DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Wall Street closed lower on Friday after mixed economic data appeared to affirm another Fed interest rate hike in May, dampening investor enthusiasm after a series of big U.S. bank earnings launched the first-quarter reporting season. "Regional bank earnings will come in very slightly positive, while bigger banks will probably post surprisingly positive results." Other major U.S. banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N), Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) will report through the week. ET, Dow e-minis were up 35 points, or 0.10%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 1.75 points, or 0.04%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 3.75 points, or 0.03%. Prometheus Biosciences Inc (RXDX.O) rallied 69.9% after Merck & Co (MRK.N) said it will buy the biotech company for about $10.8 billion.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Alphabet, Charles Schwab, State Street, Moderna and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

State Street , M&T Bank – Shares of State Street dropped 11% after the company posted disappointing earnings and revenue. State Street posted earnings of $1.52 per share on revenue of $3.10 billion, while analysts called for per-share earnings of $1.64 and revenue of $3.12 billion, according to Refinitiv. Meanwhile, M&T Bank shares popped 5% higher after the bank reported beats on the top and bottom lines. Charles Schwab — Shares of Charles Schwab rose about 2.5% after the brokerage firm posted better-than-expected earnings on Monday. Schwab posted adjusted earnings of 93 cents per share, beating analysts' forecast of 90 cents per share, according to Refinitiv.

☆ Futures subdued as investors eye bank earnings, Fed cues
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures up: Dow 0.07%, S&P 0.10%, Nasdaq 0.01%April 17 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were largely flat on Monday as investors awaited more bank earnings and views from Federal Reserve policymakers that could shape expectations around when the central bank will pause its monetary policy tightening. Wall Street ended lower on Friday as a barrage of mixed economic data appeared to affirm another Fed interest rate hike in May, dampening investor enthusiasm after a series of big U.S. bank earnings launched the first-quarter reporting season. U.S. central bank officials including New York Fed President John Williams and Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester are scheduled to speak later this week. ET (1230 GMT) is expected to show business conditions in New York state improved in April after slumping in the previous month. ET, Dow e-minis were up 24 points, or 0.07%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 4.25 points, or 0.10%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 1 point, or 0.01%.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Charles Schwab, Dell, Alphabet, HP Inc. & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Charles Schwab — Shares of Charles Schwab gained 3% on better-than-expected earnings. The company posted a profit of 93 cents per share, beating a Refinitiv forecast of 90 cents per share. M&T Bank — The regional bank stock jumped 3% after the company posted its latest quarterly figures. Lumentum — The optical fiber manufacturer rose slightly after JPMorgan upgraded the stock to overweight from neutral. Ollie's Bargain Outlet — The discount retail rose 3% in premarket trading after JPMorgan upgraded the stock to neutral from overweight.

Wall Street closed lower on Friday after mixed economic data appeared to affirm another Fed rate hike in May, dampening investor enthusiasm after a series of big U.S. bank earnings launched the first-quarter reporting season. Other major U.S. banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N), Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) will report through the week. "Regional bank earnings will come in very slightly positive, while bigger banks will probably post surprisingly positive results," said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research. Prometheus Biosciences Inc (RXDX.O) rallied 69.5% on Merck & Co's (MRK.N) plans to buy the biotech company for about $10.8 billion. The S&P index recorded nine new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 29 new highs and 55 new lows.

☆ Morning Bid: Banks calm the horses
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

As U.S. banking giants calm the horses, global investors are now concentrated on world growth and earnings signals more than interest rate rises for direction - with an assumption the latter are near an end anyway. Somewhat relieved analysts marginally brightened their dim outlook for first-quarter U.S. results compared with a week ago. Futures markets now see a more than 80% chance the Fed will execute one final quarter point rate rise next month - reversing it by September. That rate rise would bring the real Fed policy rate - adjusted by headline consumer price inflation - into positive territory for the first time in three years. The dollar extended Friday's rebound as the May rate rise pricing hardened.

☆ This 24-year-old wants to freeze dead pets with the hope that science can one day bring them back to life – and he's got backing from Peter Thiel to get started
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Kai Micah Mills is a rare cryonics entrepreneur in the latest batch of Thiel Fellows. His startup Cryopets aims to establish a chain of animal hospitals set up to freeze pets upon death. When he was 14, Kai Micah Mills brought home a long-haired tabby cat and named it Cat. Someday, he hopes to expand to human preservation, as the science matures and pet owners warm to the idea. Mills hasn't figured out a pricing structure yet, but says pet owners will make a payment that covers their pet's storage for as long as necessary.

Merck has been looking for deals to add new products to its pipeline. Merck & Co. is in late-stage talks to acquire Prometheus Biosciences Inc., according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could give the big drugmaker promising immune disease treatments. A deal for Prometheus could be announced as soon as Sunday, the people said, cautioning the talks could still fall apart.

☆ Merck to buy Prometheus Biosciences for about $11 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 16 (Reuters) - Merck & Co (MRK.N) has agreed to acquire Prometheus Biosciences Inc (RXDX.O) for about $10.8 billion to bolster the company's presence in immunology, the companies said on Sunday. Prometheus had a market capitalization of $5.42 billion at Friday's close. "The agreement with Prometheus will accelerate our growing presence in immunology where there remains substantial unmet patient need. The deal, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is expected to close in the third quarter of the year, the companies said. Merck in February forecast 2023 earnings below Wall Street estimates and an expected steep decline in sales of its COVID-19 antiviral treatment.

☆ Merck in late-stage talks to acquire Prometheus Biosciences -WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 16 (Reuters) - Merck & Co (MRK.N) is in late-stage talks to acquire Prometheus Biosciences Inc (RXDX.O) to get its hands on promising immune disease treatments, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday citing people familiar with the matter. Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Merck has been looking for deals to add new products to its pipeline. Merck & Co. said it agreed to acquire Prometheus Biosciences Inc. for $10.8 billion, a push into the lucrative market for immune-disease treatments. Merck said Sunday it would acquire Prometheus at $200 a share, a roughly 75% premium to where shares closed on Friday, at $114.01. Prometheus had a market cap of $5.4 billion as of Friday’s market close. Its shares are up about 4% year-to-date.

☆ This Y Combinator-backed startup helps reduce climate-warming methane in cow burps. Check out the pitch deck Alga Biosciences used to secure $4 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Y Combinator startup Algo Biosciences has developed a way to reduce methane in cow burps. Check out the 11-slide pitch deck the company used to secure $4 million from Collaborative Fund. A Y Combinator-backed startup trying to curb methane spewing cow burps has just landed $4 million in its first institutional funding round. Berkeley-based Alga Biosciences, founded in 2021, has developed a feed additive to reduce methane from cow burps using biochemically modified kelp. Check out the 11 slide pitch deck the company used to raise the funds.

☆ In the 'Garden of England', loss-making orchards are cut down
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Sarah Young | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The fruit that helped give the "Garden of England" its name hundreds of years ago no longer makes money so farmer James Smith is tearing down his orchards. Turning a profit from selling red apples to supermarkets has been a struggle for years, he said. In Kent, Smith is removing 80% of his orchards. Last year growing apples lost him 150,000 pounds ($186,000), a loss which would have been higher had it not been cushioned by other income streams from his land. He's also planting a vineyard and is growing small amounts of cherries, the fruit which legend has it prompted King Henry VIII to first call Kent the "Garden of England".

☆ This biotech can gain 50% thanks to interest in long-read sequencing technology, TD Cowen says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It's time to take another look at Pacific Biosciences of California as its growth story turns positive, according to TD Cowen. "Our bullish customer survey reflects upside to placements and pull through, along with a material budget shift to long reads. Pacific Biosciences shares are up more than 19% this year through Thursday, gaining after a rough couple of calendar years. However, Brennan's $15 price target, up from a prior $13, means shares can rise another 53% from Thursday's closing price. Central to the upgrade is the Revio system, a product from Pacific Biosciences that was launched last year and is designed to sequence whole human genomes.

☆ Over a dozen Chinese-based firms say they have minimal exposure to SVB
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, March 13 (Reuters) - Over a dozen Hong Kong-listed companies have stepped forward to say they had little or no exposure to Silicon Valley Bank, the failed U.S. lender which has roiled investors and markets globally. Startup-focussed SVB Financial Group (SIVB.O), which did business as Silicon Valley Bank, collapsed on Friday in the largest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis. China-based drug developer Beigene Ltd (6160.HK) said it has uninsured cash deposits held at the bank representing 3.9% of its last reported total cash and cash equivalents. Six Hong Kong-listed companies, mostly Chinese pharmaceutical firms also over the weekend disclosed cash deposits at Silicon Valley Bank. Broncus Holding Corporation (2216.HK) said it held $11.8 million at SVB, representing around 6.5% of its total cash.

☆ Chinese companies and tycoons rush to calm investors after SVB collapse causes anxiety
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which courted Chinese start-ups, has caused widespread concern in China, where a string of founders and companies rushed to appease investors by saying their exposure was insignificant or nonexistent. “As China’s first technology bank, SPD Silicon Valley Bank is committed to serving Chinese science and technology companies, and has always had sound operations in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations.”It’s unclear what will happen to SVB’s ownership of the joint venture. BeiGene, one of China’s largest cancer-focused drug companies, said Monday it had more than $175 million uninsured cash deposits at SVB, which represents approximately 3.9% of its cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. Zai Lab, a pharmaceutical firm, announced that its cash deposits at SVB were “immaterial” at about $23 million. “We never opened an account with Silicon Valley Bank, nor placed a deposit,” he said late Sunday on his Weibo account.

☆ Six Hong Kong-listed firms say their deposits at SVB are immaterial
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, March 12 (Reuters) - Six Hong Kong-listed companies, mostly Chinese pharmaceutical firms, disclosed cash deposits at Silicon Valley Bank on Sunday, adding that their exposure to the failed U.S. lender and its impact on operations were immaterial, in an effort to calm investors. Startup-focussed SVB Financial Group (SIVB.O), which did business as Silicon Valley Bank, collapsed on Friday in the largest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis, roiling global markets and stranding billions of dollars belonging to companies and investors. Broncus Holding Corporation (2216.HK) said it held $11.8 million at SVB, representing around 6.5% of its total cash. Noah Holdings Private Wealth and Asset Management Limited has less than $1 million with SVB, less than 0.2% of its total cash. CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc (1228.HK) said the amount of cash deposited with SVB is "immaterial and is generally within the amount guaranteed by the FDIC accordingly", without giving any figures.

☆ Sam Altman gave us ChatGPT. Now he wants us to defy death.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sam Altman put $180 million into Retro Biosciences, a company that aims to delay death by 10 years. Altman's interest in longevity research dates back at least eight years, per the MIT Technology Review. I basically just took all my liquid net worth and put it into these two companies," Altman told the MIT Technology Review. According to the MIT Technology Review, Altman has been interested in anti-aging methods for years. Altman told the MIT Technology Review that the success of this experiment was something he "didn't expect."

☆ OpenAI's 37-year-old CEO bet $180 million on a little-known biotech startup that's trying to help people live 10 years longer
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

According to a report by MIT Technology Review, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is among the group. Altman has quietly funded a longevity startup with $180 million, MIT Technology Review said. The latest addition to the group is Sam Altman, the 37-year-old CEO of the red-hot AI startup OpenAI. Altman quietly backed a mysterious longevity startup called Retro Biosciences with $180 million of his own funds, according to a report in MIT Technology Review. "The main thing for Retro is to be a really good bio startup, because that is a rare thing," Altman told MIT Technology Review.

☆ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman takes diabetes drug metformin as part of his anti-aging routine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman takes the diabetes drug metformin to slow down aging. Metformin is a decades-old drug that is prescribed to millions of people with diabetes, CNBC reported. In addition to the drug, Altman's said his anti-aging regimen includes "trying to eat healthy, exercise, and sleep enough," per the MIT Technology Review. The company uses genetic engineering and plasma replacement to make cells younger, per the MIT Technology Review. Altman secretly poured $180 million dollars into Retro Bioscience's death-delaying treatment, the MIT Technology Review reported.

☆ OpenAI’s Sam Altman is the latest tech entrepreneur making a play to extend the human lifespan. Here are 15 of the world's wealthiest entrepreneurs trying to crack the code of living forever.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Sam AltmanOpenAI's Sam Altman reportedly invested $180 million into a longevity startup called Retro Biosciences, according to MIT Technology Review. Lucy Nicholson/ReutersSam Altman is quickly establishing himself as a household name as the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Altman seems to be channeling some of his probable largesse into extending the human lifespan. MIT Technology Review reported that Altman invested $180 million into Retro Biosciences, a company with a mission to "add 10 years to healthy human lifespan," according to the company's site. Altman's investment in Retro Biosciences is among the "largest ever by an individual into a startup pursuing human longevity," MTR said.

☆ Pfizer in talks to buy cancer drugmaker Seagen - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 27 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) is in early-stage talks to acquire cancer drugmaker Seagen Inc (SGEN.O) in a potential multi-billion dollar deal, the Wall Street Journal reported, after advanced discussions between Merck (MRK.N) and Seagen fell through last year. Seagen had a market capitalization of roughly $30 billion, as of Friday's close. Its shares have fallen nearly 10% since July, when the deal talks with Merck were first reported. Pfizer declined to comment on the WSJ report, while Seagen did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Merck, which bought ADC-maker Imago BioSciences for $1.35 billion in November, is unlikely to show renewed interest in Seagen, analysts said.

☆ Biotech stocks that could surge more than 35% include one name targeting treatments for schizophrenia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Still, the outlook for biotech stocks could improve now , with innovation in new drugs and more merger and acquisition activity driving investor interest. Recently, Wall Street has been zoning in on developments in treatments for Alzheimer's diseases, drugs for weight loss and treatments using gene editing. CNBC Pro screened for biotech stocks that are part of the iShares Biotechnology ETF , searching for names with huge upside from current prices. In January, Piper Sandler initiated research coverage of Karuna with an overweight rating, saying it's "blazing a new trail in Schizophrenia" treatments. The stock was named another top 2023 pick by Piper Sandler, which said Legend has a "best-in-class" treatment for adults with relapsed multiple myeloma, a segment "with demand far outpacing supply."

☆ Billion-dollar startup plans to bring the dodo back from the dead, and claims it can also revive the woolly mammoth
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Colossal Biosciences, a biotech company, says it will aim to revive the dodo using gene editing. This is the latest attempt to revive extinct animals in the face of the biodiversity crisis. The bird is the latest in the collection of long-gone animals scientists at the company want to revive. The startup has previously said it plan to recreate the Tasmanian wolf and the woolly mammoth. A stuffed dodo bird at the Natural History Museum on February 5, 2013, in London, England.

☆ Why biotech CEOs are growing more cautious about going public — and what they're waiting for
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Andrew Dunn | Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Biotech-startup CEOs are taking more nuanced approaches to going public amid a downturn. SAN FRANCISCO — After record years of initial public offerings in 2020 and 2021, biotech leaders told Insider that the "recipe" for going public no longer works. Most biotechs saw their valuations increase by between 20% and 50% after going public. Insider asked five startup CEOs about how they approach going public and their perspectives on the biotech-IPO market for 2023. But going public doesn't carry an importance of validation for herself or the field of biotech companies specializing in AI, she said.

Search resuls for: "BioSciences"

25 mentions found