The Netflix Saga, Part 1: Understanding the Business Model

Article by Investazor.com

family-watching-netflix-resize-15.11.2013

Why Netflix?

Netflix got my attention after I have read a bunch of articles about how insanely overinflated this company’s stocks really are. So, I thought the best way to see if critics are right or not is to learn as much as possible about Netflix and trying to understand their business model in order to express my opinion regarding their valuation. After doing the research I realized there is too much to be said in just one article post and I decided to split it in two parts.

business-model-netflix-resize-15.11.2013In the first one, which one you are reading right now, I will talk about Netflix business model and explain what makes this company function and which factors are crucial for its growth and profitability. In the second part I will analyze the evolution of Netflix business key metrics and express some opinions on the company’s medium-long term prospects and I will also deliver a technical analysis for the short-term trend prospects.

“Netflix is the world’s leading Internet television network with over 40 million members in more than 40 countries”. This is the company unique selling proposition and you can find it on their official website. But, if you want to see beyond that we shall take its business model blocks piece by piece in order to see the big picture.

Which are the values Netflix deliver to the customers?

We will start with the value Netflix creates for its customers, also known as  “Value Propositions”, which should not be taken for what the company sells to its customers. Netflix sells content, movies and TV shows by an internet platform whereas its value propositions are:

-Newness

-Convenience / Usability

-Customization

– Price

In other terms, customers have access to unlimited commercial free viewing, including exclusive TV Shows and Netflix own-made productions (i.e. House of Cards) that you cannot watch unless you are a member of Netflix media streaming service. Hence, its extensive exclusive content is paramount and represents one of the key metrics we should pay attention to in order to see how it influences revenues. However, the company makes efforts so that the newness of the content to be backed up by its quality too and if we take into account that “House of Cards”, Netflix own-made production, won an Emmy award in September, they kind of managed to exceed the market expectations.

Convenience (usability) is brought by the easiness you can have access to the service Netflix offers. The customers need to have an internet connection to be able to connect to one of the many platforms on which Netflix runs and then choose whatever they want to watch. Also, they have the possibility to pause and fast-forwarding it along with setting personal taste preferences which is translated into a customized browsing, giving full control over their viewing experience. On top of this, the customer can watch his/her favorite TV show or movie in a commercial-free way because its content is not ad-supported.

Price is a value proposition relative to the huge number of hours of TV Shows and Movies (more than one billion hours!!!) Netflix can provide on their platforms. I used the term relative because the price of two competing companies is either the same, which is 7.99$ per month (Hulu), or a bit cheaper (Amazon Prime costs 79$ a year that is 6.60$ per month), but Netflix exceed these two competitors by size of the content.

Who is Netflix creating value for?

Basically, the customer target is the mass market because the database that Netflix possess can satisfy everybody’s tastes when it comes about movies and TV series. More structured, the customer segments are the domestic ones (United States) and the international ones, which comprises Canada, Latin America, UK, Ireland and Nordic countries. At this moment Netflix is present in more than 40 countries.

How do Netflix reach its Costumer Segments?

Being an online subscription-based entertainment video service, the major channel through which customers are reached is online advertising, that is social media and web-browsing. This is the place where the chances to reach a potential customer are higher if we take into consideration the fact that those specific persons already spend some of their time in the online “environment”, so they will tend to be more open to the idea of using and paying for an online service, finding it more appealing.

On the other hand, broad-based media(TV and Radio) is important as well because this is the field where Netflix can find those potential customers the company have to persuade that internet video streaming is the future and it also  suits their needs very well at an affordable price.

Regarding strategic partnerships, they have their specific importance which should not be underestimated and have to be looked at as a long term strategic plan.

What type of relationships do Netflix costumers expect it to establish?

When your business is heavily based on your subscribers, you really want, first of all, to establish an acquisition-relation type and then to retain them by making loyal to your service. Having in mind that the value Netflix delivers is a no-commitment one, they have to make great efforts to always bring exclusive high-quality content, so that the subscribers would become attached to their content. However, by the convenient and easy-to-use online platform they put at their customers disposal, Netflix create an automated-services type of relation. Hence, the company needs to focus on continuous service improvements that will enhance subscribers’ satisfaction and retention rate.

Which are the values are Netflix customers willing to pay for?

The only revenue stream Netflix relies on is the monthly no-commitment membership fee. Namely, the customers pay 7.99$ per month for a membership status which allow them to watch whatever they want from Netflix content database without being committed to a contract on a fixed number of months, every customer being free to go when they consider to. Hence, the number of subscribers is of a paramount importance for the revenues, therefore for the profitability and for the future of the company.

Who are Netflix key partners?

In order to make continuous service improvements, Netflix engages in automatically and constantly optimization of the streaming bit-rate to each user’s Internet speed. To make this happen, the company needs to collaborate with internet providers. Besides this basic partnership, every change in the internet providers industry affects in a round-about way Netflix, because its core business is founded on online interdependent platforms.

The other two key partners are the content providers: television networks and motion picture studios, as FOX, Universal, etc. In order to deliver content on its platforms, Netflix pays for licenses for TV series and movies it provides the subscribers with. A key aspect to be considered is the exclusive rights for specific media shows Netflix pays in order to make sure they bring original content to their customers. Is Netflix financially strong enough to compete with HBO? In this context, how much can motion pictures studios raise the price for exclusivity rights not to hurt Netflix? I will answer these questions in the second part of my analysis.

What key activities Netflix value propositions require?

First of all, Netflix core business is an online-based service, so they must improve their platforms in order to enhance its customer satisfaction. Also, providing content is another key activity which helps Netflix to deliver value. Nevertheless, you cannot have a business if there are no customers and this is when marketing activity makes its appearance in order to help the business acquiring subscribers and generating revenues.

The first two are very important since they are directly linked to the contentment of customers, which greatly influence the number of subscribers who are willing to pay for what Netflix offers.

What key resources do Netflix value propositions require?

Top-quality streaming media infrastructure is a must if you want to retain your customers and to make your service user-interaction better and better. Also, Netflix needs to upload something on those platforms, which is content, and they have to pay for it so that they will be given the license to stream it on their multiple platforms.

For Netflix to be able to differentiate from its competition, it started to produce “in-house” content. This will also help the company to acquire and retain its customers since they can watch “House of Cards”, which was a hit in the TV series industry, only if they subscribe to Netflix.

All resources are of major importance since their use makes effective the key activities Netflix value propositions require, aspects which will lead us to the importance of the key activities outlined in the above paragraph.

What are the important costs inherent in Netflix business model?

The costs come from the acquisition of the resources which makes possible the effectiveness of the key activities that are required by the Netflix value propositions delivered to the customers. They consists of technology and development costs, which funds streaming infrastructure improvements and original own-produced content; licenses costs, for the external content is brought online, and marketing, which description is self-explanatory. Thus, keeping the costs as low as possible is primordial for Netflix since they have three categories of costs and just one revenue stream.

So, what message does Netflix business model send us?

In order to grow its business and become more profitable (revenue stream and cost structure), Netflix core strategy is to grow its streaming subscription database domestically and internationally (customer segments). At the foundation of achieving this objective lies the well-being the customers get after purchasing Netflix service (value propositions). For to deliver top-quality value, keep the subscribers pleased and retain them (customer relationships), the company needs to buy the tools of the trade (key resources) from other third-parties (key partners) so that they can do their “magic” (key activities) and reach its customers (channels).

In the next part I will get into more details regarding the key growth drivers for medium&long term perspectives and I will also deliver a technical analysis for the short-term trend prospects.

The post The Netflix Saga, Part 1: Understanding the Business Model appeared first on investazor.com.

Three Bullish Reasons to Renew Your Trust in Gold

By for Daily Gains Letter

Trust in GoldGold has gained a significant amount of negative attention lately, being called a “slam-dunk sell” not too long ago. While the bears have their reasons, I continue to be bullish on the shiny yellow metal for a few reasons of my own.

First of all, central banks around the world are continuously printing or using easy monetary policies to spur growth in their respective countries—these policies are rigorous and extraordinary, to say the least. For example, the central bank of Australia has lowered its benchmark interest rates by more than 40% since the beginning of 2012. The cash rate in the country stood at 4.25% in early 2012, and now it sits at 2.5%. (Source: “Cash Rate Target: Interest Rate Changes,” Reserve Bank of Australia web site, last accessed November 12, 2013.)

Similarly, not too long ago, we heard a surprising announcement from the European Central Bank: it cut interest rates to their lowest level after the eurozone’s economic health didn’t show signs of improvement.

On the printing front, the Federal Reserve continues to be at the forefront. The central bank is still printing $85.0 billion a month and buying U.S. bonds and mortgage-backed securities. Note that we hear gold bullion is going down in value these days because the Federal Reserve will be tapering quantitative easing. Sadly, they forget that tapering still means more printing, just at a slower pace.

Secondly, the demand for gold bullion continues to increase. We have seen mints across the global economy sell a record amount of gold bullion coins, consumers rush to buy the precious metal, and nations that are thought to be the biggest consumers of gold bullion experience robust growth. In India, the demand remains robust in spite of the combined efforts of the government and the central bank to curb the demand. Over the country’s festival season, the premiums to buy gold bullion reached a record high.

Last but not least, no matter how you look at it, gold bullion is still in an uptrend. Please look at the chart below of monthly gold bullion prices, in which the trend is very evident.

Gold-Spot Price Chart(EOD) Chart1

Chart courtesy of www.StockCharts.com

When it comes to gold bullion prices, I am looking at it from a long-term perspective; short-term fluctuations don’t really matter.

As it stands, there are opportunities in the gold bullion market, specifically with those who are looking for or producing the metal. That said, investors have to keep in mind that they provide leverage return to gold bullion prices; therefore, investors have to use stops and proper risk management techniques.

 

http://www.dailygainsletter.com/precious-metals/three-bullish-reasons-to-renew-your-trust-in-gold/2110/

 

 

Top Four Overlooked Stocks for Income-Seeking Investors

By for Daily Gains Letter | Nov 15, 2013

Income-Seeking InvestorsThe 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia may be just around the corner, but when it comes to breaking records—for better or worse—Wall Street remains the gold-medal champion.

Thanks to the Federal Reserve, interest rates are at record lows, and will stay there for the foreseeable future. The U.S. national debt is at a record $17.1 trillion, while at the other end of the scale, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average recently posted record highs.

This is in spite of economic indicators that suggest the markets should be moving in the opposite direction: high unemployment, high debt, weak consumer confidence, a record 47.6 million Americans—one-sixth of the population—receiving food stamps, etc.

Under this umbrella, the markets have been going higher, in spite of an increasingly large number of companies warning investors they are not going to meet projections—and, in fact, have been revising earnings-per-share (EPS) guidance lower all year.

In the third quarter, a record 83% of S&P 500 companies revised their EPS guidance lower. How about the fourth quarter? So far, 83.5% of reporting companies on the S&P 500 have issued negative EPS guidance. In October, analysts lowered earnings estimates by 1.5%, below the one-, five-, and 10-year averages for the first month of a quarter.

Again, in spite of the record number of S&P 500 companies revising their EPS guidance lower and weak October analyst expectations, the S&P 500 continues to notch up fabulous gains—roughly 25% year-to-date and 4.5% in October alone.

Interestingly, this marks the seventh time in the last nine quarters that earnings estimates fell while the value of the underlying index increased during the first month of the quarter.

Against this backdrop, a record number of S&P 500 companies (70%) took part in stock repurchase programs in 2012 in an effort to prop up their EPS numbers. Efforts in 2013 have been just as bullish.

Case in point: International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE/IBM) said recently that its board of directors authorized a $15.0-billion share repurchase program in an effort to increase earnings in the face of slumping sales. The slight of hand continues into 2014, when the board said it will request more next October. IBM is hoping these efforts will help it reach its adjusted EPS goal of $20.00 by 2015; in 2012, it reported $15.25 per share. (Source: “IBM Board Approves Quarterly Cash Dividend; Authorizes $15 Billion for Stock Repurchase,” Yahoo! Finance, October 29, 2013.)

Investors looking to take some of the uncertainty out of the markets should consider researching financially solid companies with a really long track record of providing not just reliable revenue and earnings growth, but also dividend growth.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE/KO) has increased its dividend for 51 consecutive years. The company currently has a dividend yield of 2.8%. Running in step, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE/JNJ) has also increased its dividend for 51 consecutive years. The company is trading up 34% year-to-date and provides a quarterly dividend of 2.8%.

Then there are the everyday dividend giants we tend to overlook. The Clorox Company (NYSE/CLX) has rewarded investors with 36 years of consecutive dividend growth. It’s trading up 28.5% year-to-date and offers a generous 3.2% quarterly dividend. For the last 50 consecutive years, Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE/CL) has also been providing investors with solid dividend growth. It currently pays out 2.1% per quarter, and is up almost 26% year-to-date.

Amidst the EPS smoke and mirrors, there are a number of excellent companies that will report legitimate fourth-quarter earnings growth. These companies are expected to continue their long-term trend of actually raising their dividends, which is good news for income-seeking investors.

 

http://www.dailygainsletter.com/income/top-four-overlooked-stocks-for-income-seeking-investors/2108/

 

Why Google Is Still a Bargain at a Grand a Share

By for Investment Contrarians | Nov 15, 2013

Google Is Still a Bargain1 In spite of its $1,000-plus share price, there’s a reason why Google Inc. (NASDAQ/GOOG) is a buying opportunity.

Now one of the most valuable companies in the world, Google did not start trading until 2004 and in less than a decade, the upstart Internet services company has a market cap bigger than that of General Electric Company (NYSE/GE), which was formed in 1892 and has been trading since 1962.

In the technology area, Google has become a heavyweight and long-term buying opportunity.

The company essentially pummeled Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ/YHOO) after offering up the idea of display advertising via its own network of ad solutions. Yahoo! didn’t jump on this concept, and look where it is now, with a market cap nearly ten-times smaller than Google’s.

Now Google is spreading its wings to hardware, or more specifically, the mobile market, with its “Android” operating system. I see a buying opportunity here.

The demand for Android-powered smartphones has grown to the point that these devices are a dominant player in the global economy.

Market leader Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. used the Android platform to build a world-class smartphone, which also signals a buying opportunity.

Through its acquisition of Motorola, Google is working hard to capture global market share with the pending introduction of a cheaper smartphone that still offers power and functionality. The company will offer to the world its “Moto G” smartphone, which will come with eight gigabytes of memory. The estimated cost is $179.00 with no contract. The 16-gigabyte version is $199.00.

Clearly, Google is less worried about margins at this point, and is more focused on expanding its market share in not only the U.S. market, but also the emerging markets worldwide, which are a boon for low-cost smartphones. Success here would indicate a possible buying opportunity in Google.

Conversely, Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ/AAPL) is more concerned with its margins, after debuting its “low-cost” plastic-bodied version of its “iPhone,” the 16-gigabyte “iPhone 5C,” for a starting price of $99.00 with a two-year contract. Without a contract, the standard 16-gigabyte version costs about $549.00, and the 32-gigabyte version is priced at $649.00.

So logic tells us that the lower-priced phone offered by Google may end in greater sales in the emerging markets versus the iPhone; however, Apple continues to be tops in the U.S., so it will not be so easy for Google to break into the American market. However, until Apple cuts the price of its phones (or at least the 5C), I do not see a buying opportunity at this point.

For Google, the key will be the emerging markets, with their billions of price-conscious users who are in the market for a cheaper phone without a contract. Of course, Google will likely take a loss on each phone it sells, but it will gain market share, which is really what it’s about at this stage, especially in the case of Google as it plays catch-up in this marketplace. I see a potential buying opportunity in Google in both the Internet and mobile phone spaces.

The scenario with Google is interesting—but it’s a possible buying opportunity that investors need to watch. If Google can get a foothold in the emerging markets, I would seriously look at the stock as a buying opportunity.

 

 

Why the Sell-Off in Gold Bullion Is Based on Faulty Logic

By for Investment Contrarians | Nov 15, 2013

Gold Bullion Is Based on Faulty LogicOver the last few days, gold bullion in U.S. dollars has been under selling pressure yet again. With the price of gold bullion pulling back, one obvious question arises: what’s the appropriate investment strategy at this point?

Many are pointing to talk that the Federal Reserve is about to reduce its monetary stimulus, and this has led some investors to adjust their investment strategy by reducing their gold bullion holdings.

There are several interesting points to make about the argument for this investment strategy. Firstly, members of the Federal Reserve, along with other central bankers around the world, have explicitly stated that inflation is far too low—the opposite of what these investors who are bearish on gold believe.

Considering that the Federal Reserve has all the control in terms of money supply and it is adamant in its goal of increasing inflation, I certainly wouldn’t want to fight the Fed.

So, the media is stating that the reason people are shifting their investments strategy on gold bullion is because the Federal Reserve is about to begin reducing money printing due to the increase in inflation…

Since when does higher inflation lead to lower gold bullion prices? It just doesn’t. If inflation gets out of control, I would rather already own gold bullion than join the crowd scrambling to jump on board again.

If anything, having the Federal Reserve and global central bankers pushing their foot on the money printing accelerator just means a greater increase in the probability of inflation.

Inflation, of course, means higher asset prices. As an investment strategy, when an economy is encountering inflation, the one place you can’t be is in cash.

While the stock market has clearly benefited from the money printing, I believe the next leg-up is an increase in the price of gold bullion. With the Federal Reserve clearly unhappy with the low level of inflation, it has stated that monetary stimulus won’t stop until inflation starts to accelerate.

The second point is that the Federal Reserve is not about to tighten monetary policy; rather, the Fed is discussing reducing the most aggressive monetary policy in its history. There’s a huge difference between tightening monetary policy and continuing it at a reduced pace.

While the Federal Reserve might lower its buying from close to $1.0 trillion in asset-backed securities per year to perhaps only $600 billion, this is still a ridiculous sum of money.

We are not talking about the Federal Reserve clamping down and tightening monetary policy. If that were to occur, then yes, one should adjust their investment strategy, including gold bullion. But the Federal Reserve has stated that it plans to leave monetary policy in an extremely easy condition all the way to 2016—if not further.

The last point regarding gold bullion is the investment strategy shift by the mining companies themselves. At the end of the day, supply and demand is extremely important for the price of gold bullion.

Mining companies have begun reducing expansion, cutting back on projects and focusing on the most lucrative assets. This means that over the next few years, there will be a far less supply of gold bullion coming onto the market.

However, the investment strategy of many nations is to continue accumulating physical gold bullion. I’m sure you’re all aware that China has not stopped accumulating gold bullion, and I believe it is using the current pullback as part of its investment strategy to continue exchanging paper money into physical gold bullion.

Over the short term, the market can move all over the place. But looking at the fundamental drivers of gold bullion, in my opinion, I think incorporating some precious metals at current price levels as part of a long-term, diversified investment strategy definitely makes sense.

 

 

Ichimoku Cloud Analysis 15.11.2013 (GBP/USD, GOLD)

Article By RoboForex.com

Analysis for November 15th, 2013

GBP/USD

GBPUSD, Time Frame H4 – Indicator signals: Tenkan-Sen and Kijun-Sen are close to each other below Kumo Cloud (1); Tenkan-Sen is directed upwards, other are horizontal. Ichimoku Cloud is closed (2), Chinkou Lagging Span is on the chart, and the price is on Senkou Span B. Short‑term forecast: we can expect support from cloud’s upper border.

GBPUSD, Time Frame H1 – Indicator signals: Tenkan-Sen and Kijun-Sen are close to each other above Kumo Cloud (1); Kijun-Sen and Senkou Span A are directed upwards, other lines are horizontal. Ichimoku Cloud is going up; Chinkou Lagging Span is above the chart, and the price is above the lines. Short‑term forecast: we can expect support from Tenkan-Sen – Kijun-Sen and growth of the price.

GOLD

XAUUSD, Time Frame H4 – Indicator signals: Tenkan-Sen and Kijun-Sen are influenced by “Dead Cross” (1); all lines are horizontal. Ichimoku Cloud is going down (2), Chinkou Lagging Span is on the chart, and the price is inside Tenkan-Sen – Kijun-Sen channel.  Short‑term forecast: we can expect support from Tenkan-Sen and growth of the price up to cloud’s lower border.

XAUUSD, Time Frame H1 – Indicator signals: Tenkan-Sen and Kijun-Sen are close to each other and influenced by “Golden Cross” (1); all lines are horizontal. Ichimoku Cloud is going up (2), Chinkou Lagging Span is above the chart, and the price is above Tenkan-Sen. Short‑term forecast: we can expect support from Kijun-Sen and growth of the price.

RoboForex Analytical Department

Attention!
Forecasts presented in this section only reflect the author’s private opinion and should not be considered as guidance for trading. RoboForex LP bears no responsibility for trading results based on trading recommendations described in these analytical reviews.

Article By RoboForex.com

 

Japanese Candlesticks Analysis 15.11.2013 (EUR/USD, USD/JPY)

Article By RoboForex.com

Analysis for November 15th, 2013

EUR/USD

H4 chart of the EUR/USD currency pair shows sideways correction. Price is moving between two Windows. Three Line Break chart and Heiken Ashi candlesticks confirm descending movement.

H1 chart of the EUR/USD currency pair shows resistance from closest Window. Three Line Break chart indicates descending movement; Hammer pattern and Heiken Ashi candlesticks confirm bullish mood.

USD/JPY

H4 chart of the USD/JPY currency pair shows bullish tendency. Upper Window is broken, now it’s support level. Three Line Break chart and Heiken Ashi candlesticks confirm ascending movement.

H1 chart of the USD/JPY currency pair also shows bullish tendency. Closest Window is support level. Three Line Break chart and Heiken Ashi candlesticks confirm ascending movement.

RoboForex Analytical Department

Attention!
Forecasts presented in this section only reflect the author’s private opinion and should not be considered as guidance for trading. RoboForex LP bears no responsibility for trading results based on trading recommendations described in these analytical reviews.

Article By RoboForex.com

 

 

GBPUSD’s rise extends to 1.6101

GBPUSD’s rise from 1.5854 extends to as high as 1.6101. Further rise to test 1.6259 resistance would likely be seen, a break above this level will signal resumption of the uptrend from 1.4813 (Jul 9 low), then the target would be at 1.7000 area. On the downside, a breakdown below 1.5854 support will confirm that the uptrend from 1.4813 had completed at 1.6259 already, then the following downward movement could bring price to 1.4500 zone.

gbpusd

Provided by ForexCycle.com

Seven Investments on Biotech’s Cutting Edge: Joseph Pantginis

Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report (11/14/13)

http://www.thelifesciencesreport.com/pub/na/seven-investments-on-biotechs-cutting-edge-joseph-pantginis

Phase 1 and phase 2 biotech companies offer great upside for investors who understand the risks and the critical need for diversification. ROTH Capital Partners Senior Research Analyst Joseph Pantginis has staked out a basket of small-cap oncology biotech names with cutting-edge technology platforms that have realistic opportunities for success. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Pantginis makes meticulous arguments for seven names that offer huge upside.

The Life Sciences Report: You took your doctorate in molecular genetics from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and were a researcher at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (REGN:NASDAQ), in its retrovirus core facility. What did you do there?

Joseph Pantginis: I am a retrovirologist by training. At Regeneron, in essence, I founded the core retrovirus facility, based on my Ph.D. work at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where we studied both feline and murine leukemia viruses. At Regeneron, I used retroviral vectors to deliver various genes into cell models and preclinical animal models for the company’s research programs. This wasn’t a typical post-doc program, where researchers focus on one gene, one protein or one project. I got to work with all of the different development programs at Regeneron.

TLSR: Give me an example.

JP: Sure. We used the retroviruses to deliver genes to mammalian cells that had been engineered. Other scientists at the company would then determine the effects of the gene that the viruses delivered on the cell. We wanted to know if a particular gene we had introduced might have an impact on reducing the growth of tumor cells, for example. By using a retrovirus, we could permanently implant a gene into the genome of the cells.

TLSR: Investigators are wary of using retroviral vectors in humans for the time being, but it’s a great way to do research, isn’t it?

JP: I would agree with that. I’ve always had levels of trepidation about using retroviruses in humans. A lot of progress has been made as to the types of vectors that could be used in humans, but my work was strictly on the preclinical side. It was basic research.

TLSR: What did you take from that experience? How does that inform your career as a sellside analyst?

JP: Not to be cliché, but it comes down to the scientific method: the ability to ask questions and analyze data. That’s what you learn and practice as a scientist.

Science is not black and white. When you look at data as a sellside analyst, you’re translating that into clinical science, which is also—and especially—not black and white. When you get clinical data, you hope for a simple yes or no answer, but more times than not, that doesn’t happen. You must have the ability to ask the right questions, go through the various analyses and handicap potential outcomes.

There’s another side to being a sellside analyst. Equity research has a very large teaching component, because you need to share information with people for sales and training, and especially with institutional investors.

TLSR: Joe, the teaching component of the job requires you to explain the value proposition to the buyside. What do they need from you?

JP: One of the examples I’ve used many times is that an analyst can write a very extensive report, and know everything about the drug in development, but in the end that research has to link to an investment case. You may know all about a drug, but you have to link the science to the clinical data and try to look at the entire profile of the drug to determine the impact of news flow on the stock.

TLSR: You follow a lot of oncology-focused companies with early-stage molecules, many of which are still preclinical. When you’re performing your initial diligence on a company, what do you look for?

JP: As you say, I do have a large focus in oncology. One of the things I look for, especially in emerging growth companies, is cutting-edge technology. I don’t necessarily want to see a new version of chemotherapy.

At medical conferences, you’re constantly hearing that the goal is moving toward targeted therapies and away from chemo. I think many physicians want to see chemo essentially go away, replaced with more targeted, personalized medicines. That is the cutting edge. Look at the growth of Regeneron over the last decade-plus. Although it has had a couple of high-profile failures along the way, it is now a commercial success with a market cap of about $30 billion ($30B). That success has been based on world-class, cutting-edge science. With smaller companies, success starts with cutting-edge technologies and an exciting mechanism backed by good science. You have to have a good starting point.

TLSR: I’d like to give our audience some sense of how you look at the drug development process. Even though you were on the preclinical side at Regeneron, you certainly were aware of what a data package might look like when the company would ultimately present an investigational new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). How do you assess the chances of success in getting a drug through trials and regulatory hurdles?

JP: History tells us that 1 in 10 drugs makes it through development and regulatory processes to approval. That is a very rough estimate, and various disease indications are harder than others. Oncology drugs can get to the market easier than, let’s say, neurological drugs. Drugs for Alzheimer’s disease have a very high failure rate, as an example.

For a preclinical product, an analyst might assign a 0–10% chance of success. Phase 1 products can fall in the range of 5–15% probability, and a phase 2 product may have a 20–40% chance. A phase 3 product may have anywhere between a 40–90% chance of success. Analysts have to start with those basic guidelines, based on historical data.

On top of that, I think you need to assess two key parameters. First, is this a “me-too” type of drug with a known mechanism? If that’s the case, the chance of success could be increased. If it is a brand new, or novel, drug, you might start with a lower chance of success because the whole approach needs to be validated. That’s part one.

Part two is about assessing, or handicapping, the competitive landscape and the potential penetration of a new drug, if it works. Is it a first-in-class drug similar to, let’s say, Pharmacyclics Inc.’s (PCYC:NASDAQ)ibrutinib, a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting certain leukemias and lymphomas, which just received FDA approval for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients under the brand name Imbruvica? Or is it a me-too drug, in the sense that there are already five drugs targeting the same particular mechanism. In the case of a me-too situation, a product’s penetration would not be as high as for a first-in-class molecule. This would certainly impact valuation.

TLSR: You have a lot of names under coverage. Would you pick a name and give your investment theory?

JP: One of my real passions over the last decade or more has been cancer immunotherapy. We have seen a lot of trials and tribulations based on high-profile failures in phase 3. You finally had a regulatory and data success when Dendreon Corp.’s (DNDN:NASDAQ) Provenge (sipuleucel-T) was approved for prostate cancer back at the end of April 2010. But commercial issues have led to a lot of problems for the company.

I’m looking at two oncology-focused immunotherapy companies: Galena Biopharma Inc. (GALE:NASDAQ) and ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Ltd. (IMUC:OTCBB). There are multiple approaches to cancer vaccines, and these two companies are at different ends of the spectrum.

I’ll start with Galena, which ties in very well with how I look at companies through the lens of the scientific method, asking the right questions. The company itself is also asking questions as it conducts clinical trials to develop data. Galena’s lead product is a cancer vaccine called NeuVax (nelipepimut-S). It is a peptide vaccine consisting of nine amino acids, which is the smallest number that can be presented by the immune system to dendritic cells, which then activate those cells to target a tumor.

NeuVax is currently in a phase 3 study called PRESENT, targeting enrollment of about 700 patients. The vaccine is an adjuvant therapy (one that follows the principal treatment as an add-on to increase chances of survival) for breast cancer patients with low to intermediate levels of HER2 expression. Once a patient gets an initial therapy for breast cancer, whether it’s surgery, radiation, chemo or a combination of those, the patient goes into what’s called “watchful waiting.” Physicians have traditionally been limited to waiting for the disease to recur.

About 25% of these patients can be treated with Genentech/ Roche Holding AG’s (RHHBY:OTCQX)monoclonal antibody Herceptin (trastuzumab), which is a multibillion-dollar drug. The reason Herceptin only addresses 25% of the market is because of the expression of its target, HER2, which must be elevated for the antibody to work. But Galena’s vaccine can target cells that express low to intermediate levels of HER2. These patients are referred to as HER2-negative. So, NeuVax can address the 75% of patients who are HER2-negative and therefore not addressed by Herceptin.

I believe we’ll get the interim analysis for NeuVax either later this year or early in 2014. But unless there is futility or some dramatic positive result, I don’t think we’ll get much data from that. You will probably see the typical announcement indicating the company will continue the study as planned.

TLSR: This may be risky for investors because the phase 1/2 study was not statistically significant, if I remember correctly.

JP: That is correct. But the goal of that phase 1/2 trial was to pick the right population of patients for the phase 3 PRESENT trial. It is a pet peeve of mine that some investors focus on the statistics of a phase 2 trial. These studies are not powered to deal with statistical significance—they are designed to see if there is any activity from the drug, which determines if a developer should then move into additional studies, and hopefully a pivotal study. It is never the goal to have a phase 2 study powered to show statistical significance.

TLSR: Go ahead with ImmunoCellular Therapeutics.

JP: ImmunoCellular is also a cancer vaccine company. Its approach is completely different from Galena’s: ImmunoCellular uses an autologous cell-based approach, using the patient’s own tumor to extract dendritic cells and design the vaccine, which is administered back to the patient to initiate an immune attack on the tumor.

I think ImmunoCellular is in a very unique position. Of course, there are bear-case arguments that are hard to combat because the phase 1 study was in a relatively small number of patients. But, again, you have to look at the data from the perspective of tumor indications. One of the more exciting areas for cancer vaccine treatment is in the glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) space, and ImmunoCellular is going after that brain cancer. Even though the phase 1 study involved a relatively small number of patients, what I would speak to is the data, with about a 38-month median survival, which is significantly higher than the current standard of care.

That leads to another bear-case argument, which comes out in oncology studies in general. When a company does an open-label study and compares the data against historical controls, the bears say that because the study is not randomized, it really doesn’t mean anything. Many times these arguments do hold water. But investors have to look at each particular tumor indication for perspective.

Let me use this analogy: If you pick something like lung or prostate cancer, and look at the literature for studies on a particular stage of disease, you’ll see a very wide range of survival times. But you see the polar opposite in GBM. There haven’t been any advances in the standard of care for quite some time: It’s surgery, radiation, chemotherapy with Merck & Co. Inc.’s (MRK:NYSE) Temodar (temozolomide). The survival times are very tight, irrespective of the group or study. Unfortunately, if you’re diagnosed with glioblastoma, you know exactly how long after your initial therapy the disease will recur. The same is true when your disease recurs; you have a very tight timeframe for how long you’re expected to live. Based on these published survival times, I think ImmunoCellular, even though the phase 1 study was in a small number of patients, has shown very intriguing data, essentially doubling expected survival times—or more.

TLSR: OK, you’ve got my curiosity up. Tell me about the phase 2 study in progress.

JP: The company has designed a very robust phase 2 study for its glioblastoma vaccine, ICT-107 (autologous dendritic cells pulsed with immunogenic peptides from tumor antigens), with more than 200 patients. It is a randomized study, giving patients ICT-107 after they have received standard of care, with control group patients receiving their dendritic cells that have not been pulsed by the ICT-107 antigens, again following standard-of-care therapy. I think the top-line data from this study are going to be a major catalyst for ImmunoCellular. We could see that data either by the end of this year or, because many clinical sites are in various countries, it could slip into early 2014.

I don’t want to sound too bullish, but since no new treatments have come out for GBM, I think the potential exists that if the survival times seen in phase 1 are approached, the company could potentially file early with the FDA while, at the same time, looking to do a confirmatory phase 3 study.

TLSR: Ethically it’s hard to do double-blind studies on children with dire disease like GBM. But if this phase 2 trial is successful, could this therapy translate to pediatric setting? After all, we do have the historical controls showing short survival times.

JP: It should. The FDA might require a smaller, bridging study in a pediatric population. But that’s a face value answer. I think you could include the pediatric population initially because of the very benign safety profile of ImmunoCellular’s approaches. I think that immunotherapy has the ability to be easily translated into pediatrics.

TLSR: Some investors have been wary of ImmunoCellular’s therapy because of its similarity to Dendreon’s Provenge. What are the differences here?

JP: They are only alike in one way, and that is in the fact that they are autologous (patient-specific) therapies. Both need to take tumor tissue to generate the vaccine.

The important contrast is that when it makes its vaccine, ImmunoCellular can produce many doses. With Dendreon, the company generates one dose at a time, and the patient must return to the clinic three times to get blood drawn to make Provenge. The vaccine has to be sent back to the clinician and infused into the patient. You get multiple vaccine doses manufactured with one blood draw with ICT-107, and can sequentially dose a patient, including boosting. The more vaccine a patient gets, the better in my belief.

ICT-107’s therapeutic advantage is also a margin advantage. A major knock against Dendreon is the single dose per tissue harvest, which makes the costs of goods sold (COGS) for Provenge very high. Right now, it’s in the 50% range. The company was looking to bring COGS down with efficiencies to the 30% range, but is still having issues and just announced another restructuring to try to rein in costs. The COGS is much friendlier for the ImmunoCellular approach, where many doses can be manufactured from a single tissue harvest. Unfortunately, when investors hear about autologous therapies, some automatically think Dendreon and Provenge, with its very high COGS. But other companies have instituted automation processes and cost efficiencies to generate these vaccines.

TLSR: You are also targeting multiple antigens with ICT-107, and with the other therapeutic candidates in the ImmunoCellular pipeline, correct?

JP: ICT-107 targets six different antigens. A couple of the antigens are associated with what’s called cancer stem cells. Chemotherapy generally kills the very fast-dividing cells, but there is always some population of cells that becomes resistant to chemotherapy or other therapies. These cause recurrence of the tumor and seeding of metastasis. Some of the antigens in ImmunoCellular’s vaccine target proteins known to be associated with cancer stem cells. You could correlate that the immune responses generated that led to increased survival times in phase 1 are due to the targeting of cancer stem cells.

TLSR: Could you mention another company, please?

JP: Two, companies, Verastem Inc. (VSTM:NASDAQ) and MEI Pharma Inc. (MEIP:NASDAQ), are in the hot target space of oncology.

Verastem has a lead product called VS-6063 (defactinib), which is a focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor. It is now in a pivotal phase 2 study in mesothelioma. Again, I am talking about technology that has come from world-class leading science. This FAK inhibitor and its technology came from the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There has been extensive research in VS-6063’s involvement in cancer stem cells and its ability to inhibit cancer stem cell growth.

Verastem is also playing in the hot area of PI3K inhibitors with one of its follow-on products, VS-5584, in advanced solid tumors. As this earlier-stage, phase 1 PI3K program moves forward, I think Verastem’s visibility is going to be significantly boosted.

MEI is an earlier-stage company—it used to be called Marshall Edwards Inc. CEO Dan Gold has accomplished a major turnaround for this company, bringing in intellectual property and bringing everything in house. Its lead product, pracinostat, is a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, a hot target that has been volatile with regard to its popularity. I think it’s firmly planted as a popular therapeutic target once again, and MEI is now in an acute myeloid leukemia (AML)/myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) study. The company also recently acquired a PI3K inhibitor, which should enter the clinic next year. If the data pan out, intriguing partnering opportunities or even potential acquisition targets could appear.

TLSR: Joe, on Oct. 21 you raised your target price on MEI from $16 to $20, based on the entirety of the pipeline. But you also said the raise was based on the strength of a very interesting, first-in-human study of mitochondrial inhibitor ME-344 in a heavily pretreated population of solid tumor patients. Five of 21 of the subjects demonstrated a doubling of progression-free survival versus the patients’ previous therapy. We’re all optimists, and we tend to think in terms of how well that molecule might perform in patients who are chemo-naïve. Is there a catalyst in the future that might lead to trials in earlier-stage patients?

JP: Possibly. Right now, MEI has to generate clinical data from its three lead products. A point that needs to be made about the ME-344 announcement is that these were heavily pretreated patients, and yet there was a doubling of the progression-free survival interval. Once a tumor recurs, it is fully expected that the next therapies will provide less of a benefit as the cancer progresses. As a patient goes to second-, third-, fourth- and even fifth-line therapies, it is expected that any potential benefit will be less at each successive stage. MEI’s data were intriguing and encouraging. Again, even though it’s a small number of patients and a small, earlier-stage study, it goes against the grain of what you would expect from subsequent therapies.

TLSR: What are the near-term catalysts, if any?

JP: Pracinostat needs to get AML data out early next June, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago, as well as MDS data out at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) conference in 2014. Based on preclinical data, playing in the PI3K inhibitor sandbox with PWT143, a very selective molecule, is important because it appears to be a differentiated product—but again it’s still only in preclinical studies. The Street is not going to assign that much value to it. And we don’t assign value to preclinical products; we are assessing the science. PWT143 will enter the clinic next year. Once it does that, I think MEI’s value proposition would change as well.

Another company in the oncology space is TG Therapeutics Inc. (TGTX:NASDAQ). It has a potentially better follow-on to Roche/Genentech’s old monoclonal antibody Rituxan (rituximab). Roche’s monoclonal antibody Gazyva (obinutuzumab; GA101) was recently approved and we believe provides important validation to TG’s ublituximab, which is designed to have the same mechanism. Ublituximab has better Rituxan-like properties. It has demonstrated much higher antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity, which we think differentiates it from the multibillion-dollar Rituxan. It has shown very nice data in lymphoma patients, and that includes patients who have failed multiple prior courses of Rituxan and were about to enter hospice care. When they went on ublituximab, they were shown to have complete responses. A very nice turnaround, even though it was a small number of patients. But, again, you have to look at this from the perspective of these patients. To them it looks pretty good.

TG also has a PI3K delta inhibitor. Infinity Pharmaceuticals Inc. (INFI:NASDAQ) is a potential competitor. We’re going to get intriguing data at the ASH meeting on this drug in a phase 1 study, including, for the first time, the clinical activity of the drug and further confirmation of its one-per-day pharmacokinetics compared to Infinity’s twice-per day-dosing.

TLSR: Go to another name, please.

JP: Even though Stemline Therapeutics Inc.’s (STML:NASDAQ) product is unique, the approach has been validated by a drug called Ontak (denileukin diftitox), from Eisai Inc. (ESALF:OTCPK). Stemline’s lead product, SL-401, has shown what I consider to be very intriguing data in both third-line AML patients and an orphan indication lymphoma called blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN). The company is starting pivotal studies in these indications in Q2/14. The fact that there are no current standards of care across the board for BPDCN, and no standards of care for third-line AML, makes Stemline’s drug very interesting.

Stemline has a second product that will see more visibility once the pivotal studies get going. It’s SL-701, which happens to be a GBM vaccine as well. It has shown intriguing data, not only in adults but in the pediatric population too, showing nice tumor regression, including in the recurrent environment.

I think Stemline has had very positive discussions with the FDA. It is constantly discussing the regulatory path forward for SL-401. The types of indications that the company is going after can have abridged timelines. The data that Stemline has presented, especially at the last ASCO, support the activity of SL-401 in these two lymphoma and leukemia indications. The size of the pivotal studies could be quite small. If the drug does get accelerated approval, which will be based on priority review, Stemline could conduct an ongoing confirmatory phase 3 trial.

TLSR: This stock has been very weak over the past four weeks, having lost more than 35% of its value. This appears to be about profit-taking, but your new target price is $55, which implies a double from current levels. Are investors abandoning the stock because the next catalysts are so far away? Basically, what you’re looking at here is initiation of two pivotal trials, SL-401 in BPDCN in Q1/14 and in AML in H2/14. Am I reading this properly?

JP: Yes. Let me mention that in December we should get an update on the BPDCN patients and follow-up data from the earlier phase 1-2 study, from which we will get important data regarding durability of the therapy. The first part of your assessment about the stock weakness was correct. I’ve seen this for many stocks, including names like Celldex Therapeutics (CLDX:NASDAQ). Stemline is more than double what it was a year ago, even with the pullback. As you know there has been quite a biotech bubble, and some steam has been let off significantly from some of these stocks.

TLSR: Can you speak to Cytori Therapeutics Inc. (CYTX:NASDAQ)? I know you follow this one.

JP: Cytori is an interesting company right now. It has had a lot of ups and downs over the last several years. The company made an intriguing announcement on Nov. 6 with the equity investment from Lorem Vascular, which will market Cytori’s cell therapy technology in China, including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. Cytori gets $24 million ($24M) for 8M shares of its stock at $3/share. Cytori gets $12M now and $12M in 60 days, around the end of this year.

If you start with the initial investment case, Cytori has approval of its Celution system for regenerative medicine in both Japan and Europe. The company’s focus now, in Europe, is on various ongoing translational studies, getting physicians used to the Celution system and getting physicians to do various studies to generate clinical data. The same is true in Japan.

In H1/14, we’re going to see the phase 2 data from the ATHENA study in chronic heart failure patients.

Again, regenerative medicine is a risky proposition. It’s very volatile. It’s a headline-driven space, but one thing that has provided a lot of buoyancy to the space is cash flow from agencies and groups such as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which is throwing millions of dollars—$20M grants here, $40M grants there—to various companies working in regenerative medicine.

TLSR: If the ATHENA study is your driver right now, what’s your case for it?

JP: The ATHENA study is based on intriguing earlier-stage data that the company generated from both heart failure patients as well as heart attack patients. The company has presented excellent visuals with its clinical reports of actual functional remodeling of the heart and, I would go so far as to say, tissue healing in the damaged areas where you might have seen an infarct.

With that said, and with all the volatility we’ve seen in this stock, it’s been languishing. The upcoming clinical data will be a major catalyst for the company, giving confidence not only to investors but also to the physician community in the U.S. with regard to Celution and Cytori’s regenerative medicine approach.

TLSR: Lorem Vascular has committed up to $531M in license fees. Does that mean buying consumables?

JP: First, Lorem is providing the equity investment into Cytori. Cytori has provided an exclusive license for the Celution system for 30 years. Cytori is going to get a milestone fee, or a licensing fee, for this exclusive license every year. On top of that, there will be the purchase of the actual Celution system machines, as well as the consumables for the Celution process. You have the licensing fees, which are part of the $531M over 30 years based on revenue milestones. Then you also have the sale of the Celution system and consumables through the transfer pricing.

TLSR: The ATHENA trial is only 45 patients, versus the 27 patients that we saw in the phase 1 PRECISE trial, where mortality was only slightly improved versus placebo. We had tremendous upward move in this stock after the Lorem Vascular deal was announced— the company’s value shot up by $90M. I wonder if you think the ATHENA trial is going to move the needle even further on this stock, if the data are good?

JP: I do. Even though, like you said, it only includes up to 45 patients, I think it’s a well-designed study.

This phase 2 clinical data from ATHENA will be very important for the regenerative medicine space because currently stem cells are still considered a relative science experiment. So much of the industry is in early-stage development; there are not a lot of late-stage data.

TLSR: It’s been a pleasure, Joe.

JP: You bet. I appreciate it. It was great talking with you.

Joseph Pantginis, Ph.D., joined ROTH Capital Partners in 2009. Prior to joining Roth Pantginis was a senior biotech analyst at Merriman Curhan Ford (now Merriman Holdings Inc.). Pantginis was also a senior biotechnology analyst at Canaccord Adams, focusing on the oncology, inflammation and infectious disease spaces. Prior to Canaccord Adams he was a biotech analyst at several firms, including JbHanauer & Co., First Albany Corp., Commerce Capital Markets Inc. and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co., Inc. Prior to his tenure on Wall Street, Pantginis served as an associate manager/scientist of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’ Retrovirus Core Facility. Pantginis received a master’s degree in business administration (finance) from Pace University; a doctorate in molecular genetics and a master’s degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University.

Want to read more Life Sciences Report interviews like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you’ll learn when new articles have been published. To see a list of recent interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Streetwise Interviews page.

DISCLOSURE:

1) George S. Mack conducted this interview for The Life Sciences Report and provides services to The Life Sciences Report as an independent contractor. He or his family own shares of the following companies mentioned in this interview: None.

2) The following companies mentioned in the interview are sponsors of The Life Sciences Report: Cytori Therapeutics Inc. Streetwise Reports does not accept stock in exchange for its services or as sponsorship payment.

3) Joseph Pantginis: I or my family own shares of the following companies mentioned in this interview: None. I personally am or my family is paid by the following companies mentioned in this interview: None. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this interview: Parmacyclics Inc., Galena Biopharma Inc., MEI Pharma Inc., Verastem Inc., TG Therapeutics Inc., Stemline Therapeutics Inc., Celldex Therapeutics Inc. I was not paid by Streetwise Reports for participating in this interview. Comments and opinions expressed are my own comments and opinions. I had the opportunity to review the interview for accuracy as of the date of the interview and am responsible for the content of the interview.

4) Interviews are edited for clarity. Streetwise Reports does not make editorial comments or change experts’ statements without their consent.

5) The interview does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports’ terms of use and full legal disclaimer.

6) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned and may make purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise.

Streetwise – The Life Sciences Report is Copyright © 2013 by Streetwise Reports LLC. All rights are reserved. Streetwise Reports LLC hereby grants an unrestricted license to use or disseminate this copyrighted material (i) only in whole (and always including this disclaimer), but (ii) never in part..

Streetwise Reports LLC does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported.

Streetwise Reports LLC receives a fee from companies that are listed on the home page in the In This Issue section. Their sponsor pages may be considered advertising for the purposes of 18 U.S.C. 1734.

Participating companies provide the logos used in The Life Sciences Report. These logos are trademarks and are the property of the individual companies.

101 Second St., Suite 110

Petaluma, CA 94952

Tel.: (707) 981-8204

Fax: (707) 981-8998

Email: [email protected]

 

 

Certain Stocks Flying While Investors Worry About the Wrong Thing

By MoneyMorning.com.au

We sometimes wonder if other investors and analysts live on the same planet as us.

We wonder if they really know what’s going on with the markets.

We wonder if they understand the ultimate game plan.

Heck, we wonder if most so-called investment pros even have a brain.

Because the way they’ve behaved over the past two weeks suggests they’re short in the ‘grey matter’ department.

And what we read yesterday evening pretty much confirmed our thoughts…

It still amazes us that so many investors and analysts believe the US Federal Reserve is about to cut back on its bond-buying program.

We can’t for a minute think of anything the Fed has done to cause anyone to think they would do that.

And yet every now and then the market goes into a frenzy. It worries the Fed is about to pull the pin on stimulus, and so stocks fall.

Listen. We’ll say it again for anyone who doesn’t quite believe us yet: interest rates aren’t going up and the Fed will keep buying bonds…forever if necessary.

Don’t Fight it, Get Used to it

If you don’t believe us, perhaps you’ll accept the words of Federal Reserve chairman nominee Dr Janet L Yellen. According to Bloomberg News, she said in a statement:

A strong recovery will ultimately enable the Fed to reduce its monetary accommodation and reliance on unconventional policy tools such as asset purchases. I believe that supporting the recovery today is the surest path to returning to a more normal approach to monetary policy.

By the way, when Dr Yellen talks about returning to a ‘more normal approach‘, you shouldn’t think that means the Fed will go back to playing a minor role in global finance.

Now that the Fed is nice and settled in the world economy’s driving seat, there’s nothing anyone can do to push it back into the backseat.

So get used to it.

And we mean that.

It will switch from fear to optimism and back again…and then back the other way again for years to come.

Even the talk about the Fed tapering its bond program next March is, in our view, naïve.

All that will happen is investors will frighten themselves out of the market, as they have done over the past few weeks. And that’s a shame, because in that period we’ve seen some of our favourite stocks go mental.

Stocks Still on Sale

Investors who panicked and sold their stocks two weeks ago, or refused to buy two weeks ago, have missed out on a 71.3% gain from one of our favourite 3D printing stocks.

They’ve missed out on a 90.4% gain on our favourite regenerative biotech stock.

And they’ve missed out on a 29.8% gain on a stock which technology analyst Sam Volkering earmarked for Revolutionary Tech Investor subscribers just last week.

And now having seen those gains, many investors will worry that they’ve missed out on all the gains. After all, as Rick Rule reminds folks, the best time to buy stocks is when prices are low.

It’s a simple message, but it’s one investors often forget.

Well, if you’re worried that you’ve completely missed out on gains, don’t. Despite selected stocks doing well in recent weeks, as you can tell from the index levels, it has by no means been a rally across the board.

There are still a heck of a lot of stocks trading at beaten-down prices.

That tells you something important. There’s no question that when the market is this volatile, it’s a stock pickers’ market rather than an index investors’ market.

The Best Sector for 2014

So, if it’s a stock pickers market, which stocks should you pick?

The great thing about this rally is that it isn’t just one sector doing all the work. As we noted above, we’re seeing gains in various industries: 3D printing, biotech, cybersecurity, personalised medicine and…resources.

In fact, our bet is that resource stocks could be one of the best hunting grounds for investors in 2014. With money printing set to continue, and at least the illusion of recovery in the US market, you’ll see a higher demand for commodities.

Not to mention the continued growth of China’s economy and the opportunities there for resource and non-resource stocks (a theme we covered in the just-released November issue of Australian Small-Cap Investigator).

Although it may seem unlikely given the heavy falls by most resource stocks, the market and investor sentiment can quickly turn. We’ve seen that over the past 18 months with a range of sectors.

We’ve seen it with dividend stocks, technology stocks, and biotechnology stocks.

And it won’t be long before you see it with resource stocks. As we say, don’t expect a broad-based rally (at least not to begin with). When the market turns it’s usually the most risk-hungry investors who jump in first looking for the cream-of-the-crop stocks.

As these stocks rise, other investors will gain confidence and start looking for the next tier of stocks to go up. And so on. That’s how stock rallies begin. Of course, stock rallies don’t last forever…and we all know how they end.

But we’re not worried about the end of the next resource stock boom yet, for the simple reason that the boom has barely started. Keep an eye on resource stocks in 2014.

Cheers,
Kris+

Special Report: The ‘Wonder Weld’ That Could Triple Your Money

Join Money Morning on Google+