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4 Penny Stocks To Watch With Big News In December 2022
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The stock market is down today, but that doesn’t mean all stocks are getting dumped. In fact, in this article, we discuss a handful of bullish names trading higher in a sea of red. What’s helping them stay afloat? Big news has become a significant catalyst acting as a buoy. Not only that, this isn’t just maintaining, they accelerated higher during Tuesday’s morning session.
It can be challenging, at times, to find penny stocks to buy, let alone ones to add to your watch list. But the thing to remember is even when the stock market sells off; there are usually a few cheap stocks to watch for one reason or another. Thanks to the more speculative nature of this low-price environment, even when most companies’ shares are down, penny stocks tend to be resilient, even if it’s just for a single session.
Whether it’s shor, insider trading activity, unusual options, or simply a bullish momentum surge, you’ve got your pick as far as deciding what trends to look for. The most important part is picking penny stocks that you can add to your list based on your personal trading strategy.
For instance, if you’re a swing trader, stocks moving up and down rapidly within minutes are probably not for you. Then again, if you are looking for quick scalps in the market, slow.
moving stocks wouldn’t necessarily meet your criteria. In the stock market today, bears are taking control early, which has made it a bit more challenging to find bullish opportunities.
What may help clear out some of the noise is understanding why the stock market is down in the first place. Monday’s stock market sell-off continued on Tuesday. This was thanks, in part, to early comments made by JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon saying a mild to hard recession could hit next year.
Semiconductor stocks also helped drag down tech, but the main story and focus of the day remain the Federal Reserve. Signs of strength in the U.S. economy continue spooking investors who have hoped Fed rate hikes would begin easing. The latest employment data is thought to be a compelling argument that monetary policy still has room for hawkish action.
We’re in and that has allowed imagination to run wild. According to the Federal Reserve, “The blackout period will begin at the start of the second Saturday (midnight) Eastern Time before the beginning of the meeting and will end at midnight Eastern Time on the next day after the meeting. For example, if the Committee meeting starts on a Tuesday, the blackout period will begin at the start of the Saturday that falls ten days earlier, and if the meeting ends on a Wednesday, the blackout period will end at the end of Thursday.”
Without additional commentary, the market is going off the last round of economic data. Meanwhile, investors await one of the most important CPI reports of the year that comes next week and one day before the conclusion of the final FOMC meeting of the year.
Anyone looking for some of the most consistent, high-performing penny stocks of 2022 might have GERN stock on their list. That’s because shares have climbed from lows of under $1 in February to above $3 in September. Now, in December, the penny stock is still trading well above the $2 level as the company continues hitting milestones.
Geron is a clinical biotech company focused on advancing its imetelstat platform. There is two Phase 3 trials underway evaluating the treatment in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes and relapsed/refractory myelofibrosis.
A few upcoming events could have sparked speculation-fueled momentum in the stock market this week. The first is a few presentations set to take place at next week’s American Society of Hematology meeting. The next comes in January, where Geron hopes to report top-line results from its ongoing Phase 3 IMerge trial of imetelstat designed to confirm Phase 2 data.
“The upcoming presentation at ASH of the longer-term follow-up data from our Phase 2 IMerge trial showing unprecedented greater than one-year continuous transfusion independence in approximately one-third of the 38 lower-risk MDS patients in the study highlights the differentiating qualities of imetelstat that could address significant unmet needs in this indication,” said Faye Feller, M.D., Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer of Gero in a November update.
With these upcoming events, GERN stock could be one of the names to watch heading into the new year.
Muscle Maker recently launched a new project with Aggia, a UAE company, to have it operate the new Muscle Maker subsidiary, Sadot LLC. This new subsidiary will source, distribute, and produce agricultural goods, such as shipping grains via cargo ship. In addition, the Pokemoto brand inked a partnership with Newtek Business Services to secure funding for opening new locations in the US.
This week, Pokemoto is back in focus again. The brand crossed the 50 franchise agreement milestone and now reaches 15 states once all are opened. “Seeing our footprint grow shows that our franchise marketing efforts are working and that we’re resonating with the right audiences. We continue to seek out new partnerships, vendors, and resources to expand our tool kit for prospective and current franchisees so that they can focus their efforts on expanding their Pokemoto portfolios,” said Pokemoto CEO Michael Roper in this week’s update.
Considering the latest round of achievements and insider activity, GRIL stock has been one to watch over the last few weeks. Keep in mind, however, that the run-up has been quick. Shares are trading above $0.75 this week compared to around $0.40 at the start of last week. Will profit-taking become a factor, or will the penny stock continue moving higher? That’s something to be seen but worth noting if GRIL stock is on your watch list.
Shares of Bionano Genomics have caught a nice surge in momentum this month. The move comes as BNGO shares hold a relatively sideways trend as the overall markets pull back.
Bionano specializes in genome analysis solutions for researchers and clinicians. It offers different solutions for applications in translational and clinical research.
Bionano’s Lineagen Inc (Bionano Laboratories) also provides diagnostic testing. These testing solutions are for patients with indications of autism spectrum disorder and neurodevelopmental disabilities. The company has also expanded its footprint to include other areas of genome analysis and testing, which is what may be in focus this week.
Bionano announced in November that it planned to acquire Purigen Biosystems. The deal would allow the company to simplify further and speed up its DNA isolation in optical genome mapping. It also adds a proprietary technology licensed by Purigen called isotachophoresis (ITP) and Purigen’s Ionic Purification System for isolating DNA and RNA from biological samples.
Science aside, this acquisition is valued at up to $64 million, with a cash payment of $32 million at closing. The closing date is what could be the catalyst right now. According to the November release, the acquisition is expected to close “on or before December 8, 2022.”
Since the date is this week, BNGO stock could be one of the names to watch.
have become a popular trend among retail traders. It is one of the most frequently searched for on our site. That makes sense based on how volatile the market has been and how traders have focused on capitalizing on quick moves instead of making long-term investments.
Stocks under $1 don’t require much to produce significant percentage moves. The lower the price, the higher the volatility in general. The Very Good Food Company is among the lowest-priced names on the list and was one we discussed in our article,
Since then, VGFC stock managed to bounce as high as $0.16, and though it was only a few cents, it equated to a jump of more than 50%. This week, shares are back on the move as traders remain focused on its latest partnership with Albertsons grocery stores. Starting next year, Albertsons’ will offer products in the freezer sections of 7 divisions, roughly 900 stores.
Money
Where Tech Talent Goes To Thrive
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here is a worldwide shortage of digital skills. In a world increasingly reliant on technology, demand for technological skillsets is rising by as much as 50%. Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters of today’s workers don’t feel equipped to learn the digital skills needed by businesses.
The most acute shortage is in advanced skills like programming, especially for new technologies like AI and blockchain.
This demand gives skilled tech workers, entrepreneurs, and leaders the pick of where to base themselves. As cities and nations compete to attract tech talent, what makes these prized individuals choose one place over another?.
Initial Attraction
In a survey of ‘tech migrants’, Boston Consulting Group identified a mixture of short-, medium-, and long-term levers businesses and cities could use to attract talent.
The initial attraction is often brute economics: higher pay and lower taxes. That’s certainly what brings people to Dubai, says Vladimir Vrzhovski, Tech and Digital Lead at Mercer: “Dubai pays about 30% higher than most of the mature tech hubs around Europe and Asia.” It also has a lower cost of living, especially when its 0% income tax is taken into account.
Businesses operating in the city’s free zones – like the tech-focused Dubai Internet City (DIC) and Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC) Innovation Hub – also benefit from 0% corporation tax. BCG credits the incentive with bringing big names like Amazon, Google, and Oracle to the emirate.
It is an echo of London’s rise to tech prominence, offering tax relief on tech investments via its Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) to funnel the city’s vast pools of finance towards digital businesses.
The presence of blue-chip names affords another major draw for tech talent: opportunities.
Money
Adding exercise into treatment may reduce substance use, study shows
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One key to fighting addiction may be exercise, according to a new study.
Researchers undertook a review of the existing literature around physical activity and its relationship to substance use, and they found that regular exercise was associated with lowered use in about 75% of the studies investigating that question, according to the analysis.
The review, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE, looked at 43 studies with more than 3,000 total participants. In addition to a reduction or cessation in substance use, the studies also found improved markers of physical health and decreased depressive symptoms, the study said.
“People think that during treatment people should only do psychotherapeutic treatments … but that’s not what we’ve seen in our study,” said lead study author Florence Piché, a doctoral student and researcher at Université de Montréal in Canada. “It’s very beneficial to do physical activity in addition to the treatments.”
There are limitations to the findings. The review found that most of the studies the researchers examined had a high risk of bias, meaning more research is needed to confirm their findings, said Dr. Aaron Kandola, research fellow at Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at University College London.
The studies were also not directly comparable enough to build a comprehensive and generalizable understanding of the relationship, Kandola said in an email. Kandola was not part of the research.
However, the findings were still significant and useful, he added.
“Substance use disorders are a major public health problem lacking low-cost, evidence-based solutions,” he said, adding that substance use disorders are worsening in many high-income countries — including the United States.
Finding more accessible solutions to this disorder is especially important because it often occurs with other mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, which disproportionately affect people with fewer socioeconomic resources and areas with higher deprivation, he said.
Physical activity may be a useful and accessible part of a treatment plan for substance use disorder, said Dr. Mark Smith, professor of psychology at Davidson College in North Carolina. Smith was not part of the research.
“I think there’s now a sufficient amount of data to indicate that various forms of physical activity and exercise are generally effective at reducing substance use in individuals seeking treatment,” he said.
What exercise does
Most people can benefit from engaging in physical activity, Kandola said.
One benefit the studies found is improvements in physical health such as cardiovascular endurance or muscle strength, Smith said. And although that may not be the primary goal of the research, he said this finding is important because it shows the physical activity is doing its job to promote physical health.
Money
Blood sugar drug tirzepatide also leads to substantial weight loss in diabetes patients, Eli Lilly says
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There’s more evidence that the injectable drug tirzepatide helps people with diabetes lose weight as well as control their blood sugar, according to the drug’s manufacturer, Eli Lilly and Company.
In a new study, more than 900 adults with obesity and diabetes took the drug for a year and five months, and those on the highest dose lost an average of 34 pounds, or nearly 16% of their starting weight. It also helped people reduce their blood sugar, the company said in a news release. The data has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal.
“We have not hit 15% in any other phase three trial for weight management in this type two diabetes population,” said Dr. Nadia Ahmad, an associate vice president at Eli Lilly and medical director of obesity clinical development for the company.
Ahmad said the company was pleased with these results, given how hard it is for people with type 2 diabetes to lose weight.
Tirzepatide is currently sold as Mounjaro and approved to help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar.
Lilly says it will use the new study, along with results from an earlier study of weight loss in people without diabetes, to ask the US Food and Drug Administration to fast-track approval for tirzepatide purely for weight loss, which would make it a direct competitor to the blockbuster obesity drug Wegovy.
Plenty of people aren’t waiting for the FDA’s nod.
“I am aware of and I’ve heard, you know, it being sort of used off label for weight loss and individuals who do not have diabetes,” said Dr. Kimberly Gudzune, medical director of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Gudzune was not involved in the tirzepatide study.
Gudzune points out that once a drug is FDA approved it can be prescribed for any reason a doctor sees as medically necessary.
Tirzepatide, along with several similar types of drugs taken for diabetes, went into shortage last year as success stories posted on social media fueled runaway demand for their weight loss benefits. The shortages made the medications difficult for patients with diabetes to get.
Tirzepatide works by mimicking the action of two different gut hormones. When blood sugar rises after eating, the drug stimulates the body to produce more insulin, which lowers blood sugar. It also slows down the movement of food from the stomach, making people feel fuller for longer. In clinical trials, people who took tirzepatide experienced more nausea, vomiting and diarrhea compared with those who took a placebo injection.
Semaglutide, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, has also been approved as a weight loss medication for overweight adults with at least one associated health problem since 2021. When prescribed for weight loss, it is sold under the brand name Wegovy. When prescribed for diabetes, the injection is sold under the brand name Ozempic.
High demand, coupled with manufacturing problems, threw Wegovy into shortage for much of the last year. That shortage then rippled into shortages for diabetes patients as doctors began prescribing other diabetes medications off-label for weight loss.
There has already been a lot of buzz about tirzepatide’s potential as an obesity medication. In a clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year, people who were overweight or obese, but did not have diabetes, lost an average of 52 pounds on the highest dose of the drug, or more than 20% of their starting weight.
“In the last year has been really exciting just to have more tools in the toolbox, so to speak. And tools that, you know, we’re seeing really achieving outcomes that patients for the longest time have been hoping to achieve,” Gudzune said.
If those results hold up in the real world, that would make it the most potent of the injectable weight loss medications.
Indeed, this week Lilly aims to begin a study that will test Mounjaro against Wegovy head-to-head in 700 participants at 61 sites in the United States and Canada, according to clinicaltrials.gov. The study will conclude in February 2025.
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