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Inovio Pharmaceuticals (AMEX:INO) said Wednesday that its DNA vaccine for prostate cancer showed "remarkable" immune responses in a monkey trial, positioning the company one step closer to start a phase one clinical study by mid-year 2012. The new data follows similar strong T cell levels, cells crucial to the immune system, in previously reported animal trials, the company said. "In this monkey trial, vaccinations with INO-5150 generated strong and robust T cell immune responses," it described in a statement. "In a prior study in mice, INO-5150 immunization induced potent antibody and T cell responses, providing initial evidence that the concept for a therapeutic DNA vaccine comprising a broader collection of antigens, administered with Inovio's electroporation-based delivery technology, would improve the breadth and effectiveness of a prostate cancer immunotherapy." The development of a new treatment for prostate cancer would be a significant medical advance given that present treatment options, including surgery, radiation and hormone deprivation, all carry deleterious side effects and often do not confer...

Avatar Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AVTR) is engaged in the development of active adult and primary residential communities in Florida and Arizona. The company is(as of 5/16) at a 52 week low, and it trades for less than half its book value, which appears to be just slightly more than its cash on hand. Further, the company’s main asset – homes – is likely at or close to a cyclical trough, so a long term investor could expect that the downside is somewhat limited relative to the potential upside as the housing market stabilizes over coming years. Keep in mind, since the company appears to trade for only slightly above cash, an investor would be getting the business and the houses for free. Unfortunately, there’s more to the story. First, the cash on the balance sheet is illusory. The balance sheet in the most current 10-Q is dated March 31, however the very next day, on April 1, holders of $41.6M of the company’s convertible...

I strongly believe that the marketing and distribution of auction-rate securities was the single greatest scam perpetrated on investors by Wall Street. While a full forty months have passed since the ARS market failed that fateful day in February 2008, approximately $100 billion of the original $330 billion ARS remain frozen. Many thousands of investors continue to wonder if they will ever get a full return of their cash locked up in these supposed ‘cash-alternative’, ‘cash-surrogate’, ‘totally liquid’, ‘as good as cash’, ‘money market type’ instruments. Forty plus months. $100 billion. You think you have stress. Place yourself in the position of these investors. Sense on Cents continues to bang the drum for ARS investors and now we witness two more ‘wins’ but one real ‘disappointment’ on the ARS front. Let’s navigate.  Last we heard from the crowd at Raymond James, they were claiming they had a ‘meritorious defense’ in their marketing and distribution of auction-rate securities. Well, it would now appear that RJ’s meritorious...

It is probably the best time to invest in Chinese stocks as the most of the analysts have predicted the Chinese tech bubble. We take a look at these stocks to bring you the latest insight.   Youku.com Inc (NYSE:YOKU) seems to be moving in a strong bullish rally. The share price touched the high of $37.64 yesterday however closed at $35.54 reporting the surge of 29 percent. Youku’s jump was sure backed by good volume numbers as its traded volume stood at 21.98 million shares as compared to its average traded volume of 4.48 million shares per day. Despite high volume figure major technical indicators have not signaled a strong upward change. However MACD Moving Averages Convergence Divergence indicates starting of a upward move as the MACD line crosses the trigger line in upward direction.   Renren Inc (NYSE:RENN) also gained 8.57 percent to close at $7.60. Huge volume also backed the surge of RENN as total volume stood at 15.84 million shares...

The Misery Index, the sum of the inflation rate and the unemployment rate reaches a multi-decade high. The index was created in 1976 by Jimmy Carter’s economists in an attack on Gerald Ford, but it backfired when it spiked under Carter. Chart from stlouisfed.org From the chart above, we can see that the current level has acted as both support and resistance in the past. Will it act as resistance this time as well? I did some research, downloaded the data in excel, I downloaded data of the SP500 at Yahoo Finance, created some charts using these data and I made some interesting observations. First of all, for those of you who would like to have the excel sheet, please click HERE… Now let’s look at the observations: When the Misery index was falling, this meant higher stock prices. Once the multi-year resistance line was broken in 1968, the bull market ended, and a sideways market followed (for years) until the Misery index fell below its multi-year support line in 1982, the market...

Because monitoring glucose levels is the cornerstone of managing diabetes, Echo Therapeutics’ (ECTE) needle-free, wireless, transdermal glucose-monitoring system represents a significant breakthrough for the more than 25 million diabetes sufferers in the U.S. Echo’s stock price, recently battered by bad biotech sector performance in general, seriously undervalues its short- and long-term potential. “When you consider Echo’s technology and our current market valuation of $114.98 million, we’re a fraction of the value of our nearest competitor, and we think we have a superior technology,” said Dr. Patrick Mooney, Echo’s CEO. Echo’s ground-breaking technology helps diabetics keep track of their glucose levels more precisely, in a more timely fashion and more painlessly than has been possible since the beginning of insulin therapy. Indeed, Echo’s monitoring system, according to some analysts, represents the most disruptive technological advance since the introduction of the syringe needle, nearly 160 years ago. Until Echo’s glucose-monitoring device, called the Symphony TCGM (transdermal continuous glucose-monitoring) System, gets final Food and Drug...

Economists are known to use market indicators, extensive financial forecasts, and the previous work of other economists to support their judgement of an economy's prospects. This economist will briefly assess the economy based on the popular Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Trends website. For those not familiar, Google trends tracks the top searched items on Google, in addition to the world's interest in various topics. Arguably, the most searched items by American users on a Saturday would be a great snapshot into how people are spending their weekends. Certainly, this tool is quite limited in judging an economy. It does, however, provide valuable insight into consumer sentiment, which is a pillar of any economy. To be sure, the American economy has taken a hard hit in the past few years. In addition to the unacceptably high poverty rate, unemployment has soared, wealth has shrunken and confidence has withered. Yet, Americans march on. People strive for new jobs, investment, and opportunities for happiness every day. Which is...

Lululemon Athletica, Inc. (LULU) recently rebounded from a key trend line to move back within striking distance of its 52-week high. With a Q1 earnings surprise of 16% and bullish growth projection, this Zacks #1 rank stock isn't stretched thin for momentum. Company Description Lululemon Athletica, Inc. designs, manufactures and sells athletic apparel for men and woman in the United States, Australia and Canada. The company sells its products through its own 134 stores, online and through third-party distributors. Lululemon has a market cap of $6.6 billion and was founded in 1998. LULU has been one of the top momentum stocks of the last year, more than tripling in price after recently breaking above $100. That trend has been supported by impressive sales and earnings growth, last on display with the company's strong Q1 results from early June that came in ahead of expectations. First-Quarter Results Revenue for the period was up 35% from last year to $186 million. Earnings also looked good, coming in...

Estimates have been rising for Pentair, Inc. (PNR) after management raised full year guidance following strong first quarter results. Pentair reported strong sales growth and expanding margins in Q1, which led to the company's 4th consecutive positive earnings surprise. The company has also been consistently raising its dividend over the last several years. It currently yields 2.2%. Company Description Pentair, Inc. is a diversified industrial manufacturing company. It operates in two segments: Water and Technical Products. The Water segment offers products and systems used in the movement, storage, treatment and enjoyment of water. The Technical Products segment manufactures custom enclosures that house and protect sensitive electronics and electrical components. The company is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota and has a market cap of $3.7 billion. First Quarter Results Pentair reported a 12% increase in first quarter sales to $790 million, well ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $758 million. Demand continues to be strong in the company's industrial end markets. The Technical Products Group was the hottest, with...

The specialty chemical manufacturers have been at the forefront of the global recovery. OM Group Inc. (OMG) recently surprised on the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 59% as demand remained strong across its global end markets. This Zacks #1 Rank (strong buy) has attractive valuations, with a forward P/E of 14. OM Group manufactures specialty chemicals and advanced materials for industrial processes. Headquartered in Cleveland, with manufacturing facilities worldwide, its customers are in various industries including rechargeable batteries, electronic devices, cutting tools, industrial coatings, defense, aerospace and medical devices. OM Group has 3 business units: Battery Technologies, Advanced Materials and Specialty Chemicals. It specializes in cobalt-based specialty chemicals and is a major supplier of nickel-based specialty chemicals. OM Group Surprised For the 7th Consecutive Quarter in Q1 On May 5, OM Group reported its first quarter results and continued to see the strong sales and earnings growth that it saw in 2010. The company surprised on the Zacks Consensus by 38 cents. Earnings per share were...