My Own Analyst

MAKO

So far so good.  I will listen to the call to confirm, but the guidance was unchanged (so not a disaster).  There were some one-time charges this quarter and a deferred sale in Italy - looks like a reasonably good quarter though.  Huge short-interest (like PBI)...

VRNG Update

It's been like watching paint dry, but the stock is spiking on volume with no news as of this moment.  Still waiting for judge to rule.  Yesterday, USPTO affirmed a patent.  I never thought that was much of an issue, but some did.  Still, it all comes down to the judge's ruling, which is well beyond due.  I continue to think that the expected outcome leads to a $5 print and then maybe a pullback into the mid/low 4s.  GOOG will certainly appeal.  If he were to rule a higher royalty rate than the jury originally indicated, the stock has upside....

HUGE short-interest...

MASI Initiated With Buy

Tao Levy, a medical device industry veteran analyst who is at Wedbush, initiated MASI with a buy and a 28 target today...

EZPW Upgraded

Well, clearly this very disappointing news was priced into the stock.  FBR just upgraded the firm to Neutral.  I will be contemplating the position tonight.  My target before was 30.50, clearly too high, but based on just 10.5X forward EPS (which are coming down sharply).

FINL Beats

While they only maintained guidance, FINL beat on sales and EPS.  After a horrible Q3 and then disappointing guidance in Q4, this Q1 report might lead to some buying.  There has been some early morning action at the unchanged mark (21.30).  This story gets more interesting in 3 months, as all eyes will be on the big ramp expected from Macy's program next year.

RAVN

This is very interesting and perhaps huge - not sure yet.  It's a great company and down in price.  I don't see the risk to buying some to see if this part of the story plays out.

 

http://seekingalpha.com/news-article/6833422-raven-industries-collaborates-with-google-on-balloon-design-and-manufacturing-project-bringing-internet-access-to-remote-areas-of-the-world-via-high-altitude-balloons

LMNX Finally Working!

Interesting deal from out of left field:

Natural Molecular Testing Corporation Launches an Expanded Personalized Medicine Panel Built on Luminex Corporation's xMAP Technology

Partnership Advances Pharmacogenomics for Improved Patient Care SEATTLE, June 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Natural Molecular Testing Corporation (Natural Molecular, NMTC), a privately-owned company providing groundbreaking clinical diagnostic molecular testing and services in the medical genomics field, announced today the launch of their laboratory developed comprehensive Personalized Medicine Panel. This cardiac panel, commercialized by Natural Molecular, is comprised of 42 targets and built using Luminex Corporation's (NASDAQ: LMNX) xMAP® Technology.  "Our goal is to bring the latest advancements in medical science and technology to help clinicians do one simple thing: provide the best possible care for their patients," said Beau R. Fessenden, CEO of Natural Molecular. "By converting toLuminex's xMAP technology, we can improve our throughput and workflow efficiency with more comprehensive and highly sensitive assays that set us apart in the marketplace. The flexibility and high throughput of the Luminex platform combined with the ability to add additional biomarkers make the technology unique and best suited to our expanding needs." Each year more than 2 million Americans are hospitalized due to adverse drug reactions which lead to an estimated 100,000 deaths.1  Molecular testing allows physicians to diagnose genetic abnormalities in  patients, providing guidance in selecting optimal medications and doses of medications while minimizing risk for a wide variety of common conditions such as chronic heart disease and pain.  "We are excited to be expanding our relationship with Natural Molecular in the important area of pharmacogenomics," said Patrick Balthrop, president and CEO of Luminex. "It is valuable for a physician to know whether a specific therapeutic compound will be most beneficial for a particular patient. Through the use of genetic testing, driven by the throughput and scalability of our technology and the unique services of NMTC, our two companies are working together to optimize patient outcomes and lower overall health-care costs. We look forward to expanding opportunities with Natural Molecular, a leader in pharmacogenomic testing." The financial terms of the multi-year collaboration and license agreement were not disclosed.

I will be VERY PATIENT on this name, as I think it's a very unique company and still undervalued.  Recall that the first buy in Top 20 was in July near 18, and the rest of the buys have been near there:

sell	LMNX	Luminex Corporation	07/11/2012	240	$ 18.05	$ 19.79	9.64 %	$ 4332.00	$ 4749.60	2.02 %
sell	LMNX	Luminex Corporation	07/22/2012	200	$ 17.44	$ 19.79	13.47 %	$ 3488.00	$ 3958.00	1.68 %
sell	LMNX	Luminex Corporation	12/16/2012	200	$ 16.28	$ 19.79	21.56 %	$ 3256.00	$ 3958.00	1.68 %
sell	LMNX	Luminex Corporation	10/31/2012	225	$ 15.96	$ 19.79	24.00 %	$ 3591.00	$ 4452.75	1.90 %

We have also had a few trades along the way:

LMNX

Luminex Corporation

10/17/2012

11/25/2012

175

$ 17.92

$ 17.52

-2.23 %

LMNX

Luminex Corporation

07/11/2012

08/26/2012

160

$ 18.05

$ 19.23

6.56 %

So, we are looking at a breakout from a one-year old base.  These tend to end well...  HANG TIGHT!

 

 

MAKO Adds Seasoned Veteran to Head Marketing

http://ir.makosurgical.com/releaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=768800

 

Oustanding hire:

 

Mr. Dawson has over 25 years of experience in marketing, with the majority of such experience in the medical device field. From June 2008 throughMay 2013, Mr. Dawson served as Vice President of North America Marketing for Smith & Nephew Advanced Wound Management, a manufacturer and supplier of advanced wound dressings and devices, where he was responsible for managing the entire marketing function for North America. FromMay 2004 to June 2008, Mr. Dawson held various marketing leadership positions with Zimmer, Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of orthopedic implants and surgical products, including Senior Director of U.S. Knee Marketing, where he was responsible for directing all marketing programs and activities related to Zimmer's knee products.  From July 2001 to April 2004, he served as the Vice President - Product Group Knee, for Centerpulse Orthopedics Ltd., a manufacturer and supplier of orthopedic implants. Mr. Dawson holds a B.S. in Applied Biology from Chelsea College, University ofLondon and a Diploma in Management Studies from Exeter College of Plymouth Polytechnic.  

Early News

Not much going on...

VOLC was upgraded by JMP to Buy with a target of 26.  I lowered my target to 26 after the last report and base it on 3.3X Enterprise Value to Sales.  I was previously using 4X, but their growth prospects seem more like 15% rather than 20%.  I like the stock fundamentally for the longer-term, and it looks like it may have a bottom near 16.

STJ was removed from the short-term buy list by Deutsche Bank.

Piper Jaffray said that the addition of capacity in the Redbox kiosks (80 discs) could add $1.11 to 2014 EPS.  They kept their CSTR target at $65.  I like the $100 target better!  Mine is 81

SMCI

No idea why the high-volume sell-off but will update...