Month: August 2022

Release – QuoteMedia Announces 12 Percent Revenue Growth for Q2 2022

Posted on by Admin



QuoteMedia Announces 12 Percent Revenue Growth for Q2 2022

Research, News, and Market Data on QuoteMedia

August 22, 2022 16:33 ET |
Source: QuoteMedia, Inc.

PHOENIX, Aug. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — QuoteMedia, Inc. (OTCQB: QMCI), a leading provider of market data and financial applications, announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022.

QuoteMedia provides banks, brokerage firms, private equity firms, financial planners and sophisticated investors with a more economical, higher quality alternative source of stock market data and related research information. We compete with several larger legacy organizations and a modest community of other smaller companies. QuoteMedia provides comprehensive market data services, including streaming data feeds, on-demand request-based data (XML/JSON), web content solutions (financial content for website integration) and applications such as Quotestream Professional desktop and mobile.

Highlights for Q2 2022 include the following:

  • Quarterly revenue increased to $4,298,957 in Q2 2022 from $3,833,018 in 2021, an increase of $465,939 (12%).
  • Net loss for Q2 2022 was $163,080 compared to a loss of $79,625 in Q2 2021, an increase of $83,455.
  • Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 2022 was $508,376 compared to $311,780 in Q2 2021, an improvement of $196,596.

“This was another great quarter for QuoteMedia,” said Robert J. Thompson, Chairman of the Board. “We have entered into several large-scale enterprise agreements with high profile banks and brokerage firms and have made significant progress on the development and implementation of these projects. We expect to recognize substantial associated revenue as these extensive deployments launch in the coming months. We have also begun several exciting partnerships with other market data and content vendors which will see them integrating our products and proprietary data sets and providing them to their clientele. We continued to experience healthy revenue growth, and we anticipate the pace of this growth to increase in the second half of this year. We made some non-recurring accounting adjustments that negatively impacted our bottom line this quarter. We expect to report profitability in the upcoming quarters and beyond. Consistent with previous forecasts, we remain on track to achieve full year revenue growth in the 20% range. We are very pleased with our results to date, and we are excited for what the future holds.”

QuoteMedia will host a conference call Tuesday, August 23, 2022 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time to discuss the Q2 2022 financial results and provide a business update.

Conference Call Details:

Date: August 23, 2022

Time: 2:00 PM Eastern

Dial-in number: 800-267-6316

Conference ID: QUOTEMEDIA

An audio rebroadcast of the call will be available later at: www.quotemedia.com

About
QuoteMedia

QuoteMedia is a leading software developer and cloud-based syndicator of financial market information and streaming financial data solutions to media, corporations, online brokerages, and financial services companies. The Company licenses interactive stock research tools such as streaming real-time quotes, market research, news, charting, option chains, filings, corporate financials, insider reports, market indices, portfolio management systems, and data feeds. QuoteMedia provides industry leading market data solutions and financial services for companies such as the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, TMX Group (TSX Stock Exchange), Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE), London Stock Exchange Group, FIS, U.S. Bank, Broadridge Financial Systems, JPMorgan Chase, CI Financial, Canaccord Genuity Corp., Hilltop Securities, HD Vest, Stockhouse, TheStreet.com, Zacks Investment Research, The Motley Fool, General Electric, Boeing, Bombardier, Telus International, Business Wire, PR Newswire, FolioFN, Regal Securities, ChoiceTrade, Cetera Financial Group, Dynamic Trend, Inc., Qtrade Financial, CNW Group, IA Private Wealth, Ally Invest, Inc., Suncor, Virtual Brokers, Leede Jones Gable, Firstrade Securities, Charles Schwab, First Financial, Cirano, Equisolve, Stock-Trak, Mergent, Cision, Day Trade Dash and others. Quotestream®, QMod™ and Quotestream Connect™ are trademarks of QuoteMedia. For more information, please visit www.quotemedia.com.

Statements about QuoteMedia’s future expectations, including future revenue, earnings, and transactions, as well as all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. QuoteMedia intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that are identified from time to time in the Company’s SEC reports and filings and are subject to change at any time. QuoteMedia’s actual results and other corporate developments could differ materially from that which has been anticipated in such statements.

Below are the specific forward-looking statements included in this press release:

  • We continued to experience healthy revenue growth, and we anticipate even greater revenue growth in the second half of this year. Consistent with previous forecasts, we remain on track to achieve full year revenue growth in the 20% range.

QuoteMedia
Investor Relations
Brendan Hopkins
Email: 
investors@quotemedia.com
Call: (407) 645-5295

Note
1 on Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We believe that Adjusted EBITDA, as a non-GAAP pro forma financial measure, provides meaningful information to investors in terms of enhancing their understanding of our operating performance and results, as it allows investors to more easily compare our financial performance on a consistent basis compared to the prior year periods. This non-GAAP financial measure also corresponds with the way we expect investment analysts to evaluate and compare our results. Any non-GAAP pro forma financial measures should be considered only as supplements to, and not as substitutes for or in isolation from, or superior to, our other measures of financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP, such as net income attributable to QuoteMedia, Inc.

We define and calculate Adjusted EBITDA as net income attributable to QuoteMedia, Inc., plus: 1) depreciation and amortization, 2) stock compensation expense, 3) interest expense, 4) foreign exchange loss (or minus a foreign exchange gain), and 5) income tax expense. We disclose Adjusted EBITDA because we believe it is a useful metric by which to compare the performance of our business from period to period. We understand that measures similar to Adjusted EBITDA are broadly used by analysts, rating agencies, investors and financial institutions in assessing our performance. Accordingly, we believe that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors. The table below provides a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income attributable to QuoteMedia, Inc., the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

QuoteMedia,
Inc. Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation to Net Income

 

 

Three months ended June 30,

 

 

2022

 

2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss

 

$

(163,080

)

 

$

(79,625

)

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

512,639

 

 

 

403,078

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 

22,304

 

 

 

6,939

 

Interest expense

 

 

507

 

 

 

451

 

Foreign exchange loss (gain)

 

 

135,226

 

 

 

(19,880

)

Income tax expense

 

 

780

 

 

 

817

 

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

508,376

 

 

$

311,780

 

 


Release – Direct Digital Holdings Appoints Maria Vilchez Lowrey as Chief Growth Officer for Next Phase of Growth

Posted on by Admin



Direct Digital Holdings Appoints Maria Vilchez Lowrey as Chief Growth Officer for Next Phase of Growth

Research, News, and Market Data on Direct Digital Holdings

August 22, 2022 9:00am EDT

Proven Track-Record in Delivering Revenue
& Channel Development Results in the Energy Sector to Power Direct Digital
Holdings’ Business Development

HOUSTON, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT), a leading advertising and marketing technology platform and owner of operating companies Colossus SSP, Huddled Masses, and Orange 142, announced today that Maria Vilchez Lowrey has joined as Chief Growth Officer. In this newly created role, reporting to Chairman and CEO Mark Walker as a member of Direct Digital Holdings’ leadership team, Vilchez Lowrey is responsible for leading business development, channel development, and integrating the management of brand related activities across Direct Digital Holdings’ portfolio of brands.

 

Additionally, her appointment marks the professional reunion of Vilchez Lowrey with CEO Walker: they worked together earlier in their careers at NRG Energy, a leading Fortune 300 integrated power company. Vilchez Lowrey is an experienced sales leader with a proven 20-year record in creating business-to-consumer and business-to-business sales capabilities at scale within the Fortune 500.

“Few executives have the depth of experience and track-record to accelerate our business to the next level of growth – all while sharing our values and vision for the company,” said Walker. “Having worked together before, I can confidently say that Maria is a transformational executive leader, and I am certain that she will be instrumental in continuing Direct Digital Holdings’ fast-paced growth, setting us up for continued success.”

Vilchez Lowrey comes to Direct Digital Holdings from Just Energy, where she served as Senior Vice President of Direct Sales and Partnerships for Just Energy, Amigo Energy, Tara Energy, and Terrapass, its affiliate brands. There, she was responsible for diversifying the company’s direct sales channels by launching its first national retail partnership with one of the largest retailers in the world. Prior to that, she served in various key management positions across sales leadership, business development, operations, and project management at NRG Energy, Inc., primarily responsible for building new go-to-market sales channels and developing strategic partnerships with the most well-known brands in the country. Prior to NRG, Maria started her career in the steel industry as global supply chain transportation and procurement manager serving large multi-national consumer companies.

“Mark and his leadership team have built an impressive company, delivering on both the sell-and buy-sides of the advertising technology equation,” said Vilchez Lowrey. “The programmatic advertising and martech solutions that they bring to the marketplace are attracting top-tier and mid-market brands due to their high-levels of performance. I look forward to helping the group, its clients, and partners exceed market expectations.”

Vilchez Lowrey holds a B.S. in Management Information Systems from Texas A&M University.

An active member of the non-profit community, Lowrey serves as a board member for Homemade Hope and is an advisory council member for Houston Arts Alliance and Dress for Success Houston. Maria has been honored as Top 100 Diversity Leaders in Energy by the National Diversity Council in Feb 2021.

About Direct Digital
Holdings:

Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT), owner of operating companies Colossus SSP, Huddled Masses, and Orange 142, brings state-of-the-art sell- and buy-side advertising platforms together under one umbrella company. Direct Digital Holdings’ sell-side platform, Colossus SSP, offers advertisers of all sizes extensive reach within general market and multicultural media properties. The company’s subsidiaries Huddled Masses and Orange142 deliver significant ROI for middle market advertisers by providing data-optimized programmatic solutions at scale for businesses in sectors that range from energy to healthcare to travel to financial services. Direct Digital Holdings’ sell- and buy-side solutions manage approximately 90,000 clients monthly, generating over 100 billion impressions per month across display, CTV, in-app and other media channels. The company has been named a top minority-owned business by The Houston Business Journal.

Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/direct-digital-holdings-appoints-maria-vilchez-lowrey-as-chief-growth-officer-for-next-phase-of-growth-301609598.html

SOURCE Direct Digital Holdings

Released August 22, 2022

 


Mapping the Body’s Natural Regenerative Process

Posted on by Admin 



Image Credit: NIH


Tissue Model Reveals Key Players in Liver Regeneration

Anne Trafton | MIT News
Office

The human liver has amazing regeneration capabilities: Even if up to 70 percent of it is removed, the remaining tissue can regrow a full-sized liver within months.

Taking advantage of this regenerative capability could give doctors many more options for treating chronic liver disease. MIT engineers have now taken a step toward that goal, by creating a new liver tissue model that allows them to trace the steps involved in liver regeneration more precisely than has been possible before.

The new model can yield information that couldn’t be gleaned from studies of mice or other animals, whose biology is not identical to that of humans, says Sangeeta Bhatia, the leader of the research team.

“For years, people have been identifying different genes that seem to be involved in mouse liver regeneration, and some of them seem to be important in humans, but they have never managed to figure out all of the cues to make human liver cells proliferate,” says Bhatia, the John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and a member of MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science.

The new study, which appears this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has identified one molecule that appears to play a key role, and also yielded several other candidates that the researchers plan to explore further.

The lead author of the paper is Arnav Chhabra, a former MIT graduate student and postdoc.


Regeneration on a Chip

Most of the patients who need liver transplants suffer from chronic illnesses such as viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease, or cancer. However, if researchers had a reliable way to stimulate the liver to regenerate on its own, some transplants could be avoided, Bhatia says. Or, such stimulation might be used to help a donated liver grow after being transplanted.

From studies in mice, researchers have learned a great deal about some of the regeneration pathways that are activated after liver injury or illness. One key factor is the reciprocal relationship between hepatocytes (the main type of cell found in the liver) and endothelial cells, which line the blood vessels. Hepatocytes produce factors that help blood vessels develop, and endothelial cells generate growth factors that help hepatocytes proliferate.

Another contributor that researchers have identified is fluid flow in the blood vessels. In mice, an increase in blood flow can stimulate the endothelial cells to produce signals that promote regeneration.

To model all of these interactions, Bhatia’s lab teamed up with Christopher Chen, the William F. Warren Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University, who designs microfluidic devices with channels that mimic blood vessels. To create these models of “regeneration on a chip,” the researchers grew blood vessels along one of these microfluidic channels and then added multicellular spheroid aggregates derived from liver cells from human organ donors.

The chip is designed so that molecules such as growth factors can flow between the blood vessels and the liver spheroids. This setup also allows the researchers to easily knock out genes of interest in a specific cell type and then see how it affects the overall system.

Using this system, the researchers showed that increased fluid flow on its own did not stimulate hepatocytes to enter the cell division cycle. However, if they also delivered an inflammatory signal (the cytokine IL-1-beta), hepatocytes did enter the cell cycle.

When that happened, the researchers were able to measure what other factors were being produced. Some were expected based on earlier mouse studies, but others had not been seen before in human cells, including a molecule called prostaglandin E2 (PGE2).

The MIT team found high levels of this molecule, which is also involved in zebrafish regeneration, in their liver regeneration system. By knocking out the gene for PGE2 biosynthesis in endothelial cells, the researchers were able to show that those cells are the source of PGE2, and they also demonstrated that this molecule stimulates human liver cells to enter the cell cycle.


Human-Specific Pathways

The researchers now plan to further explore some of the other growth factors and molecules that are produced on their chip during liver regeneration.

“We can look at the proteins that are being produced and ask, what else on this list has the same pattern as the other molecules that stimulate cell division, but is novel?” Bhatia says. “We think we can use this to discover new human-specific pathways.”

In this study, the researchers focused on molecules that stimulate cells to enter cell division, but they now hope to follow the process further along and identify molecules needed to complete the cell cycle. They also hope to discover the signals that tell the liver when to stop regenerating.

Bhatia hopes that eventually researchers will be able to harness these molecules to help treat patients with liver failure. Another possibility is that doctors could use such factors as biomarkers to determine how likely it is that a patient’s liver will regrow on its own.

“Right now when patients come in with liver failure, you have to transplant them because you don’t know if they’re going to recover on their own. But if we knew who had a robust regenerative response, and if we just needed to stabilize them for a little while, we could spare those patients from transplant,” Bhatia says.

The research was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, Wellcome Leap, and the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship Program.

 

Reprinted with the permission  MIT News http://news.mit.edu/
Virtual Roadshow – August 23 Lineage Cell Therapeutics – Brian M. Culley, CEO

Join Lineage Cell Therapeutics CEO Brian M. Culley for this exclusive corporate presentation, followed by a Q & A session moderated by Robert LeBoyer, Noble’s senior research analyst, featuring questions taken from the audience. Registration is free and open to all investors, at any level

Register Now

Suggested Content



The Gene Therapy Space May be Blossoming

Covid-19 Vaccine and Healthcare Responsibility to Begin Falling on the Patient




Monkeypox Treatments and Vaccines are Creating Investor Opportunities

Is Biotech’s Outperformance Reaching a New Stage of Development?


Stay up to date. Follow us:

 

Release – Baudax Bio receives notice of allowance for U.S. Patent Application covering use of ANJESO® for the treatment of moderate to severe pain

Posted on by Admin



Baudax Bio receives notice of allowance for U.S. Patent Application covering use of ANJESO® for the treatment of moderate to severe pain

Research, News, and Market Data on Baudax Bio

August 22, 2022 8:00am EDT

MALVERN, Pa., Aug. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Baudax Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ:BXRX), a pharmaceutical company focused on therapeutics for acute care settings, announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) has provided a Notice of Allowance for patent application No. 16/297,095, titled “Methods of administering intravenous meloxicam in a bolus dose”, which includes claims covering the use of multiple doses of ANJESO® for the treatment of moderate to severe pain resulting in a reduction in summed pain intensity difference and also a reduction in the use of rescue analgesia 48 hours following the first dose. (the “’095 Application”). A Notice of Allowance is issued after the USPTO makes the determination that a patent should be granted from an application. A patent from the recently allowed application is expected to be issued in the coming months. Once issued, the ‘095 Application will be eligible for listing in the United States Food and Drug
Administration’s (FDA) Orange Book: Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic
Equivalence Evaluations as it relates to ANJESO®.

Once issued, the ‘095 Application will be the second ANJESO® patent to be listed in the Orange Book with an expiry date of March 2039. Upon issuance, the ‘095 application will join seven other patents listed in the Orange Book, amongst others owned or licensed by Baudax that currently provide exclusivity to the ANJESO
® franchise. The ‘095 Application emphasizes ANJESO’s
® potential to treat moderate to severe pain while potentially reducing the use of rescue analgesics.

“We are pleased by the progress we have made in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the continued recognition of the inventive nature of our ANJESO® franchise,” said Gerri Henwood, Baudax Bio’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “The ‘095 Application is expected to provide a significant barrier for generic entry and are expected to be joined by other patents currently pending in the USPTO.”

About ANJESO®

ANJESO® (meloxicam) injection is a proprietary, long-acting, preferential COX-2 inhibitor that possesses analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities, which are believed to be related to the inhibition of cyclooxygenase type 2 pathway (COX-2) and subsequent reduction in prostaglandin biosynthesis. ANJESO® is indicated for the management of moderate to severe pain, alone or in combination with other non-NSAID analgesics. As a non-opioid, Baudax Bio believes ANJESO® has the potential to overcome many of the issues associated with commonly prescribed opioid therapeutics, including respiratory depression, constipation, excessive nausea and vomiting, as well as having no addictive potential, while maintaining meaningful analgesic effects for relief of pain. ANJESO
® was designed using the NanoCrystal® platform, a technology that enables enhanced bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drug compounds. NanoCrystal® is a registered trademark of Alkermes Pharma Ireland Limited (APIL).

About Baudax Bio

Baudax Bio is a pharmaceutical company focused on innovative products for acute care settings. Baudax Bio markets ANJESO®, the first and only 24-hour, intravenous (IV) COX-2 preferential non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) for the management of moderate to severe pain. In addition to ANJESO®, the Company has a pipeline of other innovative pharmaceutical assets including two clinical-stage, novel neuromuscular blocking (NMBs) agents and a proprietary chemical reversal agent specific to these NMBs. For more information, please visit www.baudaxbio.com.

Forward-Looking
Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements reflect Baudax Bio’s expectations about its future performance and opportunities that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. When used herein, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “may,” “upcoming,” “plan,” “target,” “goal,” “intend,” and “expect,” and similar expressions, as they relate to Baudax Bio or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to Baudax Bio as of the date of publication on this internet site, including statements relating to Baudax Bio’s patent portfolio, and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause Baudax Bio’s performance to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to market, economic and other conditions, the ongoing economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baudax Bio’s ability to advance its current product candidate pipeline through pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, Baudax Bio’s ability to raise future financing for continued development of its product candidates such as BX1000, BX2000 and BX3000, Baudax Bio’s ability to pay its debt and satisfy conditions necessary to access future tranches of debt, Baudax Bio’s ability to comply with the financial and other covenants under its credit facility, Baudax Bio’s ability to manage costs and execute on its operational and budget plans, Baudax Bio’s ability to achieve its financial goals; Baudax Bio’s ability to maintain listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market; and Baudax Bio’s ability to obtain, maintain and successfully enforce adequate patent and other intellectual property protection. These forward-looking statements should be considered together with the risks and uncertainties that may affect Baudax Bio’s business and future results included in Baudax Bio’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to Baudax Bio, and Baudax Bio assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law.

CONTACT:

Investor Relations
Contact:

Argot Partners
Sam Martin / Kaela Ilami
(212) 600-1902
baudaxbio@argotpartners.com

Media Contact:

Argot Partners
David Rosen
(212) 600-1902
david.rosen@argotpartners.com


Primary Logo

Source: Baudax Bio, Inc.

Released August 22, 2022

 


Release – Alvopetro Announces 182-C1 Well Results

Posted on by Admin



Alvopetro Announces 182-C1 Well Results

Research, News, and Market Data on Alvopetro Energy

Aug 22, 2022

CALGARY, AB, Aug. 22, 2022 /CNW/ – Alvopetro Energy Ltd. (TSXV: ALV) (OTCQX: ALVOF) announces that we have suspended testing at the 182-C1 well on our 100% owned and operated Block 182 in the Recôncavo basin. During the testing operation we perforated the entire 25m of net pay section of the well on tubing conveyed perforations in an underbalanced condition. No formation flow was observed after the initial perforations. We injected 124 barrels (“bbls”) of 15% hydrochloric acid to remove possible near wellbore damage. We then removed the liquid from the wellbore with a jet lift operation using nitrogen and coil tubing. After recovering 231 bbls of the initial 303 bbls of brine and acid we discontinued operations, due to lack of progress in removing any further liquids. We have not recovered any hydrocarbons from the wellbore and will continue to monitor the wellbore pressure from surface, but expect to permanently abandon wellbore in the future.

The primary and secondary targets of the 182-C1 well were the Agua Grande and Sergi Formations, respectively. Based on open hole logs, the 182-C1 well encountered net pay in the Agua Grande Formation very close to the main bounding fault and the well crossed over the fault before encountering the secondary target in the Sergi Formation. We plan to drill a follow up well, 182-C2, to assess the Agua Grande reservoir quality and to target the Sergi Formation further east from the bounding fault. We expect to spud the 182-C2 well later in August.

Corporate Presentation

Alvopetro’s updated corporate presentation is available on our website at:http://www.alvopetro.com/corporate-presentation. 

Social MediaFollow Alvopetro on our social media channels at the following links:

Twitter – https://twitter.com/AlvopetroEnergyInstagram – 
https://www.instagram.com/alvopetro/LinkedIn – 
https://www.linkedin.com/company/alvopetro-energy-ltdYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgDn_igrQgdlj-maR6fWB0w

Alvopetro Energy Ltd.’s vision is to become a
leading independent upstream and midstream operator in Brazil. Our
strategy is to unlock the on-shore natural gas potential in the state of Bahia
in Brazil,
building off the development of our Caburé natural gas field and our strategic
midstream infrastructure.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements and Cautionary Language. This
news release contains “forward-looking information” within the
meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words
“will”, “expect”, “intend” and other similar
words or expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information.
Forward?looking
statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as
guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be
accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number
of factors could cause actual results to vary significantly from the
expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements reflect current assumptions and expectations regarding future events.
Accordingly, when relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions,
Alvopetro cautions readers not to place undue reliance on these statements, as
forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties. More
particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking
information concerning exploration and development prospects of Alvopetro and
the expected timing of certain of Alvopetro’s operational activities. The
forward?looking
statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by
Alvopetro, including but not limited to expectations and assumptions concerning
testing results, equipment availability, the timing of regulatory licenses and
approvals, the success of future drilling, completion, testing, recompletion
and development activities, the outlook for commodity markets and ability to
access capital markets, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the performance of
producing wells and reservoirs, well development and operating performance, foreign
exchange rates, general economic and business conditions, weather and access to
drilling locations, the availability and cost of labour and services,
environmental regulation, including regulation relating to hydraulic fracturing
and stimulation, the ability to monetize hydrocarbons discovered, the
regulatory and legal environment and other risks associated with oil and gas
operations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of
such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation,
may prove to be incorrect. Actual results achieved during the forecast period
will vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known
and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. Although Alvopetro
believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking
information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the
forward-looking information because Alvopetro can give no assurance that it
will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of
factors is not exhaustive. Additional information on factors that could affect
the operations or financial results of Alvopetro are included in our annual
information form which may be accessed on Alvopetro’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.
The forward-looking information contained in this news release is made as of
the date hereof and Alvopetro undertakes no obligation to update publicly or
revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Alvopetro Energy Ltd.

 


Release – Avivagen Announces New Dairy Customer in Mexico

Posted on by Admin



Avivagen Announces New Dairy Customer in Mexico

Research, News, and Market Data on Avivagen

  • Family-owned dairy business with established reputation for high-quality products turning to OxC-betaTM to support quality of milk
  • Order procured through Meyenberg International, Avivagen’s Mexican distribution partner

Ottawa, ON /Business Wire/ August 19, 2022 /– Avivagen Inc.  (TSXV:VIV, OTCQB:VIVXF) (“Avivagen”), a life sciences corporation focused on developing and commercializing products for livestock, companion animal and human applications that safely enhances feed intake and supports immune function, thereby supporting general health and performance, is pleased to announce it has secured a promising new customer in the Mexican dairy industry.  The agreement will see the customer order 220 kg/month of OxC-betaTM over a three-month period, beginning in September 2022.

“This new agreement represents the continued expansion of OxC-beta™ use within the dairy industry, a key growth market for Avivagen due to its size and positive economics,” said Kym Anthony, Chief Executive Officer, Avivagen Inc. “Mexico remains an important geographic region for us. We are excited about the potential for this first dairy order in the country to lead to others in this vital industry.”

The new customer, based in the Jalisco State region of Mexico, is a thirty-year old, family-owned business with a history of supplying high quality dairy products. The order follows a thorough assessment by the customer of numerous trials previously conducted in Mexico with OxC-beta™, resulting in higher quality milk and yields across a range of important metrics.

About Avivagen
Avivagen is a life sciences corporation focused on developing and commercializing products for livestock, companion animal and human applications that, by safely supporting immune function, promote general health and performance.  It is a public corporation traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol VIV and is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, based in partnership facilities of the National Research Council of Canada. For more information, visit www.avivagen.com. The contents of the website are expressly not incorporated by reference in this press release.

About OxC-beta™ Technology and OxC-beta™ Livestock
Avivagen’s OxC-beta™ technology is derived from Avivagen discoveries about ?-carotene and other carotenoids, compounds that give certain fruits and vegetables their bright colours. Through support of immune function the technology provides a non-antibiotic means of promoting health and growth. OxC-beta™ Livestock is a proprietary product shown to be an effective and economic alternative to the antibiotics commonly added to livestock feeds. The product is currently available for sale in the United States, Philippines, Mexico, Taiwan, New Zealand, Thailand, Brazil, Australia, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Avivagen’s OxC-beta™ Livestock product is safe, effective and could fulfill the global mandate to remove all in-feed antibiotics as growth promoters. Numerous international livestock trials with poultry and swine using OxC-beta™ Livestock have proven that the product performs as well as, and, sometimes, in some aspects, better than in-feed antibiotics.

 

Forward Looking Statements
This
news release includes certain forward-looking statements that are based upon
the current expectations of management. Forward-looking statements involve
risks and uncertainties associated with the business of Avivagen Inc. and the
environment in which the business operates. Any statements contained herein
that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be
forward-looking, including those identified by the expressions “aim”,
“anticipate”, “appear”, “believe”, “consider”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”,
“if”, “intend”, “goal”, “hope”, “likely”, “may”, “plan”, “possibly”,
“potentially”, “pursue”, “seem”, “should”, “whether”, “will”, “would” and
similar expressions.

Statements set out in this news release relating to the future
growth and prospects for Avivagen, the potential for additional orders for
Avivagen’s products, future shipments and the possibility for OxC-beta™
Livestock to replace antibiotics in livestock feeds as growth promoters are
forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a
number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to
differ materially from current expectations. For instance, Avivagen’s products
may not gain market acceptance or regulatory approval in new jurisdictions or
for new applications and may not be widely accepted as a replacement for
antibiotics as growth promoters in livestock feeds due to many factors, many of
which are outside of Avivagen’s control.  Orders may be cancelled for many
reasons outside of Avivagen’s control.   Readers are referred to the
risk factors associated with the business of Avivagen set out in Avivagen’s most
recent management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition available at www.SEDAR.com. Except as required by law, Avivagen
assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update
the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the
forward-looking statements.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information:

Avivagen Inc.

Drew Basek
Director of Investor Relations
100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0R6 Phone: 416-540-0733
E-mail: 
d.basek@avivagen.com

Kym Anthony
Chief Executive Officer
100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0R6 Head Office Phone: 613-949-8164

Website: 
www.avivagen.com
Copyright © 2022 Avivagen Inc. OxC-beta™ is a trademark of Avivagen Inc.

 


Release – Aurania Announces Marketing Services Agreement

Posted on by Admin



Aurania Announces Marketing Services Agreement

Research, News, and Market Data on Aurania Resources

Toronto, Ontario, August 18,
2022 – Aurania Resources Ltd. (TSXV: ARU; OTCQB: AUIAF; Frankfurt: 20Q)
(“Aurania” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce an agreement with SRC Swiss Resource Capital AG of Herisau, Switzerland, (“SRC”) to provide investor relations services to the Company, subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange (the “TSX-V”).

SRC will provide investor relations services to increase exposure to and awareness of Aurania within the German-speaking financial community (“IR Services”), including, but not be limited to:

?          Translate information and press releases into German

?          Disseminate information and news about Aurania to existing and potential shareholders        through SRC’s own website and press agency and through other websites and media

?          Write and disseminate articles and editorials about Aurania

?          Respond directly to shareholder and interested party inquiries

?          Cause videos, pictures, and footage provided by Aurania to be broadcast on the Commodity-TV and Rohstoff-TV television channels

?          Publish audio-visual information about Aurania on YouTube and other social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

The agreement with SRC has a term of approximately five months, for which they will be paid a fee of 5,000 CHF over a period of five months with any additional services for roadshows or events incurring separate fees on a case-by-case basis. The Company will also grant SRC 35,000 stock options with each stock option exercisable into one common share of the Company at a price of $0.84 CAD, vesting in quarters with ¼ vesting on the date of grant, ¼ vesting six months from the date of grant, ¼ vesting at the one-year anniversary from the date of grant, and ¼ vesting at the two-year anniversary from the date of grant. The options will expire on August 18, 2027.  SRC currently has beneficial ownership over approximately 100,000 common shares of the Company.

About Aurania

Aurania is a mineral exploration company engaged in the identification, evaluation, acquisition and exploration of mineral property interests, with a focus on precious metals and copper in South America.  Its flagship asset, The Lost Cities – Cutucu Project, is located in the Jurassic Metallogenic Belt in the eastern foothills of the Andes mountain range of southeastern Ecuador.

Information on Aurania and technical reports are available at www.aurania.com and www.sedar.com, as well as on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/auranialtd/, Twitter at  https://twitter.com/auranialtd, and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurania-resources-ltd-.

For further information, please contact:

Carolyn Muir

VP Investor Relations

Aurania Resources Ltd.

(416) 367-3200

carolyn.muir@aurania.com

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information as such term is defined in applicable securities laws, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management’s current expectations and assumptions. The forward-looking information includes statements about: Investor Relations Activities (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) to be performed by SRC and the anticipated approval of the TSX-V for said activities, Aurania’s objectives, goals or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the corporation’s portfolio, treasury, management team and enhanced capital markets profile, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to Aurania, including the assumption that, there will be no material adverse change in metal prices, all necessary consents, licenses, permits and approvals will be obtained, including various local government licenses and the market. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking information include, among other things, a failure to obtain or delays in obtaining the required regulatory licenses, permits, approvals and consents, an inability to access financing as needed, a general economic downturn, a volatile stock price, labour strikes, political unrest, changes in the mining regulatory regime governing Aurania, a failure to comply with environmental regulations and a weakening of market and industry reliance on precious metals and copper. Aurania cautions the reader that the above list of risk factors is not exhaustive.

 


U.S. Carbon Capture Funding and Incentives Investors Know About

Posted on by Admin 

Image Credit: Alberta Newsroom (Flickr)


Biden Signs Inflation Reduction Act: Its Climate Promise Relies Heavily on Carbon Capture, Meaning Thousands of Miles of Pipeline

President Joe Biden signed a sweeping climate, energy and health care bill on Aug. 16, 2022, that contains about US$370 billion to foster clean energy development and combat climate change, constituting the largest federal climate investment in history.

Several studies project that its climate and energy provisions could enable the United States to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by around 40% below 2005 levels by 2030. That would be a significant improvement over the current projections of around 27%, and it could put the U.S. within hailing range of its pledge under the Paris Agreement to reduce emissions by at least 50% by 2030.

Notably, one linchpin of the new climate provisions is a set of incentives to substantially expand technologies that capture carbon dioxide and either store it underground or ship it for reuse.

So far, the uptake of carbon capture technologies has been slow. The costs are high, and these technologies can require miles of pipeline and vast amounts of underground storage, both of which can trigger local backlash. A recent study projected that the U.S. would have to construct 65,000 miles of carbon dioxide pipelines to achieve net-zero emissions in 2050, a whopping 13 times the current capacity.

This article was republished with permission from The Conversation, a news
site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by and
represents the research-based opinions of Wil Burns Professor of Research in Environmental Policy,
American University School of International Service.

I’m the former founding co-director of the Institute for Carbon Removal Law &  Policy at American University. While the new law, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, has many provisions designed to jump-start the carbon removal sector, it’s far from certain that the industry will be able to move quickly.

One-Sixth of all Emissions Cuts

The Inflation Reduction Act includes two primary types of carbon capture.

Carbon capture and storage entails capturing carbon dioxide generated during power generation and industrial processes, such as steel and concrete production, and transporting it for storage or use. The most common use to date has been for enhanced oil recovery – injecting the gas into oil and gas reservoirs to extract more fossil fuels.

It also seeks to drive deployment of direct air capture technologies, which can pull carbon dioxide out of the air.

A Princeton University analysis estimated that pertinent provisions of the legislation “would increase the use of carbon capture 13-fold by 2030 relative to current policy,” with only a modest amount projected to come from carbon dioxide removal. This could translate into about one-sixth to one-fifth of its projected carbon dioxide emissions reductions.

Consistent with most of its other energy and climate provisions, the Inflation Reduction Act seeks to drive widespread deployment of carbon removal technologies through incentives. Most importantly, it substantially amends a provision of the U.S. tax code
referred to as 45Q, which is designed to drive corporate investments in carbon
capture.

Under its provisions, tax credits for capturing carbon dioxide at industrial facilities and power plants would increase from $50 per ton today to up to $85 per ton if the carbon is stored. If the carbon is used instead for oil drilling, the credit would go from $30 today to $60 per ton.

Credits for capturing carbon from air via direct air capture would also dramatically jump, from $50 to $180 per ton if the carbon dioxide is stored, and from $35 currently to $130 per ton if it is used.

The new law also moves back the deadline for starting construction of carbon capture facilities that qualify from 2026 to 2033, reduce the minimum capture requirements for obtaining credits, and permit direct payments for the full value of credits for the first five years of a project’s operation in lieu of tax credits.

 

Missing Pieces

Currently there are only a dozen carbon capture and storage facilities in the U.S. and a couple of direct air capture facilities removing a small amount of carbon from the air.

There’s a reason the uptake of carbon capture, particularly direct air capture, has been slow. Direct air capture cost estimates vary from $250 to $600 per ton, according to one analysis, while experts have estimated that a price under $100 and closer to $50 could create a market.

Some experts believe that the Inflation Reduction Act sufficiently ratchets up 45Q credits to start driving widespread construction of carbon capture and storage facilities in the power and industrial sectors. Others believe that the direct pay provision is “the fundamental missing piece” for carbon capture and storage because project developers and sponsors can avoid the often onerous and costly process of raising tax equity to qualify to use the credits.

There’s hope that the increase in credit values for direct air capture will help to foster “synthetic economics” for this nascent market, infusing sufficient capital to develop technologies at scales that are profitable.

Pipeline Challenges Ahead

However, while the Inflation Reduction Act may appear helpful on a theoretical basis, both carbon capture and storage and direct air capture could face some serious headwinds over the course of the next decade and beyond.

One major challenge could be resistance to the construction of pipelines to transport carbon dioxide to storage sites. In recent years, counties and private landowners in Iowa have voiced opposition to such projects, particularly the idea that the state might allow pipeline builders to seize private land for their projects.

Pipeline construction is also a point of contention for environmental groups, especially environmental justice organizations, and could lead to protracted litigation. This stems in part from a carbon dioxide pipeline rupture in Satartia, Mississippi, in 2020, which hospitalized 45 people.

If public opposition delays construction, projects could be pushed past the window for the incentives, leaving developers with expensive projects. While some studies argue that enhanced oil recovery results in a net reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, this may ultimately be a hard political sell for local communities.

The Inflation Reduction Act may ultimately brighten the prospects for carbon removal in America, but this is by no means assured, especially in the optimistic time frame of the next decade.


Suggested Content



Issues Driving ESG Investing

Will Small Cap Stocks Outperform in 2022?





The More Impactful Fed Moves May Not Make Headline News

Has the Bear Market Left a Permanent Mark on Indexed Investments?

Stay up to date. Follow us:

 

The Gene Therapy Space May be Blossoming

Posted on by Admin 



Image Credit: The Focal Project (Flickr)


Sixteen Years After the Human Genome Project Completion, Regenerative Medicine May Hit its Stride

Bluebird Bio’s performance this past week shows what the power of FDA approval can do when a biotech company gets the green light. Not only did investors enjoy a 51.7% increase in the gene therapy company’s stock price, but patients can now overcome a severe genetic disease. Gene therapies and regenerative medicine are now beginning to blossom, 16 years after the last human chromosome was mapped, completing the human genome project. Quite a few specialized biotech companies have been started within the past 16 years, and many have a product pipeline in various stages of FDA approval. Below is information on Bluebird and two other public companies involved in genetic medicine that you may want to pay attention to.


Source: Koyfin


Bluebird Bio (BLUE)

Bluebird Bio’s blood disorder gene therapy was approved a few days earlier than anticipated. The approval of Zynteglo is exciting for those whose lives will be changed by the gene therapy, investors that have had confidence in the surrounding science, and of course, everyone working at Bluebird bio. Congratulations.

A downside to the FDA approval is that the therapy for betibeglogene autotemcel (beti-cel), will initially cost $2.8 million for those receiving it. More positively, the pediatric and adult patients that will benefit have been requiring ongoing red blood cell transfusions. Zynteglo is a one-time gene therapy, so those afflicted can receive transfusion independence.


Lineage Cell Therapeutics (LCTX)

Lineage Cell Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech company developing new cellular therapies for degenerative retinal diseases, neurological conditions associated with demyelination, and helping the body fight cancer. At the company’s core are two proprietary technology platforms: cell replacement and cell and drug delivery. Its cell replacement platform creates new cells and tissues with its pluripotent and progenitor cell technologies. The company’s cell and drug delivery programs are based upon its proprietary HyStem cell and drug delivery matrix technology.

There is no better way for any investor to develop an understanding of a biotech company in the regenerative medicine or gene therapy space than to have its products and pipeline explained to them by the CEO. Channelchek and Noble Capital Markets have arranged for an online interactive roadshow (bring your questions) for interested investors to attend. This will be held on Tuesday (August 23). More information is available here.


Miromatrix (MIRO)

Miromatrix is a company that may one day eliminate waitlists for organ transplants. The company claims to lead the development of bioengineered organs for transplantation with over 118 issued patents worldwide. The technology is able to be applied across many of needs. Specifically, they are currently focused on creating transplantable kidneys (MiroKidney) and livers (MiroLiver) with expectations to also bioengineer other critical organs like lungs, pancreas, and heart.

The decellularization technology is supported through pre-clinical and animal studies that the FDA cleared in previously commercialized matrix products. The company’s bioengineered organs have the potential to eliminate ongoing therapies and prolong life. They also are expected to reduce costs across many areas of the healthcare system. 


Take Away

The FDA approval of Zynteglo for Bluebird Bio and the stock performance was a reminder this week of the potential for companies in the regenerative medicine space to make a difference. It has been 16 years since the human genome project was completed. Many of these companies were started shortly after; perhaps their research and development are about to pay off.

Explore more companies like BLUE, LCTX, and MIRO by registering for Channelchek and exploring under the “COMPANY Data” tab.

Paul Hoffman

Managing Editor, Channelchek
Virtual Roadshow – August 23 Lineage Cell Therapeutics – Brian M. Culley, CEO

Join Lineage Cell Therapeutics CEO Brian M. Culley for this exclusive corporate presentation, followed by a Q & A session moderated by Robert LeBoyer, Noble’s senior research analyst, featuring questions taken from the audience. Registration is free and open to all investors, at any level

Register Now

Suggested Content



Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cells – Vision for the Future

Preventing the Immune System from Rejecting Gene Therapy




Pros and Cons of FDA Funded in Part by Companies

Cells that Can be Produced from Stem Cells


Source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Genome_Project#History

https://www.zynteglo.com/

Stay up to date. Follow us:

 

Stem Holdings, Inc. (STMH) – Terminating Research Coverage

Posted on by Admin

Friday, August 19, 2022

Stem Holdings, Inc. (STMH)
Terminating Research Coverage

Stem is a multi-state, vertically integrated, cannabis company that, through its subsidiaries and its investments, is engaged in the cultivation, processing, packaging, distribution and branding of cannabis, hemp and their derivatives, including oils, edibles, concentrates. Additionally, the Company purchases, improves, leases, operates, and invests in properties for use in the production, distribution and sales of cannabis and cannabis-infused products licensed under the laws of the states of Oregon, Nevada, California, Massachusetts, and New York. As of December 31, 2021, Stem had ownership interests in 24 state-issued cannabis licenses including nine (9) licenses for cannabis cultivation, three (3) licenses for cannabis processing, two (2) licenses for cannabis wholesale distribution, three (3) licenses for hemp production and seven (7) cannabis dispensary licenses.

Joe Gomes, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Joshua Zoepfel, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Termination of Research Coverage. We are terminating research coverage of Stem Holdings, Inc. due to a reallocation of resources. Effective upon termination of coverage, investors should no longer rely on any of our prior research, financial estimates, or ratings for the Company.

…

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

MustGrow Biologics Corp. (MGROF) – Extending an Agreement

Posted on by Admin

Friday, August 19, 2022

MustGrow Biologics Corp. (MGROF)
Extending an Agreement

Joe Gomes, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Joshua Zoepfel, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Sumitomo Extension. MustGrow announced Wednesday that the Company has extended the option with Sumitomo for exclusive testing with MustGrow’s technology on potatoes and bananas in North, Central, and South America. The Company did not disclose the length of the extension.

Positive Results. During Sumitomo’s use of MustGrow’s mustard-based products for preplant soil fumigation, bioherbicide, and postharvest and food preservation, Sumitomo’s efforts have shown positive levels of efficacy in comparison to certain synthetic chemical standards. With the extension, Sumitomo will to continue to drive all field development, along with regulatory and market assessment work for commercialization. We believe this to be a testament to the safeness and efficacy of MustGrow’s technology and believe this to be a step forward towards seeing top-line revenue….

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

What Quality Equity Research and Dating Apps Have in Common

Posted on by Admin 



Image Credit: Jill Hoffman-Cuyar


Why Investors and Public Companies Rely on Company-Sponsored Research

Would you meet with someone from a dating app if they did not provide a clear photo?

Regardless of how fulfilling the future may have become with the person or how great they may or may not look, statistically, we know, without a clear picture,  the person is going to get passed over by all except for the greatest risk takers.

It’s easy to understand why even the least appealing dating site profiles with a clear image will attract more interest than the profile without a clear and updated picture. Similarly, product reviews on Amazon serve the seller. If there are two similar products, one with average reviews and another with no review, consumers are more likely to take a shot at the one with more available information – especially third-party reviews – even if the item has a higher price.

Small, lesser-known stocks also need a clear picture to attract broad attention. The broader the attention, the more potential suitors. This is why companies without a  clear picture or without an experienced third-party analysis cause investors to quickly “swipe left.” 

A stock with low third-party analysis available doesn’t serve the company well and is frustrating to investors with positions they may not be getting a fair valuation or adequate liquidity on.


Company Research

Equity research and analysis of a company from analysts known for their experience, industry knowledge, and integrity, provide a picture for investors. As mentioned earlier, without a picture, far less attention is paid. Companies with updated research will increase the number of investors looking at their stock because investors will feel they have more insight and understanding.

Company research is different than company information. Publicly traded companies are required to provide quarterly information to the public. This includes most categories of small-cap stocks and microcaps that are traded over-the-counter (OTC) and trading on a regulated exchange. These SEC-required reports provide a basis for investors to look back on company-provided data. When this financial data is compared to historical trends, weighed against industry growth and ratios, then subjected to “what-if” scenarios, the information derived becomes analysis.

To be deemed research, the analysis is put under a spotlight along with evaluating the strength of management, intangible assets such as patents, market positioning, and a variety of other considerations.


Importance for Smaller Companies

Awareness of the investment opportunities smaller companies represent is typically low. The stocks just aren’t talked about in mainstream financial news. For this reason, companies with a low market capitalization can benefit from any quality research published on their companies, their products, and their economic prospects. This is because any publication which provides a heightened understanding of a company may create interest that leads to added liquidity and aids the market’s price discovery of the stocks’ best valuation.


A Relatively New Gap to Fill

In the past, small and micro-cap companies have benefited from coverage at research departments of broker/dealers that had the capacity to provide investor research. The motivation for these research departments to provide in-depth expensive research was often to act as a door opener for other lines of financial business (quid-pro-quo). While this introduced some risk of compromised integrity, the practice of those that sell stocks (sell-side) providing analysis was common.

What could go wrong with investors relying on research from the company that sells the stock that is researched? Everyone involved in the markets in 2002 or who has read up on market history knows the Enron story. Enron was highly rated by sell-side analysts right up until the week the company collapsed. The event suddenly brought the sell-side research “conflict of interest” to the front pages. 

The New York Times reported: “Lawmakers investigating the collapse of Enron turned their attention to Wall Street today, criticizing financial analysts for continuing to urge investors to buy Enron stock even as the company headed toward bankruptcy. Several members of Congress suggested that Wall Street firms’ hunger for investment banking business and other conflicts kept them from leveling with investors.” (NYT 2/27/02) 

The Wall Street Journal echoed The Time’s sentiment: “Some financial firms have said they felt obliged to participate in the partnerships in order to remain in the running for underwriting assignments from Enron.” (WSJ 2/8/02) “Complimentary” broker/dealer research of smaller companies pose a similar risk, however, when problems occur for investors, they are unlikely to get the attention of large news outlets.

So complimentary research and analysis ran the risk of being partial. And only when a big company failed did the media and lawmakers take notice. This began to open the door to research that was subscribed to and paid for directly by investors. Larger investors that could afford it might still review sell-side research, but the research they paid for was less likely to have an undeserved positive bias. 

Reduced Research Available

For small and microcap companies, both the sell-side research and the paid-for research began to get much less interest as investors changed their focus. 

One overshadowing reason complimentary small company coverage dropped off and quality paid for research became less sought after by investors is that index fund popularity increased. That is, the popularity of investment funds that are managed with the objective of providing returns mimicking a stock index was being advertised as the ideal way to gain diversified exposure to “the market.”  These indexed Mutual Funds (MF) and Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) provide close tracking of an equity index largely by owning the companies within the index. Individual stock selection became less common. This reduced research coverage has shut out companies and particularly hurt those not in a major index. As important, it lessened the number of stock pickers, as many money managers and self-directed investors instead became index pickers. 

From the point of view of investors reviewing stocks and looking to get involved with “the next big thing,”  there was less information to go by. Arguably worse, there were and are still many companies, some of which literally have life-saving products, that aren’t getting the capital flows they would have to manage their needs.


Company-Sponsored Research

Needs have a way of being filled in an open economy. Active research is still highly needed by those that transact in the microcap and small-cap sectors. And top-tier research coverage is still crucial for small public companies looking to expand their visibility among investors trying to unearth and understand companies. With fewer sell-side firms covering stocks, and subscription based-research attracting fewer subscribers, an evolution took place in how institution-quality research is provided.

Filling the gap left by the large bulge bracket broker/dealers and niche subscription services is what has, over the past few years, become the preferred model of equity research and analysis. Company-sponsored research (CSR) sprang from the need for small companies to again provide a clear picture to investors. 

This new model borrowed heavily from the well-established bond market services where firms like Moody’s and S&P provide research and credit analysis on public company debt. CSR providers were able to hire the very best analysts released by the big sell-side shops, and in some cases, subscription-based services converted to the CSR model. The institutional quality research is now compensated by the company that knows it will benefit from an unbiased evaluation from respected analysts. This new practice eliminates the past conflict of interest of investment analysts that may have experienced pressure to err on the side of a favorable outlook to help smooth the way to additional higher-paying services from the client.

A few of the research firms providing company-sponsored research to companies have taken an additional measure. These firms are requiring their analysts to pass FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) qualifying exams in order to become registered securities professionals. The exam(s) and ongoing continuing education required to maintain the professional registrations, ensure a high level of understanding, further promotes ethical behavior, and provide for punishment, including loss of career, if some guidelines are not adhered to.

This new standard in who provides research and who it is available to clearly benefits the professional investor who may have always had access. But some firms providing company-sponsored research now make it available to all investors of any size. This was most often not the case as sell-side broker/dealers often only allowed timely access to their buy-side customers, and subscription services were too pricey for small investors. 

The largest CSR provider in the U.S. and Canada today is the research provided by analysts at Noble Capital Markets on a no-cost investor platform Channelchek and various subscription platforms used by institutional investors.


Take Away

Investing goes through regular incarnations and reinventions. The use of technology has provided an environment where passive investing gained in popularity. Just as other trends in investing have fallen out of favor, disruption or innovation will one day turn the tide toward another trend. Fortunately, some of the research activities that have been dropped by the sell-side broker/dealers, effectively decreasing resources to their customers, have been replaced with company-sponsored research. This evolution is growing in appreciation by both those raising capital and those investing assets.

Investors in companies covered by CSR have the benefit of an additional pair of trained eyes on companies they own, the companies benefit from not being overlooked from lack of coverage, and the world benefits as companies that will provide tomorrow’s life-saving drug, mining discovery, medical apparatus, storage innovation, or anything else may now better rely on being able to tap into capital and liquidity.

Paul Hoffman

Managing Editor, Channelchek

Suggested Content



Has the Bear Market Left a Permanent Mark on Indexed Investments?

Why Researching Investment Ideas is Important




Is Quantitative Tightening Impacting the Economy on the QT?

Should Investors Listen to Influencers?


Sources:

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/19/passive-investing-now-controls-nearly-half-the-us-stock-market.html

https://www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jones/201909182571/index-funds-are-the-new-kings-of-wall-street

https://channelchek.com/about

Stay up to date. Follow us:

 

Comstock Inc. (LODE) – Reaching a Critical Stage

Posted on by Admin

Friday, August 19, 2022

Comstock Inc. (LODE)
Reaching a Critical Stage

Comstock (NYSE: LODE) innovates technologies that contribute to global decarbonization and circularity by efficiently converting under-utilized natural resources into renewable fuels and electrification products that contribute to balancing global uses and emissions of carbon. The Company intends to achieve exponential growth and extraordinary financial, natural, and social gains by building, owning, and operating a fleet of advanced carbon neutral extraction and refining facilities, by selling an array of complimentary process solutions and related services, and by licensing selected technologies to qualified strategic partners. To learn more, please visit www.comstock.inc.

Mark Reichman, Senior Research Analyst, Natural Resources, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Accelerated path to commercialization. Comstock Inc. is marketing its cellulosic ethanol production technology to existing first-generation corn ethanol facilities for upgrades to and construction of co-located commercial scale cellulosic ethanol production facilities to convert forestry waste and other forms of lignocellulosic biomass into cellulosic ethanol at improved yield and cost when compared to corn. Ethanol, made from corn starch from kernels is currently the most significant biofuel in the United States. Comstock’s first bio-intermediate is a purified form of cellulosic sugar which may be used as a chemically identical “drop-in” feedstock in corn ethanol facilities to produce about eighty gallons of advanced cellulosic ethanol per dry ton of woody biomass.

Economics expected to drive interest. Based on current market conditions and prices, Comstock estimates that a 100-million-gallon corn ethanol producer that upgrades its facility to produce an additional twenty million gallons of cellulosic ethanol could increase revenue by more than 30%. This is based on incentives available under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s renewable fuels standards program which assigns renewable identification numbers (RINs) to each gallon of renewable fuel produced or imported into the United States, along with incentives provided by states like California that have enacted low carbon fuels standards….

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.