Wall Street is sending mixed signals. While the S&P 500 is up 45% from its March lows, the market was choppy throughout most of June and July. On top of this, new COVID-19 cases are being reported at an alarming rate and trade tensions between the U.S. and China are flaring. What does all of this mean? The investing game has changed, so new strategies are needed to keep up with the new rules.
TipRanks has a tool that offers more than just an evaluation on a fundamental and technical basis. Providing a more comprehensive stock analysis, the Smart Score pulls together 8 commonly used predictive metrics, and collates all of the data into a single numerical score. This score ranges from 1 to 10, with 10 being assigned to the names most likely to outperform.
Using TipRanks’ database, we pinpointed three stocks that have earned the enviable “Perfect 10” Smart Score. Let’s dig a bit deeper into the details.
Through its versatile drug discovery and development platform designed using its patented technologies, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals develops therapies that target intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Given its impressive development pipeline, some members of the Street believe that it’s time to take another look at this Perfect 10.
Currently, Phase 1 studies of ARO-APOC3 and ARO-ANG3 are fully enrolled, with updates potentially being provided at the European Society of Cardiology in late August, American Heart Association in November and the National Lipid Association meeting in December. Writing for Piper Sandler, five-star analyst Edward Tenthoff has been impressed by ARWR thus far.
Looking at interim Phase 1 multi-dose data on ARO-APOC3, the therapy was able to generate a 95% reduction in TG. Additionally, ARO-ANG3 demonstrated an LDLc reduction of 39-42% in hypercholesterolemia patients on top of background therapy and a TG reduction of 79% in hypertriglyceridemia patients. Not to mention, the safety and tolerability profile was robust.
Weighing in on the implications, Tenthoff stated, “Clean safety and lipid lowering will enable initiation of pivotal trial starts of ARO-APOC3 in Multifactorial Chylomicronemia (MCM) syndrome and a Phase IIb study of ARO-ANG3 in mixed dyslipedemia by 1H:21. Amgen could report Phase I AMG-890 data and start a Phase II study triggering a milestone.”
Even though COVID-19 forced the company to halt the Phase 2/3 SEQUOIA and open-label Phase 2 AROAAT2002 studies of ARO-AAT, both have now been restarted. The AROAAT2002 study is assessing pre- and post- ARO-AAT treatment biopsies to measure histological liver disease activity over two years, with ARWR potentially releasing six-month biopsy data from the first cohort at AASLD. “While histological changes are not expected at this point, observation of reduction in production of pathological misfolded AAT protein would indicate drug activity,” Tenthoff added.
The company also has other ongoing clinical activity including Phase 1 studies for ARO-HSD to treat NASH, ARO-HIF1 in kidney cancer and ARO-ENaC for cystic fibrosis, and thus, the deal is sealed for Tenthoff. In addition to reiterating an Overweight rating, he kept his $80 price target as is. A twelve-month gain of 65% could be in store, should the analyst’s thesis play out in the year ahead. (To watch Tenthoff’s track record, click here)
Judging by the consensus breakdown, other analysts also like what they’re seeing. 5 Buys and a single Hold add up to a Strong Buy consensus rating. Based on the $64.17 average price target, the upside potential comes in at 33%. (See ARWR stock analysis on TipRanks)
Meeting the needs of a very large market, Dropbox offers cloud storage, team collaboration and work productivity solutions. After hosting a conference call with its SVP of Engineer, Product and Design Timothy Young, one analyst is even more optimistic about DBX’s long-term growth prospects.
Five-star analyst Alex Zukin, of RBC Capital, tells clients he sees “solid potential for the company’s new product strategy, which essentially aims to be a knowledge worker’s central engagement hub.” The platform allows employees to communicate and collaborate using DBX’s own products, integrated applications and other content including URLs and various types of files.
According to Young, technology across various consumer goods is transitioning from an “ownership model” to an “access model”, with the cloud enabling this shift to happen in the workplace as well. As a result, this prompted DBX to revamp its product and strategy. Going beyond managing files, the company is now “in the business of managing asynchronous communications across mediums and even other applications.”
Zukin explained, “We note that Dropbox is not the only vendor trying to serve this need, but Dropbox does view its role here as unique, nothing that while companies like Zoom and Slack are greater for short conversations and exchanges, Dropbox is trying to provide institutional long-term memory.”
As part of this updated strategy, DBX has placed a significant focus on shifting it from an OS/utility layer to a foreground application. “The company highlighted not only its new desktop app, but also tray and menu bars that bring contextual awareness to the knowledge workers and an ability to bring in new aggregation points around access,” Zukin commented. Adding to the good news, management stated its user base is incredibly loyal and has reacted positively to the product changes.
Everything that DBX has going for it keeps Zukin with the bulls. To this end, he maintained an Outperform rating and $30 price target. The implication? Upside potential of 39%. (To watch Zukin’s track record, click here)
Looking at the consensus breakdown, 5 Buys, 1 Hold and 2 Sells have been assigned in the last three months. So, DBX gets a Moderate Buy consensus rating. At $26.43, the average price target indicates 23% upside potential. (See Dropbox stock analysis on TipRanks)
As one of the top providers and distributors of auto repair parts in the U.S. and Europe, LKQ offers lower-cost alternative parts that are considered of “like kind and quality” when compared to OEM manufactured parts. While COVID-19 has had a serious impact on LKQ, the tides could be turning for this Perfect 10.
Covering the stock for SunTrust Robinson, four-star analyst Stephanie Benjamin believes that better days are ahead. To support this conclusion, she pointed out miles driven activity has been recovering across LKQ’s major markets since April, with driving activity now above January 2020 levels.
According to Apple mobility data (driving only), driving activity is up 124% in the U.S., 183% in Germany, 199% in the UK and 829% in Italy since March 31. It should, however, be noted that typically, the highest driving levels are seen in the summer, with work-from-home and virtual education also potentially hampering driving activity in the back half of the year.
That being said, Benjamin argues that “an increase in accident frequency will at least partially offset the reduction in miles driven and ultimately drive demand for LKQ’s alternative parts.” Expounding on this, she stated, “Risky and distracted driving has increased the last several months with speeding up 27% and phone usage up 38% among drivers. As a result, there has been a 20% increase in crash frequency per mile driven during COVID despite an overall decline in the number of crashes.”
Additionally, increased vehicle complexity and higher repair costs could lead to more collision repairs and the need for alternative parts, in Benjamin’s opinion. If that wasn’t enough, margins could get a boost. “In our view, LKQ is well positioned to see the margin progression in 2021 due to its (1) ~$250 million in quarterly cost savings implemented in response to COVID-19, (2) restructuring program which enables the closure of underperforming branches, and (3) ongoing European integration efforts,” the analyst said.
It’s also important to mention that the effects of COVID-19 through May were not as bad as previously anticipated. To this end, Benjamin expects to see similar organic growth in June, with her estimate potentially being “conservative as economies continued to reopen and miles driven improved throughout the month.” Therefore, her 2020 EPS estimate gets a lift, from $1.43 to $1.54.
In line with her optimistic take, Benjamin continues to rate LKQ a Buy. In addition, she bumped up the price target from $30 to $35, suggesting 26% upside potential. (To watch Benjamin’s track record, click here)
The bulls represent the majority on this one. Out of 6 total reviews published in the last three months, 5 analysts rated the stock a Buy, while 1 said Hold. So, the word on the Street is that LKQ is a Strong Buy. The $34.75 average price target implies shares could rise 25% in the next twelve months. (See LKQ stock analysis on TipRanks)
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Former Project Veritas & O’Keefe Media Group operative and Pfizer formulation analyst scientist Justin Leslie revealed previously unpublished recordings showing Pfizer’s top vaccine researchers discussing major concerns surrounding COVID-19 vaccines. Leslie delivered these recordings to Veritas in late 2021, but they were never published:
Principal scientist at Pfizer, Kanwall Gill in 2021:
“We had no idea how it’s going to look like. MRNA vaccines have been there for 50 years, but nothing went to clinical trial because MRNA have been known to have side effects.”
Featured in Leslie’s footage is Kanwal Gill, a principal scientist at Pfizer. Gill was weary of MRNA technology given its long research history yet lack of approved commercial products. She called the vaccines “sneaky,” suggesting latent side effects could emerge in time.
Gill goes on to illustrate how the vaccine formulation process was dramatically rushed under the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization and adds that profit incentives likely played a role:
Pfizer's principal scientist in 2021:
“It takes 10 year for a vaccine to come out. It takes years of observations... we are doing everything at the same time."
"It’s going to affect my heart, and I’m going to die. And nobody’s talking about that."
Leslie recorded another colleague, Pfizer’s pharmaceutical formulation scientist Ramin Darvari, who raised the since-validated concern that repeat booster intake could damage the cardiovascular system:
Pfizer's pharmaceutical formulation scientist, Ramin Darvari, in 2021:
“They’re engineering it specifically for me to take the next one, so increasing my consumption."
“It’s going to affect my heart, and I’m going to die. And nobody’s talking about that.”
None of these claims will be shocking to hear in 2024, but it is telling that high-level Pfizer researchers were discussing these topics in private while the company assured the public of “no serious safety concerns” upon the jab’s release:
Vaccine for Children is a Different Formulation
Leslie sent me a little-known FDA-Pfizer conference — a 7-hour Zoom meeting published in tandem with the approval of the vaccine for 5 – 11 year-olds — during which Pfizer’s vice presidents of vaccine research and development, Nicholas Warne and William Gruber, discussed a last-minute change to the vaccine’s “buffer” — from “PBS” to “Tris” — to improve its shelf life. For about 30 seconds of these 7 hours, Gruber acknowledged that the new formula was NOT the one used in clinical trials (emphasis mine):
“The studies were done using the same volume… but contained the PBS buffer. We obviously had extensive consultations with the FDA and it was determined that the clinical studies were not required because, again, the LNP and the MRNA are the same and the behavior — in terms of reactogenicity and efficacy — are expected to be the same.”
According to Leslie, the tweaked “buffer” dramatically changed the temperature needed for storage: “Before they changed this last step of the formulation, the formula was to be kept at -80 degrees Celsius. After they changed the last step, we kept them at 2 to 8 degrees celsius,” Leslie told me.
The claims are backed up in the referenced video presentation:
I’m no vaccinologist but an 80-degree temperature delta — and a 5x shelf-life in a warmer climate — seems like a significant change that might warrant clinical trials before commercial release.
Despite this information technically being public, there has been virtually no media scrutiny or even coverage — and in fact, most were told the vaccine for children was the same formula but just a smaller dose — which is perhaps due to a combination of the information being buried within a 7-hour jargon-filled presentation and our media being totally dysfunctional.
Bohemian Grove?
Leslie’s 2-hour long documentary on his experience at both Pfizer and O’Keefe’s companies concludes on an interesting note: James O’Keefe attended an outing at the Bohemian Grove.
Leslie offers this photo of James’ Bohemian Grove “GATE” slip as evidence, left on his work desk atop a copy of his book, “American Muckraker”:
My thoughts on the Bohemian Grove: my good friend’s dad was its general manager for several decades. From what I have gathered through that connection, the Bohemian Grove is not some version of the Illuminati, at least not in the institutional sense.
Do powerful elites hangout there? Absolutely. Do they discuss their plans for the world while hanging out there? I’m sure it has happened. Do they have a weird ritual with a giant owl? Yep, Alex Jones showed that to the world.
My perspective is based on conversations with my friend and my belief that his father is not lying to him. I could be wrong and am open to evidence — like if boxer Ryan Garcia decides to produce evidence regarding his rape claims — and I do find it a bit strange the club would invite O’Keefe who is notorious for covertly filming, but Occam’s razor would lead me to believe the club is — as it was under my friend’s dad — run by boomer conservatives the extent of whose politics include disliking wokeness, immigration, and Biden (common subjects of O’Keefe’s work).
Therefore, I don’t find O’Keefe’s visit to the club indicative that he is some sort of Operation Mockingbird asset as Leslie tries to depict (however Mockingbird is a 100% legitimate conspiracy). I have also met James several times and even came close to joining OMG. While I disagreed with James on the significance of many of his stories — finding some to be overhyped and showy — I never doubted his conviction in them.
As for why Leslie’s story was squashed… all my sources told me it was to avoid jail time for Veritas executives.
Feel free to watch Leslie’s full documentary here and decide for yourself.
Fun fact — Justin Leslie was also the operative behind this mega-viral Project Veritas story where Pfizer’s director of R&D claimed the company was privately mutating COVID-19 behind closed doors:
BREAKING: @Pfizer Exploring "Mutating" COVID-19 Virus For New Vaccines
"Don't tell anyone this...There is a risk...have to be very controlled to make sure this virus you mutate doesn't create something...the way that the virus started in Wuhan, to be honest."#DirectedEvolutionpic.twitter.com/xaRvlD5qTo
“[…] our findings support the hypothesis that the intrauterine environment, particularly essential and non-essential metals, affect epigenetic aging biomarkers across the life course.”
Credit: 2024 Bozack et al.
“[…] our findings support the hypothesis that the intrauterine environment, particularly essential and non-essential metals, affect epigenetic aging biomarkers across the life course.”
BUFFALO, NY- March 12, 2024 – A new research paper was published inAging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as “Aging (Albany NY)” and “Aging-US” by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 4, entitled, “Associations of prenatal one-carbon metabolism nutrients and metals with epigenetic aging biomarkers at birth and in childhood in a US cohort.”
Epigenetic gestational age acceleration (EGAA) at birth and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) in childhood may be biomarkers of the intrauterine environment. In this new study, researchers Anne K. Bozack, Sheryl L. Rifas-Shiman, Andrea A. Baccarelli, Robert O. Wright, Diane R. Gold, Emily Oken, Marie-France Hivert, and Andres Cardenas from Stanford University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Columbia University, and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai investigated the extent to which first-trimester folate, B12, 5 essential and 7 non-essential metals in maternal circulation are associated with EGAA and EAA in early life.
“[…] we hypothesized that OCM [one-carbon metabolism] nutrients and essential metals would be positively associated with EGAA and non-essential metals would be negatively associated with EGAA. We also investigated nonlinear associations and associations with mixtures of micronutrients and metals.”
Bohlin EGAA and Horvath pan-tissue and skin and blood EAA were calculated using DNA methylation measured in cord blood (N=351) and mid-childhood blood (N=326; median age = 7.7 years) in the Project Viva pre-birth cohort. A one standard deviation increase in individual essential metals (copper, manganese, and zinc) was associated with 0.94-1.2 weeks lower Horvath EAA at birth, and patterns of exposures identified by exploratory factor analysis suggested that a common source of essential metals was associated with Horvath EAA. The researchers also observed evidence of nonlinear associations of zinc with Bohlin EGAA, magnesium and lead with Horvath EAA, and cesium with skin and blood EAA at birth. Overall, associations at birth did not persist in mid-childhood; however, arsenic was associated with greater EAA at birth and in childhood.
“Prenatal metals, including essential metals and arsenic, are associated with epigenetic aging in early life, which might be associated with future health.”
Read the full paper: DOI:https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.205602
Corresponding Author: Andres Cardenas
Corresponding Email:andres.cardenas@stanford.edu
Keywords: epigenetic age acceleration, metals, folate, B12, prenatal exposures
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About Aging:
Launched in 2009, Aging publishes papers of general interest and biological significance in all fields of aging research and age-related diseases, including cancer—and now, with a special focus on COVID-19 vulnerability as an age-dependent syndrome. Topics in Aging go beyond traditional gerontology, including, but not limited to, cellular and molecular biology, human age-related diseases, pathology in model organisms, signal transduction pathways (e.g., p53, sirtuins, and PI-3K/AKT/mTOR, among others), and approaches to modulating these signaling pathways.
Please visit our website at www.Aging-US.com and connect with us:
National insurance, income tax, VAT, capital gains tax, inheritance tax… it’s easy to get confused about the many different ways we contribute to the cost of running the country. The budget announcement is the key time each year when the government shares its financial plans with us all, and announces changes that may make a tangible difference to what you pay.
But you’ll likely be hearing a lot more about taxes in the coming months – promises to cut or raise them are an easy win (or lose) for politicians in an election year. We may even get at least one “mini-budget”.
If you’ve recently entered the workforce or the housing market, you may still be wrapping your mind around all of these terms. Here is what you need to know about the different types of taxes and how they affect you.
The UK broadly uses three ways to collect tax:
1. When you earn money
If you are an employee or own a business, taxes are deducted from your salary or profits you make. For most people, this happens in two ways: income tax, and national insurance contributions (or NICs).
If you are self-employed, you will have to pay your taxes via an annual tax return assessment. You might also have to pay taxes this way for interest you earn on savings, dividends (distribution of profits from a company or shares you own) received and most other forms of income not taxed before you get it.
VAT and excise duties are taxes on most goods and services you buy, with some exceptions like books and children’s clothing. About 20% of the total tax collected is VAT.
3. Taxes on wealth and assets
These are mainly taxes on the money you earn if you sell assets (like property or stocks) for more than you bought them for, or when you pass on assets in an inheritance. In the latter case in the UK, the recipient doesn’t pay this, it is the estate paying it out that must cover this if due. These taxes contribute only about 3% to the total tax collected.
You also likely have to pay council tax, which is set by the council you live in based on the value of your house or flat. It is paid by the user of the property, no matter if you own or rent. If you are a full-time student or on some apprenticeship schemes, you may get a deduction or not have to pay council tax at all.
This article is part of Quarter Life, a series about issues affecting those of us in our 20s and 30s. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.
Put together, these totalled almost £790 billion in 2022-23, which the government spends on public services such as the NHS, schools and social care. The government collects taxes from all sources and sets its spending plans accordingly, borrowing to make up any difference between the two.
Income tax
The amount of income tax you pay is determined by where your income sits in a series of “bands” set by the government. Almost everyone is entitled to a “personal allowance”, currently £12,570, which you can earn without needing to pay any income tax.
You then pay 20% in tax on each pound of income you earn (across all sources) from £12,570-£50,270. You pay 40% on each extra pound up to £125,140 and 45% over this. If you earn more than £100,000, the personal allowance (amount of untaxed income) starts to decrease.
If you are self-employed, the same rates apply to you. You just don’t have an employer to take this off your salary each month. Instead, you have to make sure you have enough money at the end of the year to pay this directly to the government.
The government can increase the threshold limits to adjust for inflation. This tries to ensure any wage rise you get in response to higher prices doesn’t lead to you having to pay a higher tax rate. However, the government announced in 2021 that they would freeze these thresholds until 2026 (extended now to 2028), arguing that it would help repay the costs of the pandemic.
Given wages are now rising for many to help with the cost of living crisis, this means many people will pay more income tax this coming year than they did before. This is sometimes referred to as “fiscal drag” – where lower earners are “dragged” into paying higher tax rates, or being taxed on more of their income.
National insurance
National insurance contributions (NICs) are a second “tax” you pay on your income – or to be precise, on your earned income (your salary). You don’t pay this on some forms of income, including savings or dividends, and you also don’t pay it once you reach state retirement age (currently 66).
While Jeremy Hunt, the current chancellor of the exchequer, didn’t adjust income tax meaningfully in this year’s budget, he did announce a cut to NICs. This was a surprise to many, as we had already seen rates fall from 12% to 10% on incomes higher than £242/week in January. It will now fall again to 8% from April.
While this is charged separately to income tax, in reality it all just goes into one pot with other taxes. Some, including the chancellor, say it is time to merge these two deductions and make this simpler for everyone. In his budget speech this year, Hunt said he’d like to see this tax go entirely. He thinks this isn’t fair on those who have to pay it, as it is only charged on some forms of income and on some workers.
I wouldn’t hold my breath for this to happen however, and even if it did, there are huge sums linked to NICs (nearly £180bn last year) so it would almost certainly have to be collected from elsewhere (such as via an increase in income taxes, or a lot more borrowing) to make sure the government could still balance its books.
There are likely to be further tweaks to the UK’s tax system soon, perhaps by the current government before the election – and almost certainly if there is a change of government.
Wealth taxes may be in line for a change. In the budget, the chancellor reduced capital gains taxes on sales of assets such as second properties (from 28% to 24%). These types of taxes provide only a limited amount of money to the government, as quite high thresholds apply for inheritance tax (up to £1 million if you are passing on a family home).
There are calls from many quarters though to look again at these types of taxes. Wealth inequality (the differences between total wealth held by the richest compared to the poorest) in the UK is very high (much higher than income inequality) and rising.
But how to do this effectively is a matter of much debate. A recent study suggested a one-off tax on total wealth held over a certain threshold might work. But wealth taxes are challenging to make work in practice, and both main political parties have already said this isn’t an option they are considering currently.
Andy Lymer and his colleagues at the Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing at Aston University currently or have recently received funding for their research work from a variety of funding bodies including the UK's Money and Pension Service, the Aviva Foundation, Fair4All Finance, NEST Insight, the Gambling Commission, Vivid Housing and the ESRC, amongst others.
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