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☆ The Fed could lay the groundwork for a year end rally in the week ahead
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The coming week is also the busiest of the corporate earnings season, with about a third of the S & P 500 companies releasing results. "Historically, the market waits for the last Fed rate hike to be introduced and then the market climbs higher. The S & P 500 was up more than 8.8% for the month. The Dow was up 5.7% on the week, the S & P 500 was up 5.7% and the Nasdaq was up 2.2%. The 50-day moving average is 3,841 for the S & P 500, and it was well above it Friday afternoon for the second time in the past week.

☆ EU regulator recommends adding heavy periods to side effects of mRNA COVID shots
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A medical worker holds a vial of the "Comirnaty" Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination center in Nice, France, December 1, 2021. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File PhotoOct 28 (Reuters) - A European Medicines Agency (EMA) committee on Friday recommended adding heavy menstrual bleeding to the list of side effect of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna (MRNA.O), as well as Pfizer (PFE.N) and its partner BioNTech (22UAy.DE). The regulator has now concluded that there is at least a "reasonable possibility" that heavy menstrual bleeding is causally associated with these vaccines. Menstrual disorders can occur due to a range of reasons, including underlying medical conditions as well as stress and tiredness. Health authorities have highlighted that cases have also been reported following COVID-19 infection.

☆ FDA says two studies showing omicron boosters weren't much better than old Covid shots were too small to come to any conclusions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The recently authorized booster vaccine protects against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more recent omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5. The Food and Drug Administration said two studies this week showing that the new omicron boosters weren't that much better than the old shots were too small to come to any real conclusions. The antibody responses were slightly higher with the omicron boosters, though the studies concluded the difference wasn't significant. The studies are of public interest because there's very limited human data on how the omicron BA.5 boosters perform right now. The FDA also looked at data directly on the BA.5 shots that came from animal studies.

☆ Omicron subvariants are resistant to key antibody treatments, putting people with weak immune systems at risk of Covid
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Emerging omicron subvariants are resistant to key antibody treatments for HIV patients, kidney transplant recipients and other immunocompromised people, making them particularly vulnerable to Covid this winter, the White House warned this week. While this may be true for the general population, it is not the case for people with weak immune systems. Evusheld is an antibody cocktail authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent Covid in people ages 12 and older who have moderately or severely compromised immune systems. Evusheld, made by AstraZeneca , has helped fill a gap in protection for those with weak immune systems who cannot mount a strong response to the vaccines. Jha acknowledged at the White House on Tuesday that the U.S. has dwindling treatment and prevention options for people with weak immune systems as Covid evolves.

☆ New Covid boosters aren’t better than old shots at neutralizing omicron BA.5, early studies find
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The new COVID-19 booster which includes protection for Omicron at AltaMed Health Services in South Gate on Thursday, October 6, 2022. Two studies are raising doubts about whether the new omicron BA.5 booster really will offer better protection against Covid than the first generation shot. Scientists at Columbia University in New York City found the new boosters did not produce a better antibody response in humans against BA.5 than the first-generation vaccines. Hotez said there should also be investigations into how the boosters perform against emerging omicron subvariants such as XBB and BQ.1., as the currently dominant BA.5 declines in circulation. It could be the case that the new boosters perform better against these emerging variants than the first generation shots do, Hotez said.

☆ Updated Covid-19 boosters offer protection, but new studies suggest they don't offer an edge against Omicron
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Similar immune responsesThe studies have important limitations, and they aren’t the final word on the updated boosters. In Barouch’s study, antibody concentrations were 15 times higher after the original boosters, rising from 184 to 2,829. They were 17 times higher after the updated shots, jumping from 211 to 3,693. After waiting the recommended three months since his last Covid-19 infection, President Joe Biden got an updated booster Tuesday and urged eligible Americans to do the same. Worobey says that when the strains are combined as they are in the updated boosters, they actually end up competing.

☆ Nasdaq halts IPOs of small Chinese companies as it probes stock rallies
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Echo Wang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The stock exchange operator's actions come amid a surge in the shares of Chinese companies that raise small amounts, typically $50 million or less, in their IPO. Nasdaq started asking the advisers of small Chinese IPO candidates questions in mid-September. Seven sources who work on IPOs of small Chinese companies spoke to Reuters on the condition that neither they nor their clients be identified. LOOPHOLESNasdaq's intervention underscores how liquidity standards it adopted in the last three years to prevent stock manipulation in small IPOs have loopholes that Chinese companies are exploiting. There have been 57 listings of small Chinese companies in the last five years, up from 17 listings in the prior five years, according to Dealogic.

☆ Pfizer’s Price Hike Shot in the Arm for Vaccine Makers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( David Wainer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

With fewer and fewer Americans opting for Covid-19 vaccine boosters, investors had been growing increasingly skittish about vaccine-makers Pfizer and Moderna Both stocks have underperformed their peers and are among the cheapest healthcare stocks, trading well below the industry average on a price-to-earnings basis. News late Thursday that Pfizer is planning to price its shot at $110 to $130 per dose in the U.S. is giving a lift to both stocks as investors rework their models to reflect the higher revenue starting next year when Pfizer expects to transition its vaccine to the commercial market. The federal government currently covers the cost of vaccines and is paying roughly $30 per dose under the latest contract. While investors had expected a hike as that coverage lapsed, “the magnitude of the price increase was well above expectations,” wrote Chris Schott , an analyst at JP Morgan. Pfizer was up 4.5% while Moderna rose 9% in early afternoon trading.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Snap, American Express, Verizon, Twitter and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Snap — Shares of the Snapchat parent company cratered 30% after missing revenue estimates and sharing its slowest sales growth since going public as advertising spending slows. The results from Snap hit other ad-reliant stocks, sending shares of Pinterest and Meta Platforms down about 7.7% and 2.6%, respectively. Twitter — The social media stock sank more than 4% Friday amid a slew of media reports surrounding Twitter and Elon Musk. American Express – Shares of American Express fell about 3.5% even after the bank reported quarterly earnings and revenue that beat analysts' expectations. Huntington Bancshares — Shares gained 8% after the bank operator topped earnings estimates for the third quarter and upped its net interest income outlook for 2022.

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Netflix, Bank of America, Amazon, AT&T, Snap & more
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Telsey downgrades Under Armour to market perform from outperform Telsey said it's concerned about too much inventory weighing on the stock. Bank of America downgrades Snap to neutral from buy Bank of America downgraded the stock after its "mixed" earnings report. " JPMorgan reiterates Apple as overweight JPMorgan said investors are too focused on iPhone growth heading into Apple earnings next week. Raymond James downgrades KB Home, Toll Brothers and PulteGroup to market perform from strong buy and D.R. Horton to outperform from strong buy and Lennar to market perform from outperform Raymond James downgraded several homebuilders due to rising mortgage rates.

☆ A new, stealthy COVID variant is spreading fast, spooking scientists and Wall Street analysts, but experts say there is cause for optimism
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Experts say: prepare for more COVID infections this winter. But "among the new variants, XBB has the most significant immune evasion properties," market forecasters at Morgan Stanley said Thursday in a memo. Experts say we should expect many more infections this fall and winter, including infections in vaccinated, boosted Americans. But there are some simple things you can do to prepare to battle XBB and other evasive COVID variants on the horizon. Both have a slight growth advantage over BA.5, which is the dominant version of COVID right now in the US.

☆ Pfizer COVID vaccine price hike seen giving revenue boost for years
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Michael Erman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 21 (Reuters) - Pfizer's plan to as much as quadruple current U.S. prices for its COVID-19 vaccines going forward could spur revenue for years, analysts said. Outside the United States, Pfizer said it already has contracts with governments in many developed markets that extend through 2023 with prices that have already been set. Moderna had previously suggested commercial price expectations in a range of $64 to $100 a shot. Wall Street was expecting such price hikes due to weak demand for COVID vaccines, which meant manufacturers would need to hike prices to meet revenue forecasts for 2023 and beyond. Around 19.4 million people in the United States received the updated booster over the first seven weeks of its rollout.

☆ It's time to stop saying 'fully vaccinated' for Covid, experts say—here's why
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

If you still say "fully vaccinated" for Covid, it's time to stop. 'Fully vaccinated' is not the term that we want to use," Cindy Prins, an epidemiologist at the University of Florida, tells CNBC Make It. The definition of fully vaccinated hasn't changed since the first Covid vaccines were rolled out almost two years ago. It means two initial doses of a vaccine from Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax, or one dose from Johnson & Johnson. Here's why experts say you shouldn't use the term anymore, and what you should do instead:

☆ 5 people who got COVID boosters and flu shots at the same time share their side effects
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Andrea Michelson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some people are combining the latest COVID booster with this year's flu shot. Initially, Ros had planned to wait to get her flu shot a few weeks later. Several other people told Insider they experienced headaches and nausea after their flu shots and bivalent boosters, even though they hadn't had the same side effects after previous doses of COVID vaccines. The flu shot and bivalent booster packed a punch for some peopleLyn Craven told Insider that she had "little to no reaction" to her latest booster and flu shot, which she scheduled a week apart. Craven said her husband got both the annual flu shot and the bivalent booster on the same day, just like he did last year.

☆ Analysis: Falling demand for COVID boosters puts price hikes on the table
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Michael Erman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Last year, many on Wall Street were estimating the number of COVID-19 shots would be in line with the annual flu vaccine, which is the vaccine market leader with more than 160 million shots per year in the United States and 600 million shots globally. A recent poll by Kaiser Family Foundation found that two-thirds of American adults do not plan on getting a COVID vaccine soon. He added that instances of COVID infections in those who have been vaccinated has left many to question the effectiveness of the vaccine. The companies could make up for some of the weaker demand with price increases. That would mean annual revenue of $3 billion to $5 billion over the long-term for a company like Moderna, he added.

☆ Beware of fad stocks. Truly owner, Snap & Zoom have plunged
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Sam Adams brewer, which also owns the hard seltzer brand Truly, is struggling as the popularity of alcoholic seltzer appears to be fading fast. “The continuing decline of the hard seltzer segment … is deeper than previously expected,” said Boston Beer founder and chairman Jim Koch on the company’s earnings call in July. Sam Adams owner Boston Beer made a big bet on Truly Hard Seltzer. Sales have slowed, the company is still losing money, its founders have left, and the stock has plunged nearly 80% this year. E-signature software company DocuSign (DOCU) and virtual health company Teladoc (TDOC) have also plunged this year after getting huge boosts from Covid in 2020.

☆ FDA, CDC sign off on Novavax Covid-19 vaccine as a first booster shot
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine is now available in the United States for use as a first booster dose for people 18 and older. The company said its booster is for adults for whom a Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna updated booster vaccine is not accessible or clinically appropriate, and for adults who elect to receive the Novavax vaccine because they would otherwise not get a booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. “The U.S. now has access to the Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine, Adjuvanted, the first protein-based option, as a booster,” Novavax President and CEO Stanley Erck said in a news release Wednesday. Novavax executives have long suggested that their Covid-19 vaccine could be used as a booster dose, even for people who got another vaccine type as their primary series. The most common side effects reported with the Novavax booster were pain or tenderness at the injection site, fatigue, muscle pain and headache.

☆ FDA authorizes Novavax's Covid shots as mix-and-match booster to Pfizer or Moderna
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The authorization of Novavax's booster could significantly increase the role that its shot plays in U.S. vaccination efforts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still has to give the final go ahead before pharmacies can start administering Novavax's booster. Only 35,300 people have received Novavax's shots so far in the U.S., according to data from the CDC. By comparison, some 372.5 million Pfizer shots, 235.8 million Moderna doses and 18.9 million Johnson & Johnson shots have been administered across the U.S. so far. People who received Novavax's vaccine as their primary series are also eligible for Pfizer and BioNTech's new omicron booster.

☆ EMA recommends Moderna's new Omicron-tailored vaccine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Oct 19 (Reuters) - The European Medical Agency on Wednesday recommended authorization of Moderna Inc's (MRNA.O) COVID-19 vaccine tailored towards targeting the Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 for 12 and above ages. The European Commission has already approved Moderna's vaccine targeting Omicron BA.1 last month. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Khushi Mandowara; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Moderna says Omicron booster response stays high through 3 months
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 19 (Reuters) - Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) said on Wednesday its COVID-19 vaccine booster targeting the BA.1 subvariant of Omicron generated a strong immune response against that variant, with antibody levels staying high for at least three months. Omicron-tailored shots by Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and Moderna are already authorized by regulators in several countries. The United States has given the go-ahead for booster vaccines that target the currently circulating BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron. "Clinical trial data now indicates that the superior immune response produced by our bivalent booster has durability for at least three months," Moderna Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel said in a statement. Moderna said it expects data from human trials of its BA.4/BA.5 targeted vaccine later this year.

☆ Uninsured kids will still receive Covid vaccines for free after shots move to commercial market
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The CDC's independent advisors voted unanimously on Wednesday to include Covid shots authorized for kids by the Food and Drug Administration in the federal government's Vaccines for Children program. The Vaccines for Children program provides vaccines to kids under age 19 whose families cannot afford them. The federal government has been providing Covid vaccines to everyone in the U.S. for free during the pandemic. Dr. Jeanne Santoli, a CDC official, said the public health agency will start awarding contracts for health care providers to give the Covid shots for free to uninsured kids. The decision to include Covid shots in the free vaccine program will prove crucial to maintaining access for many children.

☆ Swiss to destroy 9 million expired Moderna COVID-19 jabs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Switzerland will destroy 9 million doses of Moderna (MRNA.O) COVID-19 vaccine that have reached their expiry date, with another 5.1 million vaccine jabs set to meet the same fate by February, the government said on Wednesday. Other countries too have destroyed hundreds million of doses of expired vaccines. Since the end of 2020, Switzerland has got 31.9 million vaccine doses from Moderna and other suppliers, of which 16.1 million have been administered. Another 3.2 million were passed on to third countries, the government said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Michael Shields, Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ These 4 global stocks made the biggest gains last week — and analysts give one over 140% upside
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Half of analysts gave it a "buy" rating, and a price target with an upside of more than 90%, according to FactSet. Though only 32% of analysts have a "buy" rating on the stock, the consensus price target suggests shares can rally another 64.2%. German bank Deutsche Bank was also among the best-performing global stocks, rising 10.1% on the week. According to FactSet, 35% of analysts covering it gave it a buy rating, and a price target with an upside of 43%. German meal kit company Hello Fresh was one top-performing stock last week that got the biggest upside from analysts — at over 140%.

☆ White House Covid czar calls on seniors to get omicron booster now
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Dr. Ashish Jha, head of the White House Covid taskforce, said everyone older than 50 and senior citizens in particular need to get an omicron booster as soon as possible. The elderly have faced the high risk of falling seriously ill with Covid since the beginning of the pandemic. Younger people should also get a booster this fall even though they're at lower risk of getting seriously ill from the virus, Jha said. The FDA and CDC rapidly authorized the omicron shots for children as young as 5 years old last week. But the CDC, in a study published last April, said the risk of myocarditis is higher after a Covid infection.

☆ Omicron-specific Covid boosters appear to work well, new data says—regardless of the side effects you experience
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

If you already got your omicron-specific Covid booster, you might have experienced some side effects. But there's no need to worry: Experts and new data say the new shots appear to work — regardless of whether you experience moderate, mild or no side effects at all. The new boosters gained approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the CDC before they finished clinical trials. Like previous Covid vaccines, the new boosters are designed to help you fight the virus by triggering an immune response in your body. Covid vaccines typically take two to three weeks to fully ramp up your immunity, which can help your body stop an infection from happening or keep it from progressing to severe disease.

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