On 06/17/19 [10:29], RumorHound platform alerted a potential takeover of TherapeuticsMD (NasdaqGSM: TXMD; 2.61). Rumor is substantiated by 8 sources; 1 of which has a four-star reliability score, 3 with three-star scores, and an average source popularity ~2.0 (see image below). TXMD is a commercial-stage women’s healthcare company that offers a bio-identical hormone platform to treat menopause-related hormone deficiencies. The platform contains estradiol and progesterone alone or in combination and are designed to provide equivalent efficacy to competing products at lower doses, thus enabling enhanced safety and side effect profiles relative to custom compounded products.
On 06/12/19 [09:51], Rumor Hound alerted a potential takeover of Mattel (NasdaqGSM: MAT; 11.40) by Hasbro (NasdaqGSM: HAS; 105.84). Rumor is substantiated by 48 sources; 12 of which have five-star reliability scores and 17 with source popularity scores 6 or greater. MAT shares were up 7%+ as of noon Wednesday on reports of a rejected & unsolicited merger offer by rival toymaker MGA Entertainment- who was subject of a lawsuit in 2004 by MAT.
Beginning 05/06/19 and most recently on 05/28, Rumor Hound alerted a potential takeover of multi-national managed care organization Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC; $56.23) by Humana (NYSE: HUM; $251.04) through both high reliability and popularity sources. Since 1H15, Humana has closed on 8 deals with an aggregate announced value of approx. $6.5B in cash. Kindred Healthcare has been the largest deal by value ($3.8B in 12/17) followed by Curo Health Services in 4/18 and Concentra in 3/15 valued at $1.4B and $1.0B, respectively. During the same timeframe and excluding WCG, Centene closed on 13 deals with an aggregate announced value of approx. $10.6B in cash.
On 05/16/19, RumorHound platform alerted a potential takeover of Aimmune Therapeutics (NasdaqGSM:AIMT; $20.20) where no potential acquirer was mentioned. AIMT is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that develops therapies focused on desensitizing patients suffering from food allergies.
On 05/17/19, RumorHound platform alerted a potential takeover of UniQure Biopharma N.V. (NasdaqGSM:QURE; $59.74) where no potential acquirer was mentioned. Our analyst identified Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY; $46.85) as a potential acquirer, although several other large pharma are likely following QURE closely. See below:
On 05/10/19 [10:39], Rumor Hound alerted potential takeover of Portola Pharmaceuticals, (Nasdaq: $PTLA, $30.93) where no potential acquirer was mentioned. PTLA markets therapies Bevyxxa (betrixaban; Factor Xa inhibitor), an oral anticoagulant and Andexxa (andexanet alfa; coagulation factor Xa (recombinant), inactivated-zhzo) and is developing Cerdulatinib, an oral tx for follicular lymphoma (FL) in PhIIa and PRT2761 for allergic conjunctivitis.
After a long quiet period, U.S. bank mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity seems to be back on the rise. On April 23, 2019, Rumor Hound sourced low popularity chatter on Zions Bancorporation (NASDAQ: ZION), a large U.S. regional bank based in Salt Lake City, Utah. While this is simply one source, this may be the beginning of a nascent boom in bank deals, especially after the surprise $66 billion mergers of regionals SunTrust Banks and BB&T.
Since April 2018, Rumor Hound has sourced significant chatter regarding takeover interest in Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: CZR), the Las Vegas-based owner of the eponymous casino chain. On April 16, 2019, Rumor Hound sourced information that the company’s Board of Directors was forming a transaction committee to evaluate potential deals or strategic alternatives. This was almost exactly one year from the first rumors originating from low popularity social media sources. With nearly a year of lead time until the company announced it was considering takeover approaches, Rumor Hound alerts traders, portfolio managers and analysts about events before wide dissemination.
Since last July, Rumor Hound has sourced significant chatter about Zayo Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ZAYO) , a Boulder, Colorado-based telecommunications infrastructure company. After initial chatter from lower popularity, high-reliability sources, higher popularity sources are now confirming Zayo as a target of significant interest.
On 04/10/19 [07:51], Rumor Hound alerted potential takeover of The Medicines Company, (Nasdaq:GSM, $28.45) where no potential acquirer was mentioned. This ‘MDCO takeover’ rumor may be rooted in a note published by Citigroup Inc. (NYSE, C, $65.48) analyst regarding expectation of near-term PhIII safety data from ORION program (particularly ORION-10) evaluating lead candidate Inclisiran, a small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) therapy to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).