after the blackouts. And this spring, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group successfully lobbied state officials to let solar installers return to work months before many other businesses opened.But solar panels with a battery to store the power, can cost $30,000 to buy the hardware for a robust home system and have it installed, so it’s not for everyone.Utility ViewThe utilities, whose use of intentional blackouts last year provoked fierce criticism, are aware of the issue. But they don’t want the number of people working from home to affect their decision to shut off power, if weather conditions demand it.Those conditions — high winds, hot temperatures, low humidity and dry vegetation — should still be the determining factors, the utilities say.“The approach we take is different, but the calculus really hasn’t changed,” Edison’s Daigler said. Instead, they’re trying to reduce the need for shutoffs, and ensure that when they occur they are smaller and shorter than last year’s.“We want to reduce the impact of public safety power shutoffs on customers whether they are working from home or not,” said Matt Pender, director of the community wildfire safety program at PG&E.Forced Into BankruptcyPG&E, which was forced into bankruptcy last year after its equipment sparked deadly fires, is installing switches and other devices to isolate power cuts, making them more targeted than last year’s mass blackouts. The company has also secured mobile diesel generators that can be located at as many as 48 substations.Both PG&E and Edison are also hardening their field equipment, running some lines underground and installing stronger poles. Edison, for example, is installing 600 miles of power lines with coating that prevents sparks when touched by tree branches.PG&E estimates these steps should cut the number of customers affected in each potential blackout by one-third.Pop-Up CentersBoth companies are also planning to open more pop-up community resource centers during blackouts to allow for more social distancing between people who show up to cool down and charge phones and other devices.They’ll send vans equipped with charging stations into darkened neighborhoods to help customers who don’t go to the centers, potentially a large number of people at a time when gathering with strangers brings risks.Some county governments, along with the city of San Jose, asked state utility regulators in April to impose new rules on the shutoff program. The commission, though, said the final decision should stay with the utilities.“Based on these rules and standards, it is appropriate for the utilities to have the final say over shutting down power and for the CPUC to hold them accountable,” spokeswoman Terrie Prosper said.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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The coronavirus has certainly wreaked the most economic havoc, in absolute terms at least, of any plague we’ve ever faced, certainly in modern times.

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If you believe in the future of the global movement towards electric-powered vehicles, Nio (NYSE:NIO) is a company that should be on your radar. As an investor, you'll find that Nio stock is easily affordable and the company has strong growth potential.Source: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com Don't get me wrong: there is always risk involved if you're investing in a start-up company. That being said, it's undeniable that the electric-vehicle market is disrupting the automotive industry as we know it. And as a business enterprise, Nio is still in the first innings of the game.It is true that the novel-coronavirus crisis took a serious toll on the global automotive market. But that actually provided an opportunity to accumulate shares of Nio stock while panic was setting in. Today, the data suggests that the fears were overstated. The electric-vehicle market is here to stay, and so is Nio.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Nio Stock at a GlanceA look back at the historical price action shows that Nio stock has been above $10 not just onec, but twice. The shares first broke above that level in 2018. Then, the buyers pushed Nio shares above $10 again in 2019. * 7 Great Biotech Stocks to Buy and Hold Now The stock could easily have breached that level again in the first half of 2020, but the novel coronavirus crash delayed any prospects of a sustained breakout. What the buyers needed to see was a sign of hope that the electric-vehicle market would recover.Thankfully, there was data to provide encouragement to struggling Nio stockholders, which we'll talk about in just a moment. And now the trend is clearly to the upside, with a real possibility of Nio shares attaining all-time high prices before the year is over. Marking an Inflection PointWhile the global pandemic dented the electric-vehicle market, and the automotive market generally, this shouldn't dissuade anyone considering an investment today. We can't expect the transition from gasoline- and diesel-powered cars to electric vehicles to be perfectly smooth.Despite the bumps in the road, the outlook for the electric-vehicle industry looks bright. Bernstein analyst Mark Newman estimates that the production of electric vehicles will achieve a range between 1.3 million and 1.5 million, depending on this year's market conditions.Moreover, research conducted by Cairn Energy Research Advisors suggests that electric-vehicle sales will surge in 2021. This pickup in sales will likely be driven, at least in part, by various nations' initiatives encouraging people to buy battery-powered automobiles.According to Cairn's estimates, the global sales of electric vehicles next year will increase by 36%. Not only that, but for the very first time, electric-vehicle sales in 2021 will exceed 3 million vehicles.Sam Jaffe, the managing director of Cairn Energy Research Advisors, even seemed to suggest that next year will be a watershed year for the electric-vehicle market: "There's pent-up demand for electric vehicles … We will see a combination of factors make 2021 an inflection point for the sale of electric vehicles." An Outstanding Month for NioAll of the foregoing should benefit Nio's business, of course. But there's also company-specific data that should boost the spirits of any current or prospective Nio shareholder.In the month of May, Nio delivered 3,436 vehicles. That represents astounding year-over-year growth of 215.5%. It's also a record for Nio in terms of monthly vehicle deliveries.In addition, Nio projects an "all-time high in quarterly deliveries" for the second quarter. The company expects up to 158% quarter-on-quarter growth, which would translate to roughly 10,000 cars.In other words, as far as Nio's vehicle sales are concerned, the speed bumps are in the rearview mirror now. The Final Word on Nio StockThe coronavirus slowed down the electric-vehicle industry, but couldn't stop it permanently. Nio is part of this fast-emerging industry, and Nio stockholders can hold their shares in anticipation of a steadily improving market.Louis Navellier had an unconventional start, as a grad student who accidentally built a market-beating stock system — with returns rivaling even Warren Buffett. In his latest feat, Louis discovered the "Master Key" to profiting from the biggest tech revolution of this (or any) generation. Louis Navellier may hold some of the aforementioned securities in one or more of his newsletters. More From InvestorPlace * Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG * Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * The 1 Stock All Retirees Must Own * Look What America's Richest Family Is Investing in Now The post Nio's Resurgence Highlights the Emerging Global Electric-Vehicle Market appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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Investors who take an interest in Cerecor Inc. (NASDAQ:CERC) should definitely note that the CEO, President…

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AstraZeneca (AZN) has agreed to supply up to 400 million doses of the University of Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine, AZD1222, to Europe’s Inclusive Vaccines Alliance (IVA), with deliveries starting by the end of 2020.Total manufacturing capacity for AZD1222 now stands at two billion doses, says AZN.Spearheaded by Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, the IVA says it aims to accelerate the supply of the vaccine and to make it available to other European countries that wish to participate in the initiative.At the same time, UK-based AstraZeneca continues to build several global supply chains, including for Europe. “The company is seeking to expand manufacturing capacity further and is open to collaborating with other companies in order to meet its commitment to support access to the vaccine at no profit during the pandemic” AZN states.Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca, commented: “With our European supply chain due to begin production soon, we hope to make the vaccine available widely and rapidly.”Indeed, the company recently entered similar agreements with the UK, US, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and Gavi the Vaccine Alliance for 700 million doses. It has also agreed a license with the Serum Institute of India for the supply of an additional one billion doses for low and middle-income countries.Oxford University last month announced the start of a Phase II/III UK trial of AZD1222 in about 10,000 adult volunteers. Other late-stage trials are due to begin in a number of countries. AstraZeneca recognizes that the vaccine may not work but is nonetheless progressing the clinical program with speed and scaling up manufacturing at risk.AZD1222 uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack COVID-19 if it later infects the body.Shares in AstraZeneca are up 3% year-to-date, and analysts are, on average, predicting that 20% further upside potential lies ahead. This comes with a Strong Buy consensus based on 4 recent buy ratings. (See AstraZeneca stock analysis on TipRanks).Related News: Oxford Biomedica Clinches Manufacturing Deal For AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 Vaccine 5 Promising Covid-19 Vaccines Picked For Trump’s Operation Warp Speed What Would a Merger Mean for Gilead? Top Analyst Weighs In More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * Medtronic Succeeds In Critical US Trial For New Insulin Pump * American Express Scores China Go-Ahead In Milestone Moment * Sorrento Edges Higher On Debt Repayment As Top Analyst Says Buy * Activist Investor Jana Partners Builds 5.9% Stake in Perspecta; Stock Jumps 9% In Pre-Market

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Shares in Sorrento Therapeutics (SRNE) edged 5% higher in Friday’s after-hours trading, after the company announced that it has now prepaid in full its outstanding term loans on June 12, 2020.The debt, comprised of an initial $100 million term loan and an additional $20 million term loan from funds affiliated with Oaktree Capital Management, L.P, was entered into in November 2018.The news follows the biopharma’s filing of a prospectus supplement dated April 27 for a public offering of up to $250 million of its common stock. Shares are being sold via Alliance Global Partners, alongside a 36-month purchase agreement with Arnaki Ltd, a British Virgin Islands corporation for up to $250 million.At the same time, Sorrento exited an equity distribution agreement, dated October 1, 2019 with JMP Securities LLC relating to shares worth up to $75 million. During the term of the agreement, the company ultimately raised $7.4 million.Shares in Sorrento are currently trading up 37% on a year-to-date basis, and analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus on the stock’s outlook. The $24 average analyst price target indicates significant upside potential from current levels. (See SRNE stock analysis on TipRanks).Sorrento recently disclosed that in preclinical trials, the company’s monoclonal antibody (MaB), STI-4938, code named COVIDTRAP, inhibited SARS-CoV-2 viral infection in vitro.Sorrento also has another antibody in development, STI-1499 (COVI-SHIELD), which recently demonstrated promising in vitro results as it was able to completely block the SARS-CoV-2 virus.While it is still early on for both antibodies, H.C. Wainwright analyst Ram Selvaraju is encouraged by the positive results. “We continue to believe that Sorrento may be positioning itself as a leader in addressing the pandemic, with multiple potential therapeutic approaches in its pipeline alongside the COVI-TRACK IVD antibody test,” the analyst said.Indeed, its COVI-TRACK in vitro diagnostic test kit enables the independent detection of antibodies in patients exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In eight minutes or less SRNE says its test reveals whether someone has been exposed to or potentially had coronavirus, and subsequently created antibodies to combat the infection.Related News: 5 Promising Covid-19 Vaccines Picked For Trump’s Operation Warp Speed What Would a Merger Mean for Gilead? Top Analyst Weighs In Sorrento Soars 17% In Pre-Market On Covid-19 Test Application More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * AstraZeneca Inks Europe Deal For 400M Covid-19 Vaccine Doses * Boeing (BA) Stock Probably Rallied Too Far, Too Fast * Latam Airlines' Shares Could Be Heading Further South; Top Analyst Says 'Sell' * Starbucks’ (SBUX) Road to Recovery Will Take Longer Than Anticipated, Says Analyst

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From a fundamental perspective, I have not been a big fan of Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:INO). However, INO stock has continued to sport very solid technicals.Source: Ascannio / Shutterstock.com I have long believed that combining the two studies can yield superior results. When a stock has excellent fundamentals and excellent technicals, it can be a potent recipe for a higher stock price.Inovio may not have the fundamentals that we want, but it's chart sure looks good. Let's look at this one from a trading perspective first.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Trading INO Stock Click to EnlargeSource: Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com This stock erupted in March, bursting from $4 to almost $20 in just a few days. After pulling back and settling in, it was clear that $9.50 was resistance for INO stock. * 7 Great Biotech Stocks to Buy and Hold Now While the stock struggled to break out over this mark, it continued to put in a series of higher lows, riding uptrend support higher (blue line). In mid-April, shares finally broke through, rallying to $16 — what is now current resistance — before pulling back.This part is important, because on that pullback, shares found support at prior resistance near $9.50. That's a key bullish development that has continued to play out.With the 50-day moving average and uptrend support still buoying INO stock, investors can stay long this name so long as that observation remains true. If Inovio can reclaim its 20-day moving average, it puts $16 resistance back in play. On a move over $16, the 52-week high up at $19.36 is possible.This will be key for bulls, too. Should INO stock break below the 50-day moving average and close below the month's current low at $11.13, it puts the $9.50 level back in play. Below $9.50 and a larger decline could be in store for the stock.Like I said, if we back out the fundamentals for a minute and focus solely on the technicals, this one looks pretty good. For now, the dips are being bought and bulls remain in control. Valuing Inovio StockMy biggest problem with Inovio is the fundamentals. For a trade, I don't mind discarding the fundamentals and only focusing on the technicals. However, for an investment, I need the fundamentals to work. In that sense, it depends on how you're looking to utilize INO stock.If it's an investment you're after, Inovio may not be your top candidate.The company has essentially no revenue at the moment. While it did have $30.4 million and $42.2 million in sales in 2018 and 2017, respectively, it has virtually none now, with just $4.1 million generated in 2019.The lack of revenue hardly matters though, with Inovio doling out a net loss in each of those years. In 2019, it lost almost $120 million. In this situation, it should go without saying that INO stock also does not generate positive free cash flow.So forget a minute about actual growth, and realize that this company barely has any revenue at all, and thus, does not generate positive cash flow or profit.After boosting its cash position, INO stock does have about $270 million in cash and short-term investments, which will certainly buy it some time. Particularly as it only has current liabilities of $32.3 million and as total assets outweigh total liabilities $338.9 million to $151 million.That said, if we are investing in a company for its balance sheet strength, we'll take Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) or Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL, NASDAQ:GOOG) over INO stock.At the end of the day, Inovio is a play on the novel coronavirus. If it cracks the code on finding the cure, the stock will explode. If it doesn't, the stock could very well go right back to where it started from. That's too binary of a situation for me and therefore, Inovio only remains a trade candidate.Bret Kenwell is the manager and author of Future Blue Chips and is on Twitter @BretKenwell. As of this writing, Bret Kenwell is long GOOGL. More From InvestorPlace * Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG * Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * The 1 Stock All Retirees Must Own * Look What America's Richest Family Is Investing in Now The post Inovio Stock Still Has Strong Technicals – Herea€™s the Trade appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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I'm not flying until this pandemic is over. Are you? If you aren't, then why are you buying airline stocks?Source: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com That's the thought that ran through my head the week of June 8, as Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) stock dropped one-third of its value, from $36.97 per share to $27.20, in four trading sessions.There was little change in the fundamentals. Investors knew revenues for the second quarter might be down 90% from a year earlier. They should have suspected that some rearrangement of its debt would be necessary to avoid default, assuming the pandemic goes into 2021.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsBut with trillions of dollars in Federal Reserve funny money around, anything is possible. Shares bounced back off the lows in pre-market trading June 12, opening at nearly $30 each. An Unhealthy RallyFor those who believe in fundamentals, this is a tough market to invest in. What works has been bid to the skies. What doesn't work has followed it.DAL stock doesn't work right now. * 7 Great Biotech Stocks to Buy and Hold Now Without the virus, the June 12 price is super cheap. Delta is selling at just five times last year's earnings of $5.39 per share. The market capitalization of $20 billion is just 42% of last year's revenue.But there is the virus. Passenger volumes are down 90%. Operating expenses will be down only 50%.In normal times Delta's long-term debt of $17.9 billion, including $5.2 billion in capitalized leases, would not be a problem. But the novel coronavirus is real, and it's going to be around for a while.Delta shares began rising in early April after it agreed to take $5.4 billion in aid under the CARES Act. That was $3.8 billion in cash and a $1.6 billion loan that came with a warrant to buy 1% of its common at $24.39 per share. At the time, CEO Ed Bastian said the money would prevent furloughs and pay reductions through the end of September.But wake me up when September ends. Passengers aren't rushing back. Employees face a hard choice between taking voluntary severance now or being laid off in October. Demand did pick up slightly in June, reducing cash burn from $100 million per day to about $40 million.That may not be enough. Even a burn rate of $40 million per day, over the third quarter, comes to a loss of $3.6 billion. That burn will continue into fall unless tough action is taken. The Final BailoutThere is a final bailout available to all airlines. Delta took it in 2005.It's called bankruptcy. Shareholders are wiped out, loans are written down, routes are dropped. The Delta that emerged in 2007 was different from the one that went into bankruptcy. During bankruptcy, Delta rejected a buyout from U.S. Airways, now part of American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL).It eventually bought Northwest for $2.6 billion. That looks to have been a bargain. Today's airline is a global giant.But it's a giant that may need to go bankrupt again in 2021 if it's to see 2022. The Bottom Line on DAL StockThe CARES Act bailout did DAL stock no favors.If the airlines were bankrupt right now, Delta would be in position to do more than just delay $300 million in payments. It could threaten to walk away entirely.It's the threat of going out of business that forces creditors and employees to create a viable reorganization. The harder today's negotiations, the more likely future shareholders will prosper. Between its purchase of Northwest and the pandemic, Delta stock rose 500%. It also delivered six years of dividends that rose from 6 cents per share to 40 cents.To get those gains tomorrow, today's shareholders would have to be sacrificed. But it would be the right bailout to take.Dana Blankenhorn has been a financial and technology journalist since 1978. He is the author of the environmental thriller Bridget O'Flynn and the Bear, available at the Amazon Kindle store. Follow him on Twitter at @danablankenhorn. As of this writing, he owned no shares in companies mentioned in this story. More From InvestorPlace * Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG * Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * The 1 Stock All Retirees Must Own * Look What America's Richest Family Is Investing in Now The post Bankruptcy Is the Best Bailout for Delta Stock appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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