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☆ As latest short squeeze unfolds on Wall Street, here's what that means and who could be next
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Traders are once again piling into stocks with high levels of short interest, and several companies could prove the next targets of the latest frenzy unfolding on Wall Street. As another short squeeze unfolds now on Wall Street, CNBC Pro used FactSet data to search for the next potential candidates. Silvergate's short interest as a percent of float recently stood at nearly 61%, the highest among all the stocks included in the screen. Popular online used car retailer Carvana has 58% of shares sold short. Beyond Meat and Weber are two other potential short squeeze contenders that sold off sharply in 2022, with about 40% and 32.4% of their respective shares sold short.

☆ Novavax's longtime CEO Stanley Erck to retire
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) said on Monday its longtime chief executive officer, Stanley Erck, would retire and be succeeded by industry veteran John Jacobs, at a time when the COVID-19 vaccine maker looks to catch up with larger rivals. He joins Novavax from Harmony Biosciences (HRMY.O), where he served as CEO since June 2018. Erck, who has been at the helm of the company since 2011, was responsible for bringing Novavax's COVID vaccine, its first commercial product, to the market. However, the shot has been plagued by manufacturing snags, regulatory delays and sluggish uptake amid a global supply glut for vaccines and waning demand. Reporting by Raghav Mahobe in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

That works out to a 31.2% return on total average short interest of $973.6 billion throughout the year, according to S3 Partners. Stanphyl Capital portfolio manager Mark Spiegel, who has been short Tesla "constantly, in varying size" since 2014, said a bet against Tesla was his fund's most profitable individual short position this year. While higher interest rates have punished growth stocks, some investors believe Tesla CEO Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter is diverting his time running the electric car company. Long-short hedge funds, which bet on stock prices rising or falling, posted a 9.7% loss through November, according to data provider HFR. Charles Lemonides, portfolio manager at $226 billion hedge fund ValueWorks LLC, believes tight monetary policy will weigh on risk appetite next year.

☆ Fact Check-COVID vaccinations did not ‘inject people’ with the next pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

There is no evidence to support a claim that COVID-19 vaccinations were a ploy to inject people with an infectious disease that will lead to a new pandemic. Fact sheets for the Janssen (J&J) and Novavax COVID-19 vaccine are available (here ) (here ). Ingredients described in the fact sheets for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines include mRNA, lipids, sucrose and tromethamine, a chemical (here) (page 3), (here) (page 34). There is no evidence of the COVID-19 vaccines containing any substance that could cause an infectious disease pandemic. All vaccine ingredients, pharmacology and toxicology for COVID-19 vaccines approved in the United States are published online.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Netflix, Snap, Warner Bros. Discovery, AT&T, Novavax and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Netflix — Netflix tumbled more than 9% following a report from Digiday that said the streaming stock's early-stage advertising business is missing viewership targets. Verizon , AT&T — The communication technology stock added 1% after Morgan Stanely upgraded it to overweight from equal weight, saying its shares were attractive compared with historical levels. AT&T shares fell more than 2% following a separate downgrade from Morgan Stanley that cited the stock's recent outperformance. Madison Square Garden Entertainment — Shares rose more than 2% after Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to equal weight from underweight. Lockheed Martin — Shares dropped 1.5% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock from overweight to equal weight, saying its outperformance should somewhat cool in 2023.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Tesla, Warner Bros. Discovery, Lennar and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Peter Schacknow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:Tesla (TSLA) – Tesla fell 1.2% in premarket trading after an SEC filing showed that Elon Musk sold another $3.6 billion in shares. Novavax (NVAX) – Novavax tumbled 9.2% in premarket trading after the drug maker announced a $125 million common stock offering and a $125 million offering of convertible debt. AT&T fell 1.4% in premarket trading. Snap (SNAP) – The social media company's stock was downgraded to hold from buy at Jefferies, which said Snap is facing intense competition and a worsening macroeconomic picture. Snap lost 2.1% in premarket trading.

☆ Fact Check-A video of news headlines over time is not proof COVID-19 vaccines are ineffective or a ‘scam’
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Users on social media are sharing a video of news headlines and portions of articles on COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness over time without context to question whether the vaccines ever worked. Initial clinical trials for Pfizer’s vaccine showed 95% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 (here) while Moderna trials showed 94% efficacy (here). CONTEXT COUNTSEarly in the viral video, headlines touting 100% efficacy refer to small trials or specific outcomes. He added that these results are not indicative of vaccine effectiveness for all groups of people, which can vary. A video of news headlines is not proof the vaccines are ineffective or a scam.

[1/2] A woman holds a small bottle labelled with a "Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Dado RuvicPARIS, Dec 8 (Reuters) - France's Haute Autorite de Sante public health body advised the government not to use Valneva's (VLS.PA) VLA2001 COVID-19 vaccine as part of its wider vaccination strategy, although two rival products should be included as booster shots. The snub caused Valneva's shares to fall, with Valneva down by around 1% during the late morning trading session in Paris. "However, the HAS does not include the use of Valneva's VLA2001 vaccine in the current primary vaccination strategy", it added. Reporting by Jean-Stephane Brosse and Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Gavi rejects Novavax's claim on COVID vaccine deal breach
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 22 (Reuters) - Global vaccine alliance Gavi on Tuesday rejected Novavax's (NVAX.O) claim that the group had breached an advance purchase agreement to procure 350 million doses of the company's COVID-19 vaccine. Novavax also has a pact with Serum Institute of India for manufacturing a version of the vaccine under the brand Covovax, which would also be supplied to the COVAX facility. Gavi's spokesperson said Serum Institute had a 300 million dose commitment for Covovax, with options for 750 million more doses if needed. A spokesperson for Serum Institute declined to comment. Novavax recently cut its full-year forecast yet again, hurt by late authorizations of its COVID vaccine globally amid a waning demand for shots.

☆ Novavax ends COVID vaccine sale agreement with Gavi
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 21 (Reuters) - Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) said on Monday it had delivered a written notice to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, terminating with immediate effect an agreement for the sale of the company's COVID-19 vaccine to low- and middle-income countries. The company cited Gavi's failure to procure the 350 million doses it had agreed to buy in May last year for the COVAX facility. Novavax received a non-refundable advance payment of $350 million from Gavi last year and an additional $350 million this year after the vaccine got the WHO's emergency use listing, the company said. The company had earlier this month cut its full-year forecast yet again, hurt by late authorizations of its vaccine globally. Covovax and Serum's vaccines were the ninth and tenth vaccine, respectively, to get the WHO's emergency listing.

In October 2021, Da’Vion Miller was found unconscious in the bathroom of his home in Detroit a week after receiving his first dose of Pfizer's Covid vaccine. Courtesy Da’Vion MillerMiller is one of a very small group of people in the United States who have experienced myocarditis following vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna Covid vaccines based on mRNA technology. Video: CDC says waiting longer between Covid vaccine doses could reduce myocarditis risk. Cooper joined an expert advisory panel formed by Moderna to monitor its Covid vaccine safety. The Pfizer study will include people who were previously hospitalized with vaccine-associated myocarditis, and it will also follow those who were more recently diagnosed.

☆ Thanksgiving is two weeks away. Get your updated Covid-19 shot now, health officials warn
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, people who are eligible for an updated Covid-19 vaccine booster but still haven’t received the shot will need to roll up their sleeves Thursday to get as much protection as possible before the holiday. After getting the updated Covid-19 vaccine, that biological process can take about 10 to 14 days. Health officials say it’s fine to get the updated Covid-19 booster and flu vaccine at the same time. The vaccine candidate contains components of the companies’ updated Covid-19 booster and their investigational flu vaccine. Moderna is also developing a combined flu and Covid-19 mRNA vaccine and another combination vaccine targeting flu, Covid-19 and RSV.

☆ Novavax posts third quarter loss but beats revenue expectations
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this photo illustration a silhouette of a man holding a medical syringe and a vial seen displayed in front of the Novavax logo on a screen. Novavax posted an unexpected loss on Thursday but beat Wall Street's revenue expectations for the third quarter. The Covid-19 vaccine maker reported a net loss of more than $169 million for the third quarter, compared to a loss of $322 million in the same period last year. Novavax reported third quarter revenue of $735 million, a more than 300% increase year over year. The company previously slashed its annual revenue expectations by 50% to a range of $2 billion to $2.3 billion in the second quarter.

☆ Novavax says Omicron shot shows strong immune response as second booster
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 8 (Reuters) - Vaccine maker Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) said on Tuesday its COVID-19 shot retooled against the Omicron BA.1 variant showed a strong immune response as the fourth dose and met the main goal of strain change in a late-stage study. Data showed the shot, NVX-CoV2515, produced 1.6 times the amount of neutralizing antibodies in people who had previously not been exposed to COVID-19 compared to Novavax's original coronavirus vaccine. The trial included Novavax's so-called bivalent vaccine, the BA.1-tailored shot and its prototype vaccine. Novavax says the results from the study showed its Omicron-tailored shot can be changed to target a new variant vaccine if necessary. Novavax's COVID shot has not yet received approval in the United States as a second booster dose.

☆ Stocks week ahead: How the midterms could affect Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Investors are more than happy when politicians bicker but don’t actually enact any new laws that may hurt corporate profits. If Republicans get the House, tax hikes are dead in the water,” said David Wagner, a portfolio manager with Aptus Capital Advisors. That’s because there are some areas of consensus for the White House and Republican lawmakers. Congress and the White House may spend more time bickering than trying to pass legislation. Ameriprise chief market strategist Anthony Saglimbene said on a conference call last week about the midterms that stocks have historically gone up after elections, no matter which party controls the White House and Congress.

☆ The Fed, earnings, jobs and China: How we think about this week's deluge of data
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

It is very premature, in my view, to think about or be talking about pausing our rate hikes. The news sent those stocks reliant on China for growth — Starbucks, Estee Lauder and Wynn Resorts, among many others — higher. Or bad news could just be bad news if weak data signals a recession ahead. And good news could be good news: for example, if China reopens and U.S. companies exposed to the region see a boost in demand. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Pfizer, BioNTech start COVID-flu combination vaccine study
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 3 (Reuters) - U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and its German partner BioNTech SE have started an early-stage study to evaluate a combination vaccine targeting COVID-19 and influenza, the companies said on Thursday. The single-dose vaccine candidate is a combination of Pfizer's mRNA-based flu shot and the companies' Omicron-tailored COVID-19 booster shot. The early-stage study, which is being sponsored by BioNTech, aims to evaluate the combination shot's safety, tolerability and immunogenicity, or the ability to generate immune response. Rivals Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) and Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) are also developing combination vaccines targeting both COVID-19 and influenza. read moreReporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Nov 1 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) on Tuesday raised its forecast for 2022 sales of its COVID-19 vaccine by $2 billion to $34 billion, and said new deals and drugs in development should help replace future declining vaccine sales and lost revenue from patent expirations. Sales of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine are down from pandemic highs as many countries have neared the end of their primary vaccination campaigns. Third-quarter sales of the COVID vaccine came in at $4.40 billion, blowing past estimates of $2.60 billion. However, $7.51 billion in sales of Paxlovid, the company's COVID-19 antiviral treatment, fell short of estimates of $7.66 billion. Pfizer reported adjusted earnings of $1.78 per share in the third quarter, beating analysts' estimates by 39 cents.

☆ Pfizer boosts COVID vaccine sales forecast by $2 bln
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Manas Mishra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 1 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) on Tuesday raised its forecast for annual sales of its COVID-19 vaccine by $2 billion to $34 billion on demand for Omicron-targeted boosters, helping allay some investor worries over growth for the vaccinations. The U.S. drugmaker's shares rose 2.4% to $447.67 in morning trading as its third-quarter profit beat estimates, mainly due to better-than-expected sales of the vaccine. The upbeat earnings also sent shares of rival COVID-19 vaccine makers higher. Sales of the COVID-19 vaccine have eased from pandemic highs on soft demand for the original shots, sparking concerns over demand over the next few years. Third-quarter sales of the COVID-19 vaccine came in at $4.40 billion, blowing past estimates of $2.60 billion.

☆ 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:

☆ 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.

☆ Cramer's lightning round: State Street is a buy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Loading chart...State Street Corp : "I think State Street down here at this level is a terrific buy." Loading chart...Fox Corp. Class B : "I don't like the media stocks. The media stocks I do like are Google , Meta and Amazon ." Loading chart...Generac Holdings : "I do not want to touch this one." Disclaimer: Cramer's Charitable Trust owns shares of Alphabet, Meta and Amazon.

☆ 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.

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