Global Market Comments
August 19, 2021
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(MY NEWLY UPDATED LONG-TERM PORTFOLIO),
(PFE), (BMY), (AMGN), (CRSP), (FB), (PYPL), (GOOGL), (AAPL), (AMZN), (SQ), (JPM), (BAC), (MS), (GS), (BABA), (EEM), (FXA), (FCX), (GLD), (SLV), (TLT)
I am really happy with the performance of the Mad Hedge Long Term Portfolio since the last update on February 2, 2021. In fact, not only did we nail the best sectors to go heavily overweight, we also completely dodged the bullets in the worst-performing ones.
For new subscribers, the Mad Hedge Long Term Portfolio is a “buy and forget” portfolio of stocks and ETFs. If trading is not your thing and you don’t want to remain glued to a screen all day, these are the investments you can make. Then don’t touch them until you start drawing down your retirement funds at age 72.
For some of you, that is not for another 50 years. For others, it was yesterday.
There is only one thing you need to do now and that is to rebalance. Buy or sell what you need to reweight every position to its appropriate 5% or 10% weighting. Rebalancing is one of the only free lunches out there and always adds performance over time. You should follow the rules assiduously.
Despite the seismic changes that have taken place in the global economy over the past nine months, I only need to make minor changes to the portfolio, which I have highlighted in red on the spreadsheet.
To download the entire new portfolio in an excel spreadsheet, please go to www.madhedgefundtrader.com, log in, go “My Account”, then “Global Trading Dispatch”, the click on the “Long Term Portfolio” button, then “Download.”
Changes
Biotech
Pfizer (PFE) has nearly doubled in six months, while Crisper Therapeutics (CRSP) has almost halved. Since the pandemic, which Pfizer made fortunes on, is peaking and we are still at the dawn of the CRISPR gene editing revolution, the natural switch here is to take profits in (PFE) and double up on (CRSP).
Technology
I am maintaining my 20% in technology which are all close to all-time highs. I believe that Apple (AAPL), (Amazon (AMZN), Google (GOOGL), and Square (SQ) have a double or more over the next three years, so I am keeping all of them.
Banks
I am also keeping my weighting in banks at 20%. Interest rates are imminently going to rise, with a Fed taper just over the horizon, setting up a perfect storm in favor of bank earnings. Loan default rates are falling. Banks are overcapitalized, thanks to Dodd-Frank. And because of the trillions in government stimulus loans they are disbursing, they are now the most subsidized sector of the economy. So, keep Morgan Stanley (MS), Goldman Sachs (GS), JP Morgan (JPM), and Bank of America, which will profit enormously from a continuing bull market in stocks. They are also a key part of my” barbell” portfolio.
International
China has been a disaster this year, with Alibaba (BABA) dropping by half, while emerging markets (EEM) have gone nowhere. I am keeping my positions because it makes no sense to sell down here. There is a limit to how much the Middle Kingdom will destroy its technology crown jewels. Emerging markets are a call option on a global synchronized recovery which will take place next year.
Bonds
Along the same vein, I am keeping 10% of my portfolio in a short position in the United States Treasury Bond Fund (TLT) as I think bonds are about to go to hell in a handbasket. I rant on this sector on an almost daily basis so go read Global Trading Dispatch. Eventually, massive over-issuance of bonds by the US government will destroy this entire sector.
Foreign Exchange
I am also keeping my foreign currency exposure unchanged, maintaining a double long in the Australian dollar (FXA). Eventually, the US dollar will become toast and could be your next decade-long trade. The Aussie will be the best performing currency against the US dollar.
Australia will be a leveraged beneficiary of the synchronized global economic recovery through strong commodity prices which have already started to rise, and the post-pandemic return of Chinese tourism and investment. I argue that the Aussie will eventually make it to parity with the US dollar, or 1:1.
Precious Metals
As for precious metals, I’m keeping my 0% holding in gold (GLD). From here, it is having trouble keeping up with other alternative assets, like Bitcoin, and there are better fish to fry.
I am keeping a 5% weighting in the higher beta and more volatile iShares Silver Trust (SLV), which has far wider industrial uses in solar panels and electric vehicles. The arithmetic is simple. EV production will rocket from 700,000 in 2020 to 25 million in 2030 and each one needs two ounces of silver.
Energy
As for energy, I will keep my weighting at zero. Never confuse “gone down a lot” with “cheap”. I think the bankruptcies have only just started and will stretch on for a decade. Thanks to hyper-accelerating technology, the adoption of electric cars, and less movement overall in the new economy, energy is about to become free. You are looking at the next buggy whip industry.
The Economy
My ten-year assumption for the US and the global economy remains the same. I’m looking at 3%-5% a year growth for the next decade after this year’s superheated 7% performance.
When we come out the other side of this, we will be perfectly poised to launch into my new American Golden Age, or the next Roaring Twenties. With interest rates still at zero, oil cheap, there will be no reason not to. The Dow Average will rise by 700% or more from 35,000 to 240,000 in the coming decade. The American coming out the other side of the pandemic will be far more efficient, productive, and profitable than the old.
You won’t believe what’s coming your way!
I hope you find this useful and I’ll be sending out another update in six months so you can rebalance once again. If I forget, please remind me.
Stay healthy.
John Thomas
CEO & Publisher
The Diary of a Mad Hedge Fund Trader
Mad Hedge Biotech & Healthcare Letter
July 6, 2021
Fiat Lux
FEATURED TRADE:
(A PROMISING BIOTECH FOR RISK-TAKERS)
(AXSM), (AMGN), (MRK)
Biotechnology companies are known as the riskiest investments in the stock market. More often than not, they are small, cash-strapped, and with futures so closely tied up to the success or failure of a single clinical study.
For each Amgen (AMGN), which exploded from a market capitalization of less than $1 billion roughly 30 years ago to a whopping $137.15 billion today, there are thousands that fail and fall into obscurity.
However, when a biotech makes it big, the rewards can be transformative—and this speckle of hope is what makes this industry incredibly exciting and interesting.
Let’s take Axsome Therapeutics (AXSM) as an example.
This stock has been beaten down, but its pipeline programs still hold the potential to inflate the portfolios of its shareholders if their science proves to be successful.
Actually, things appear to be turning around for Axsome these days.
Focused on developing novel and innovative treatments for central nervous system disorders, Axsome’s stock price recently enjoyed a 13% climb thanks to the latest development on one of its pipeline candidates: AXS-14.
AXS-14, which is a fibromyalgia treatment, should be ready for submission by the fourth quarter of 2022.
Looking at the potential target market for this drug, its estimated peak sales are somewhere in the range between $500 million to $1 billion.
Another promising treatment in Axsome’s pipeline is its novel migraine medication, AXS-07, which showed great efficacy results in its Phase 3 trial.
In addition, 74% of patients who took AXS-07 experienced no pain progression from two to 24 hours since taking the medication, with almost 50% of them no longer needing rescue medication.
Given the remarkable results for AXS-07, Axsome plans to submit it for a new drug application in the first half of 2021. In fact, this candidate has shown better results than the current gold standard, Merck’s (MRK) Maxalt.
If approved, this migraine treatment can reach peak sales from half a billion to over $1 billion in the United States alone.
However, the most promising candidate in Axsome’s pipeline is its treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), AXS-05, which recently received priority review from the US FDA.
If things go as planned, the company plans to submit it for review by August 22 this year.
This drug is also a frontrunner medication for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) Agitation.
On top of these, its Phase 3 clinical trial of AXS-05 showed that it significantly improved the symptoms of people suffering from depression.
Beyond these conditions, Axsome is also looking into using AXS-05 as treatment for migraines, smoking cessation, and even migraines.
AXS-05 has a massive addressable market, with roughly one-third of the 17 million adults in the US suffering from MDD. This could mean peak sales for this indication alone at $4 billion.
While Axsome still has other promising treatments in its pipeline, these three late-stage candidates clearly indicate a very high ceiling.
All of them have the capacity to reach blockbuster status once approved.
At this point and looking at its recent earnings report, Axsome recorded a cash balance of $164 million. It also still has some money left from its $225 million loan, which means the company can still sufficiently fund its operations and continue with its research into at least 2024.
Considering the timeline it has for the three candidates in its pipeline, it’s reasonable to assume that it can generate sales before that date.
All in all, they could rake in a total of at least $8 billion in sales annually for Axsome—a lucrative leap considering that the company currently only has $2.62 billion in market capitalization.
Given its vast pipeline, host of successful trials thus far, and near-term catalysts, I say this clinical-stage biotech’s lowered prices offer a cautious buying opportunity for investors with a penchant for risks.
Mad Hedge Biotech & Healthcare Letter
June 17, 2021
Fiat Lux
FEATURED TRADE:
(VALUE CREATOR STOCK OPERATING UNDER THE RADAR)
(TECH), (AMGN), (ABT), (TMO)
There’s a wildly underrated and undercovered biotechnology stock despite its track record of creating long-term value and ability to outstrip its projected operational performance in the past years.
This stock is Bio-Techne (TECH).
Historically, Bio-Techne has reported impressively good margins, which could partly be attributed to the company’s incredibly strong intellectual property position.
While Bio-Techne originally concentrated on offering biotechnology solutions, it eventually embraced a diversification strategy thanks to all the dealmaking it has been doing over the years.
Back in the 1990s, Bio-Techne struck deals with promising biotechnology companies like Amgen (AMGN) and even Genzyme to acquire sections of their research departments.
Borrowing Warren Buffett’s expression, Bio-Techne’s value can be seen on the “owner earnings” it has been reporting. Thanks to a change in management in 2013, this sleepy high-margin company has been reinvigorated through various strategic acquisitions.
So far, Bio-Techne has three very active divisions.
It has its biotechnology division, which comprises 65% of its revenue and sells proteins, reagents, and antibodies right out of the freezer.
It has its protein platforms, which market instruments that push the use of the products sold by its biotechnology sector.
Lastly, it has its diagnostics sector that supplies equipment, such as those used for protein analysis, to other companies, including Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) and Abbott Laboratories (ABT).
Meanwhile, Bio-Techne has been making progress in stem cell research and Car-T immunotherapy, along with other kinds of cancer research.
Sales have been climbing steadily, increasing by an average of 15.7% over the last five years, with room for margins to pick up as Bio-Techne continues to integrate acquisitions.
To continue expanding its business, Bio-Techne recently shared its decision to buy diagnostics company Asuragen for $215 million.
Founded in 2006, Texas-based Asuragen develops and produces test kits for cancer and genetic carrier testing.
Estimated to contribute $30 million in revenue, Bio-Techne is actually paying only a mere 7 times its sales multiple—with the potential to jump to about 10 times as future contingent payments could boost the purchase price by an additional $105 million.
Even if that happens though, Bio-Techne will still be pumping sales at an extremely favorable multiple compared to its current multiple.
Another major acquisition of Bio-Techne is its 2018 deal with Advanced Cellular Diagnostics, which was executed to boost its diagnostics portfolio.
At the time, Advanced Cellular Diagnostics’ top line was already growing by 40% to 50%.
One of the most exciting products this acquisition added to Bio-Techne’s lineup is a tumor diagnostic test.
For context, current diagnostic tests are only 75% accurate. In comparison, Advanced Cellular Diagnostics’ test is 95% accurate. This makes the latter an extremely attractive product in the industry.
The company also has solid patent protection for new products focusing on gene and gene fragment probes.
Overall, the lineup from Advanced Cellular Diagnostics is estimated to bring in at least $50 million in additional yearly revenue for Bio-Techne.
The fact that it’s growing by 50% annually makes the acquisition one of the best buys of this biotechnology company.
Since being founded back in 1976, Bio-Techne has established itself as a steady value creator.
Needless to say, Bio-Techne is a highly profitable business, with earnings anticipated to increase by 15% annually.
Looking at the recurring nature of the company’s revenue, its consistent earnings, the potential of its Advanced Cellular Diagnostics purchase, and its prospects for more accretive acquisitions, Bio-Techne should be able to hold its mid-30s multiple to owner earnings.
Despite the pandemic’s effect on the biotechnology and healthcare sector in 2020, Bio-Techne still reported a 45% growth in its annual sales to reach $739 million last year.
So far, Bio-Techne is on track for its goal to become an over $30 million type portfolio. In terms of its five-year outlook, the company is targeting to reach $1.5 billion in the next few years.
Surprisingly, it’s still operating under the radar of the majority of investors, even in the biotechnology sector.
For biotechnology investors on the lookout for a value creator stock, it’s wise to keep an eye on Bio-Techne. Simply checking its bolt-on M&A strategy combined with its steady organic growth rate, this company has the potential to provide long-term returns.
Mad Hedge Biotech & Healthcare Letter
June 1, 2021
Fiat Lux
FEATURED TRADE:
ANOTHER BUY-THE-DIP OPPORTUNITY DROPPED IN OUR LAPS
(AMGN), (QGEN), (GH), (AZN), (MRTX), (LLY), (JNJ), (SNY), (JNJ)
The ideal stocks are those you can just buy and hold for a long time. A healthcare and biotechnology company that perfectly fits the bill is Amgen (AMGN).
Amgen wasn’t an active participant in the COVID-19 race.
Instead, the biotechnology giant chose to stick with its circle of competence and focused on delivering remarkable results to its shareholders through boosting its revenue and increasing dividends.
Recently, this hyper-focus has paid off.
Amgen received FDA approval to market a drug that targets cancer cells in an area that researchers have been attempting to hit for decades.
The new treatment, Lumakras, will be the first of its kind to target a tumor growth process commonly known as KRAS for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
To understand the extent of Amgen’s breakthrough, scientists and researchers have been working on developing a KRAS blocker for over 40 years.
Prior to this, KRAS had been known as an “undruggable” target.
Basically, Amgen came up with a drug that can target the notorious and illusive cancer-causing protein—something that was previously considered the “Achilles heel” of lung cancer tumors.
More impressively, Lumakras was approved three months ahead of its schedule.
Based on the results of its Phase 2 trials, Lumakras can stall the progress of lung cancer in roughly 81% of the patients for a median time of 10 months.
In the Phase 3 trials, Amgen is looking into testing the drug in combination with other medications to hit the tumors that developed resistance to the pill.
A key factor in Lumakras’ launch is determining the types of patients who’d benefit most from the drug.
So far, Amgen has been collaborating with diagnostic partners, particularly Qiagen (QGEN) and Guardant Health (GH), for biomarker testing.
In terms of pricing, Amgen estimates monthly spending on Lumakras to be $17,900.
In the United States, roughly 30,000 patients of KRAS-mutated lung cancers are reported annually.
That puts Lumakras sales to at least $100 million for 2021 alone.
By 2025, the drug is expected to rake in roughly $1 billion annually, with sales growing to $1.51 billion in 2026.
These are actually conservative estimates that assume only a 50% success rate from Lumakras in the next few years.
Given the provisional and accelerated approval the drug has already received from the FDA though, it is safe to say that it can achieve at least 75% success rate, which means it can generate higher revenue.
The KRAS target is not limited to lung cancer. It also appears in other solid tumors, which Amgen continues to test Lumakras in a dozen other types, including colorectal cancer.
Depending on expansion plans, Lumakras sales can reach $3.2 billion by 2030.
Again, this expansion is a conservative estimate.
If the expansion for Amgen’s drug would be anything like AstraZeneca’s (AZN) blockbuster Tagrisso, which eventually became a recommended first-line therapy option for NSCLC, then Lumakras sales can peak at $4 to $5 billion.
Considering the potential of this market, it no longer comes as a surprise that competitors are hot on Amgen’s heels just days after Lumakras’ approval was announced.
The closest rival so far is Mirati Therapeutics (MRTX), which also has KRAS-inhibitor candidates in Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials.
Prior to that, Eli Lilly (LLY) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) tried their hands at KRAS mutation but failed.
Aside from Lumakras, Amgen has another blockbuster candidate in store for its shareholders: asthma drug Tezepelumab.
Developed in collaboration with AstraZeneca, this drug is already in the second late-stage pipeline and has been showing promising results so far.
Globally, there are about 2.5 million patients with severe asthma, with 1 million suffering from eosinophilic asthma in the United States. Amgen is hoping to target the latter population.
If Tezepelumab gets approved, it would be in direct competition against Sanofi (SNY) and Regeneron’s (REGN) asthma drug Dupixent. Peak sales for this asthma drug is estimated at roughly $3.5 billion.
Over the past 12 months, Amgen’s stock performance has been rangebound.
Although this is obviously frustrating for growth-oriented shareholders, I think the short-term volatility of the stock may present good opportunities for value-conscious investors.
That is, I view the drop in Amgen’s share price as another favorable buying opportunity.
Mad Hedge Biotech & Healthcare Letter
May 20, 2021
Fiat Lux
FEATURED TRADE:
(REGENERATED REGENERON)
(REGN), (PFE), (JNJ), (AMGN), (BMY), (GILD), (MRK), (LLY), (SNY), (BAYRY), (NVS), (RHHBY)
The biotechnology and healthcare sectors have become attractive investment targets for investors who recognize the value and essence of these industries along with the possible risks associated with them.
While not all companies in these areas are great investments, some offer remarkable growth opportunities.
One company worth considering is Regeneron (REGN), with its strong and stable investment thesis and steady organic growth.
Regeneron joins the ranks of Pfizer (PFE) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) as one of the handful of biopharmaceutical companies to release solid first quarter results this 2021 compared to other big names in the industry, including Amgen (AMGN), Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY), Gilead Sciences (GILD), Merck (MRK), and Eli Lilly (LLY).
The New York-based company reported a 38% boost in its revenue compared to the same period in 2020, reaching $2.5 billion for the first quarter of 2021 alone.
Virtually all of Regeneron’s products generated solid growth during this period, with the company’s COVID-19 antibody cocktail REGEN-COV delivering the highest sales at $262 million.
To underscore just how significant REGEN-COV is to Regeneron this quarter, its absence from the roster would take away 18% from the company’s overall revenue growth.
Riding the momentum of its COVID-19 program, Regeneron has developed Inmazeb, which is a treatment for Ebola virus infection.
Aside from its COVID-19 antibody cocktail, Regeneron also saw an impressive boost in the performance of its atopic dermatitis drug Dupixent.
Dupixent, which Regeneron sells in partnership with Sanofi (SNY), generated $1.26 billion in sales in the first quarter, showing off a notable 48% increase from its 2020 report.
Although Dupixent is a shared product with Sanofi, this dermatitis drug holds incredible promise for Regeneron.
To date, only 6% of eligible patients are being treated with Dupixent. This indicates a massive space that is yet to be explored by both companies.
Taking into consideration the pace at which Dupixent has been growing so far, this drug is projected to peak at roughly $12.5 billion in sales in the coming years.
Another high-selling drug for Regeneron is wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treatment Eylea.
Sales for this drug, which was developed in collaboration with Bayer (BAYRY), went up from $1.2 billion in the first quarter of 2020 to $1.3 billion this year.
The increase in sales for Eylea is a welcome surprise for both Regeneron and Bayer, especially since more and more competitors are attempting to topple the drug as the top product in the niche.
Cornering the AMD segment is an attractive venture for any biopharmaceutical company.
After all, Eylea generated $4.9 billion in sales in 2020 from the US market alone.
Thus far, two main competitors have come forward as the strongest.
One is Novartis (NVS), which released Beovu in 2019.
The second, and possibly the stronger competitor between the two, is Roche (RHHBY) with Faricimab.
To ensure its dominance in the AMD market, Regeneron has been expanding the use of Eylea.
The latest development is the drug’s enrollment in the Phase 3 program, which would allow extended periods in between treatments but still deliver the same level of efficacy and safety.
Aside from these, Regeneron is looking into additional revenue streams ahead.
One growth segment is its oncology program, particularly its cancer drug Libtayo, which may soon be marketed to cover a fourth type of cancer.
Regeneron aims to submit Libtayo for review as a treatment for advanced cervical cancer.
On top of this, the drug is also a strong contender in the development of several antibody treatments.
Thus far, the company has 12 oncology antibodies under clinical development.
Overall, Regeneron’s strong results for the first quarter of 2021 highlighted its continuous evolution into a company carrying multiple and diverse portfolios of products and pipeline programs that address an extensive range of serious diseases, from COVID-19 and rare diseases to cancer.
