Sarah Mason/DigitalVision via Getty Images It's time to update on Stepan Company ( SCL ), with my last article about a year old at this particular time. My rating has, unfortunately, and looking at the article, underperformed the broader market. I added to Stepan Company two times after that article, about 2-3 month intervals. That means that following the rise of the company's share price, my ret...
Sarah Mason/DigitalVision via Getty Images It's time to update on Stepan Company ( SCL ), with my last article about a year old at this particular time. My rating has, unfortunately, and looking at the article, underperformed the broader market. I added to Stepan Company two times after that article, about 2-3 month intervals. That means that following the rise of the company's share price, my return/performance is about neutral at this time. It also means that my earlier article from October 2024 came bullish at a "too early." Was there a problem with the company that I did not account for? No, I would argue that wasn't the case. The company's market performance was decent, and the fundamentals were as I described them to be. Stepan Company, as a performance, foaming, and emulsifying chemical company, has done, overall, fairly well. The reason for the underperformance seems to be related mostly to broader market performance and trends. The company's misses and margin pressure trends that likely were the primary reasons for the poor performance were not related to fundamental shortcomings but due to increased pricing for raw materials, which can obviously hit any company in almost any market. The only issue I would ascribe to the company is the issues related to the company's new facilities in Pasadena (that's Texas, not California). A chemical company, any chemical company, may experience a rise in operating costs and, as a result, pressure on company margins and income. Oftentimes, this does not mean that the markets are poor or that there is any sort of fundamental issue - instead, it can reflect weak end markets and geographical pressures, which was the case with Stepan as well. These sorts of trends and results represent good lessons. While it's impossible to "time" the market, I believe I can do better than I did back then. There were some signs visible at the time that the company might drop more before it turned around - I didn't put enough weight on it. I d...
Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images Axon Enterprise ( AXON ) stock is soaring after hours on Tuesday following upbeat quarterly results in the midst of a steep downtrend over the last few months. I think this upward momentum is sustainable, and AXON should continue to climb back towards previous highs. Data by YCharts In my last piece on AXON back in November, I discussed the company's previou...
Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images Axon Enterprise ( AXON ) stock is soaring after hours on Tuesday following upbeat quarterly results in the midst of a steep downtrend over the last few months. I think this upward momentum is sustainable, and AXON should continue to climb back towards previous highs. Data by YCharts In my last piece on AXON back in November, I discussed the company's previous earnings and the stock's resulting 20%+ decline, arguing headwinds would be short-lived and rated the stock a Buy. Shares now sit around 20% lower (if the +15% post-market move holds). That article can be read here . Even that price movement doesn't tell the whole story of the rollercoaster that AXON shareholders have been on since fall. After surging to $750 per share before the Q3 report, shares dropped off a cliff, finally settling in the low $500 range. Over the next couple of months, it gradually dug itself out of the hole, crossing $600 only to again get knocked down to fresh lows in the $400 range. Which is where Q4 earnings come in. Market sentiment had turned extremely fearful -- so fearful that it seems investors forgot just how strong the company's growth has been and continues to be. However, it seems fundamentals have reasserted the bull thesis, which led to the after hours surge. Let's start with a recap of Q4: Axon Q4 2025 Earnings Presentation Revenue came in at $797 million in the quarter (+39% YoY/+12% QoQ) and gross margin was 61.1% overall, led by 76.7% for the ever-growing Software & Services segment as the company's new business model takes root. Non-GAAP EPS of $2.15 was up slightly YoY but came in well above consensus estimates. After all the fuss about tariff impacts in Q3, it's reassuring to see such a convincing rebound from Axon, shooing away some of the market's lingering fears about how the company would be affected by the economic and political environment in the US. To that point, bookings and backlogged revenue are exploding as annual recu...
In this article .SPIPSA CAAS Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT View of the city of Santiago and the Andes Mountains, taken from the Metropolitan Park on July 2, 2024. Rodrigo Arangua | Afp | Getty Images Chile is the latest Latin American country to have become embroiled in a U.S.-China power struggle . The country, which counts Washington as its top foreign investor and Beijing as i...
In this article .SPIPSA CAAS Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT View of the city of Santiago and the Andes Mountains, taken from the Metropolitan Park on July 2, 2024. Rodrigo Arangua | Afp | Getty Images Chile is the latest Latin American country to have become embroiled in a U.S.-China power struggle . The country, which counts Washington as its top foreign investor and Beijing as its largest trading partner, is facing pressure from the White House over a subsea cable project with links to China. In a surprise move, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late last week that the Trump administration would impose visa restrictions on three Chilean officials tied to a digital cable project proposed by Chinese firms, alleging a security threat. Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who will leave office on March 11, condemned the visa sanctions and rejected the notion that the country "promotes any action that threatens our security or that of the region." Chile's outgoing left-wing government later said one of the sanctioned officials was the country's Minister of Transport and Telecommunications Juan Carlos Muñoz, without commenting on the identities of the other two. The U.S. ambassador to Chile, Brandon Judd, defended the visa restrictions on Monday, telling reporters that it is Washington's "sovereign right to take actions when we feel that the region's security is being threatened," according to The Associated Press. The spat comes just days before a Latin American leader's summit in Miami, Florida — and two weeks before Chile's incoming right-wing government takes over in Santiago. Chile's President-elect Jose Antonio Kast speaks to journalists after meeting with the Italian Prime Minister at Palazzo Chigi in Rome on Febuary 5, 2026. Filippo Monteforte | Afp | Getty Images It also represents a major test for José Antonio Kast 's administration, following the right-wing candidate's election victory late last year. Analysts say U.S. President Donald Tru...
(RTTNews) - GSK plc (GSK, GSK.L, GS71.DE) has entered an agreement to acquire 35Pharma, a Canada-based, private, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specialised in the development of protein-based therapeutics. GSK will acquire 100% of the equity of 35Pharma Inc. for $950 mi
(RTTNews) - GSK plc (GSK, GSK.L, GS71.DE) has entered an agreement to acquire 35Pharma, a Canada-based, private, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specialised in the development of protein-based therapeutics. GSK will acquire 100% of the equity of 35Pharma Inc. for $950 mi