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☆ 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.

☆ 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:

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ The side effects to expect after getting an Omicron booster — and what happens if you get a flu shot at the same time
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Andrea Michelson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Side effects of the latest COVID-19 booster are similar to those associated with previous doses. Health officials say it's safe to get your flu shot and COVID booster shot at the same visit. You can get a COVID-19 booster and a flu shot at the same timeThe CDC recommends that everyone over the age of 12 top off their COVID protection with a bivalent booster shot this season, especially if it has been more than two months since their previous dose. With the flu season approaching as well, some people may opt to get their boosters and flu vaccines in one visit. In a press conference in September, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha said, "God gave us two arms—one for the flu shot and the other one for the COVID shot."

☆ This week's best-performing stocks include two pharma names analysts expect will rally from here
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Some of the biggest stock winners in this week's volatile market action included two big pharmaceutical names analysts expect to rally in the months ahead. To scope out this week's market outperformers, CNBC Pro screened for S & P 500 stocks with the best week-to-date gains. Though only 32% of analysts have a buy rating on the stock, the consensus price target suggests shares can rally another 64.2%. Despite slumping about 36% this year, shares are poised to rally 15% based on the consensus price target. About 38% of analysts say PepsiCo is worth buying, with shares expected to rise 6.4% — based on the consensus price target.

☆ Pfizer-BioNTech releases first human results on updated booster, citing an increase in antibodies
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The results are based on blood samples taken from adults one week after they received the updated booster. The FDA also authorized Moderna's updated booster based on similarly limited data. The FDA authorized the updated shots based on studies in mice — plus human trial results from a similar booster that targets the original omicron strain, called BA.1. At the time, Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA's top vaccine regulator, said the agency hoped the updated vaccines will provide stronger protection against symptomatic disease than the older vaccines. Moderna didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about when it will release new data on its updated booster.

☆ Alphabet, Moderna, and more: CNBC's 'Halftime Report' traders answer your questions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Christina Falso | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAlphabet, Moderna, and more: CNBC's 'Halftime Report' traders answer your questionsCNBC's Halftime traders Josh Brown of Ritholtz Wealth Management, Karen Firestone of Aureus Asset Management, and Steve Weiss of Short Hills Capital answer investment-related questions from CNBC Pro subscribers. Look out for an email where you can submit your questions directly to the Halftime team.

☆ Alphabet, Moderna and more: CNBC's 'Halftime Report' traders answer your stock questions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Christina Falso | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

On Thursday's "Ask Halftime," our traders answered questions from CNBC Pro subscribers about stocks and ETFs during this market volatility, including whether to buy, sell or hold specific names. Josh Brown of Ritholtz Wealth Management explains why he owns the tech giant Alphabet and deems it a long-term hold. Aureus Asset Management's Karen Firestone highlighted the reasons why Blackstone is well discounted and a buy. Finally, Stephen Weiss of Short Hills Capital suggests keeping Moderna in your portfolio. He says if the biotech stock declines further, he plans to buy more.

Oct 13 (Reuters) - Pfizer (PFE.N) and its German partner BioNTech said their COVID-19 vaccine booster, adapted for the BA.4 and the BA.5 subvariants of Omicron, generated a strong immune response and was well-tolerated in testing on humans. With the results, which the companies described as consistent with preclinical data, the partners are following up with human trial data that had previously been missing from their successful filings for regulatory approval. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThey did not disclose the levels of antibodies generated in the preliminary analysis of the study. Healthcare regulators for the European Union and the United States had already approved the upgraded shot last month, even though trial data from testing on humans had at the time not been available. “While we expect more mature immune response data from the clinical trial of our Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine in the coming weeks, we are pleased to see encouraging responses just one week after vaccination in younger and older adults," said Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla.

☆ RSV vaccine race heats up with highly effective GSK shot
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Data unveiled on Thursday showed GSK's (GSK.L) respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine was 82.6% effective in a keenly watched late-stage study involving older adults. The company is a key player in the race to develop a safe and effective RSV vaccine, which, if approved, is expected to generate billions in sales for its maker. If approved, Jefferies analysts have forecast $2.5 billion in global RSV vaccine peak sales in older adults for GSK. U.S. drugmaker Pfizer (PFE.N) in August disclosed positive Phase III data on its rival RSV vaccine in older adults. In trial participants with pre-existing conditions, the GSK vaccine was shown to be 94.6% effective, while in adults aged 70 to 79 it was 93.8% effective, the company said.

☆ Covid-19 Boosters Targeting Omicron Authorized for Kids as Young as 5
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Peter Loftus | Liz Essley Whyte | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. health regulators on Wednesday expanded eligibility for the new Covid-19 booster shots to children as young as 5 years old, broadening access to help bolster protection against Omicron strains of the coronavirus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the updated booster from Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE for children ages 5 through 11, and Moderna Inc.’s updated booster for children 6 through 17.

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