Brett Girard, CPA, CA, CFA
Novavax Inc
NVAX-Q
DON'T BUY
Jul 24, 2020
There is almost an arms race that is going on with respect to vaccine development. We need to wait to see how human testing is going to work out. There will be lots of volatility in the meantime. He is not interested in playing a specific name -- much like what happened with marijuana stocks. He would look to companies that will provide syringes instead.
Recently announced an effective Covid vaccine In 2019, they had less than $50 million in revenue. It was nascent and now prominent. They could participate in the booster Covid market, and they need to live up to their current market cap of $14 billion. NVAX has to vaccinate a quarter of the world's population to trade at 1x revenues. There's a lot of hope built into the shares that they succeed. He can't buy this and sleep at night.
Stockchase Research Editor: Michael O'Reilly NVAX is applying for Emergency Use Authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine as experts believe annual boosters may be required as with the annual flu shots. It has achieved over 89% efficacy and does not require deep freeze storage -- a huge advantage. It has agreements already in place for 180 million doses in the UK, Canada, and Australia when approved. We would buy this with a stop loss at $160, looking to achieve $272 -- upside potential over 27%. Yield 0%. (Analysts’ price target is $271.75)
(A Top Pick Jul 22/21, Up 29.4%)Stockchase Research Editor: Michael O'Reilly Our PAST TOP PICK with NVAX has achieved its target at $272. To be disciplined, we recommend covering half the position at this time and trailing up the stop (from $160) to $175.
(A Top Pick Jul 21/21, Down 16.7%)Stockchase Research Editor: Michael O'Reilly Our PAST TOP PICK with NVAX has triggered its stop at $175. To remain disciplined, we recommend covering the position at this time. Combined with the previous recommendation to cover half the position, this results in a net investment gain of 6%.
Eventually, a full, broad-spectrum vaccine will be in place to cover Covid. Will MRNA technology also develop drugs to tackle TV and HIV and other diseases. Novartis offers more a strong balance sheet and a just-announced $20 billion inflow, based on tuck-in acquisition. NVAX is fine, but there are better companies.
Issued a Covid vaccines that the EU and WHO approved recently. He likes Pfizer in this group; you don't need another one. NVAX is up 6% in the past week.
The share price and PE have plunged in the past year. Though cheaper to buy, he passes, because they haven't gotten FDA approval for their Covid vaccine.
The variability around earnings makes it interesting to trade, but he would not recommend investing in it. Very volatile. No insight for approval. Prefers using XPI ETF to trade the sector. NVAX is not a name he owns.