Independent research on the U.S. markets, Baptista Research

Baptista Research

Independent research on the U.S. markets

Baptista Research is an independent financial research house focused on the U.S. markets. We provide equity research as well as credit research reports on the top-listed U.S. companies with most of our focus on technology, consumer goods and services, automobiles, industrials, oil and gas, pharma, and healthcare. Our research has served more than 3000 institutional investors including mutual funds, hedge funds, banks, family offices, and various buy-side firms. We operate a research subscription service where institutions, as well as retail investors, can have priority access to all our research. We also have a wide distribution of our research reports across some of the top global financial platforms. Apart from equity research and credit research, we also provide advisory services with respect to mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity/ venture capital fundraising, valuation reports, and investment management services for corporates.
Baptista Research is owned and managed by Ishan Majumdar, an ex-Venture Capitalist/ Investment Banker, a Chartered Accountant, and a Masters’ degree holder in Management from HEC Paris. Ishan has nearly a decade of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs), Venture Capital Investing, Corporate Strategy, and Valuation in front-office roles at the likes of BNP Paribas CIB, Credit Agricole CIB, Groupe Danone, and TIW Private Equity. He has worked on and closed multiple acquisition deals, leveraged buyouts, and start-up investment transactions.

Equity Bottom-Up

American Eagle Outfitters / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>American Eagle Outfitters reported a strong third quarter for 2024, supported by their strategic initiatives, particularly their "Powering Profitable Growth" strategy.</li><li>The company experienced a 3% increase in comparable sales, building on a 5% growth the previous year, and delivered an adjusted operating income at the high end of their guidance.</li><li>Key highlights of the quarter include progress on brand amplification, with American Eagle maintaining its position as the #1 brand in denim for the 15-to-25 age group and experiencing its sixth consecutive quarter of comparable sales growth.</li></ul>

American Eagle Outfitters reported a strong third quarter for 2024, supported by their strategic initiatives, particularly their "Powering Profitable Growth" strategy.The company experienced a 3% increase in comparable sales, building on a 5% growth the previous year, and delivered an adjusted operating income at the high end of their guidance.Key highlights of the quarter include progress on brand amplification, with American Eagle maintaining its position as the #1 brand in denim for the 15-to-25 age group and experiencing its sixth consecutive quarter of comparable sales growth.

American Eagle Outfitters: Solid Customer Acquisition & Retention Strategies Driving Our Bullishness! - Major Drivers

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Large-Cap indexes (S&amp;P 500, Nasdaq 100, and DJI) remain bullish, all hitting new all-time highs last week while continuing to find short-term support at their respective 20-day MAs.</li>
<li>Mid-Caps (S&amp;P 400, Russell Mid-Cap) starting another leg higher following breakouts from 2-month consolidations. Small-caps (S&amp;P 600, Russell 2000) are likely to follow in the footsteps of large- and mid-caps.</li>
<li>Small-Cap indexes have been consolidating for 2.5 months following the historic rally from late-October to late-December 2023, a healthy sign. We expect they are gearing-up for another similar move higher.</li>
</ul>


Large-Cap indexes (S&amp;P 500, Nasdaq 100, and DJI) remain bullish, all hitting new all-time highs last week while continuing to find short-term support at their respective 20-day MAs.
Mid-Caps (S&amp;P 400, Russell Mid-Cap) starting another leg higher following breakouts from 2-month consolidations. Small-caps (S&amp;P 600, Russell 2000) are likely to follow in the footsteps of large- and mid-caps.
Small-Cap indexes have been consolidating for 2.5 months following the historic rally from late-October to late-December 2023, a healthy sign. We expect they are gearing-up for another similar move higher.


U.S. Dollar Rolling Over; Small-Caps to Follow Mid- And Large-Caps to New Highs; Buys in Cons. Disc.

Nasdaq-100 Stock Index / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We had a near-term bullish outlook on the S&amp;P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) from 4/22/25 to 11/19/25.</li>
<li>After being near-term neutral for a week, we flipped back to bullish in our 11/25/25 report last week, all while maintaining our intermediate-term bullish outlook (as of our 5/14/25 report).</li>
<li>We'll stay near-term bullish as long as crucial support levels of 6480-6520 on SPX and $580-$583 on QQQ hold. We believe SPX,QQQ, and IWM are in a new "lockout rally"</li>
</ul>


We had a near-term bullish outlook on the S&amp;P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) from 4/22/25 to 11/19/25.
After being near-term neutral for a week, we flipped back to bullish in our 11/25/25 report last week, all while maintaining our intermediate-term bullish outlook (as of our 5/14/25 report).
We'll stay near-term bullish as long as crucial support levels of 6480-6520 on SPX and $580-$583 on QQQ hold. We believe SPX,QQQ, and IWM are in a new "lockout rally"


New Lockout Rally Underway on SPX, QQQ, and IWM? Yes. Here Is Why. Still Bullish

Equity Research Focusing on the Consumer Sector, Small Cap Consumer Research

Small Cap Consumer Research

Equity Research Focusing on the Consumer Sector

Small Cap Consumer Research, LLC is a leading company-sponsored equity research provider focusing on the consumer sector (apparel, brand licensing and specialty retailing segments).

<ul><li>We are reiterating our Buy rating, $4 price target and projections for Vince Holding with the company announcing 3QFY25 (October) results before the open on Tuesday.</li><li>We believe, with a focus on the higher end consumer, compelling fashion offerings, continued wholesale expansion and the company continuing to work to offset the impact of tariffs, Vince is poised to drive 3Q top line upside, with the potential for better than expected bottom line results (even with tariffs exerting a material negative impact).</li><li> Further, we expect management to remain upbeat on 4Q, with product flows normalizing and the Black Friday sale events inline with prior years.</li></ul>

We are reiterating our Buy rating, $4 price target and projections for Vince Holding with the company announcing 3QFY25 (October) results before the open on Tuesday.We believe, with a focus on the higher end consumer, compelling fashion offerings, continued wholesale expansion and the company continuing to work to offset the impact of tariffs, Vince is poised to drive 3Q top line upside, with the potential for better than expected bottom line results (even with tariffs exerting a material negative impact). Further, we expect management to remain upbeat on 4Q, with product flows normalizing and the Black Friday sale events inline with prior years.

VNCE: 3Q Preview: Showing the Strength of the Model; Reiterate Buy, $4 PT

<ul><li>We are dropping research coverage of GES after the company reported strong 3Q results (handily beating the Street in almost every level) but, more importantly, provided the final pieces to the merger puzzle timing and return.</li><li>With Guess?</li><li>disclosing the November 21st approval of the Merger Agreement at a special shareholder meeting and the issuance of a final $0.225 per GES share dividend to shareholders of record on December 10th, the management buyout with leading brand licensee Authentic Brands Group will provide GES shareholders with a confirmed final payment of $16.975 in cash per GES share ($16.75 for the merger and dividend of $0.225) a slight discount to Tuesday's closing price.</li></ul>

We are dropping research coverage of GES after the company reported strong 3Q results (handily beating the Street in almost every level) but, more importantly, provided the final pieces to the merger puzzle timing and return.With Guess?disclosing the November 21st approval of the Merger Agreement at a special shareholder meeting and the issuance of a final $0.225 per GES share dividend to shareholders of record on December 10th, the management buyout with leading brand licensee Authentic Brands Group will provide GES shareholders with a confirmed final payment of $16.975 in cash per GES share ($16.75 for the merger and dividend of $0.225) a slight discount to Tuesday's closing price.

GES: With Terms Fully Set, Time to Bow Out; Dropping Coverage of GES

United States

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. retails men's and women's casual apparel, footwear, outerwear, and accessories.  The Company's products include jeans, khakis, T-shirts, and other similar apparel.  American Eagle operates in the United States.

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American Eagle Outfitters (AEO US)

American Eagle Outfitters: Solid Customer Acquisition & Retention Strategies Driving Our Bullishness! - Major Drivers

American Eagle Outfitters reported a strong third quarter for 2024, supported by their strategic initiatives, particularly their "Powering...

Baptista Research

U.S. Dollar Rolling Over; Small-Caps to Follow Mid- And Large-Caps to New Highs; Buys in Cons. Disc.

U.S. Dollar $DXY Rolling Over; 10- and 30-Yr Treasury Yields Hit Major Resistance; Small-Caps to Follow Mid- and Large-Caps to New Highs $IWM $RTY...

Vermilion Research

New Lockout Rally Underway on SPX, QQQ, and IWM? Yes. Here Is Why. Still Bullish

New Lockout Rally Underway on $SPX, $QQQ, and $IWM? Yes. The last time we made this same claim was in our 5/6/25 Compass report. Still Near-Term...

Vermilion Research

VNCE: 3Q Preview: Showing the Strength of the Model; Reiterate Buy, $4 PT

We are reiterating our Buy rating, $4 price target and projections for Vince Holding with the company announcing 3QFY25 (October) results before...

Small Cap Consumer Research

GES: With Terms Fully Set, Time to Bow Out; Dropping Coverage of GES

We are dropping research coverage of GES after the company reported strong 3Q results (handily beating the Street in almost every level) but, more...

Small Cap Consumer Research

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