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

<ul><li>Equitable Holdings reported first-quarter 2026 results demonstrating solid financial performance and ongoing strategic initiatives.</li><li>The company posted non-GAAP operating earnings of $1.62 per share, or $1.68 per share after adjustments for notable items, representing a 25% increase year-over-year.</li><li>This growth was driven by healthy organic growth, improved mortality experience, and a lower share count due to share repurchases.</li></ul>

Equitable Holdings reported first-quarter 2026 results demonstrating solid financial performance and ongoing strategic initiatives.The company posted non-GAAP operating earnings of $1.62 per share, or $1.68 per share after adjustments for notable items, representing a 25% increase year-over-year.This growth was driven by healthy organic growth, improved mortality experience, and a lower share count due to share repurchases.

Equitable Holdings: Is the Corebridge Merger the Catalyst for Its Next Big Expansion?

<ul><li>Equitable Holdings reported full-year 2025 financial results reflecting modest earnings growth amid elevated mortality claims that constrained stronger performance.</li><li>Non-GAAP operating earnings per share increased by 1% over the prior year, reaching $5.64, or $6.21 after adjusting for certain items.</li><li>The company generated organic cash flow of $1.6 billion, meeting its guidance range, and ended the year with a record $1.1 trillion in assets under management and administration, providing a foundation for future fee and spread-based earnings.</li></ul>

Equitable Holdings reported full-year 2025 financial results reflecting modest earnings growth amid elevated mortality claims that constrained stronger performance.Non-GAAP operating earnings per share increased by 1% over the prior year, reaching $5.64, or $6.21 after adjusting for certain items.The company generated organic cash flow of $1.6 billion, meeting its guidance range, and ended the year with a record $1.1 trillion in assets under management and administration, providing a foundation for future fee and spread-based earnings.

Equitable: Driving Retirement Growth Through FABN Expansion & Margin Stabilization Efforts!

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/uber-technologies-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:430:1" rel="noopener">Uber Technologies (UBER US)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jabil-circuit-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16674:1" rel="noopener">Jabil Circuit (JBL US)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/builders-firstsource-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:4720:1" rel="noopener">Builders Firstsource (BLDR US)</a> will be added to the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/s-p-500-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22886:1" rel="noopener">S&amp;P 500 INDEX (SPX INDEX)</a> at the close on 15 December.</li>
<li>There are a bunch of inclusions. deletions and migrations across the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/s-p-500-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22886:1" rel="noopener">S&amp;P 500 INDEX (SPX INDEX)</a>, the S&amp;P Midcap 400 Index, and the S&amp;P SmallCap 600 Index.</li>
<li>We estimate passive trackers will need to buy around US$18bn of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/uber-technologies-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:430:1" rel="noopener">Uber Technologies (UBER US)</a>. There has been positioning in the stock for just over a month now. </li>
</ul>



Uber Technologies (UBER US), Jabil Circuit (JBL US) and Builders Firstsource (BLDR US) will be added to the S&amp;P 500 INDEX (SPX INDEX) at the close on 15 December.
There are a bunch of inclusions. deletions and migrations across the S&amp;P 500 INDEX (SPX INDEX), the S&amp;P Midcap 400 Index, and the S&amp;P SmallCap 600 Index.
We estimate passive trackers will need to buy around US$18bn of Uber Technologies (UBER US). There has been positioning in the stock for just over a month now. 


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>In last week's 2/25/25 Compass, we discussed our expectation for near-term downside as the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) displayed several bearish short-term developments.</li>
<li>We said don't be surprised if there is a test of the bottom of the range at either 5770-5850 or 5600-5670, where we would be buyers</li>
<li>The S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) are testing major confluence of support at 5770-5850 and $490-$500, respectively, the first of our potential bottom levels discussed last week.</li>
</ul>


In last week's 2/25/25 Compass, we discussed our expectation for near-term downside as the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) displayed several bearish short-term developments.
We said don't be surprised if there is a test of the bottom of the range at either 5770-5850 or 5600-5670, where we would be buyers
The S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) are testing major confluence of support at 5770-5850 and $490-$500, respectively, the first of our potential bottom levels discussed last week.


S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Testing Initial Support; Russell and Nasdaq With Bullish Breadth Divergences

<ul>
<li>The S&amp;P 500 (SPX) is back to test YTD highs and important resistance in the 5670-5783 range. This is an important target/resistance area we have discussed for weeks.</li>
<li>Using the 2007 SPX topping analog suggests a 2% or less move above the prior all-time high set in July at 5670 before topping, which gives the 5783 number.</li>
<li>As long as SPX does not have a weekly close above 5783 we continue to recommend reducing risk and shifting to defensives,and this is the ideal time to do so.</li>
</ul>


The S&amp;P 500 (SPX) is back to test YTD highs and important resistance in the 5670-5783 range. This is an important target/resistance area we have discussed for weeks.
Using the 2007 SPX topping analog suggests a 2% or less move above the prior all-time high set in July at 5670 before topping, which gives the 5783 number.
As long as SPX does not have a weekly close above 5783 we continue to recommend reducing risk and shifting to defensives,and this is the ideal time to do so.


SPX Testing Resistance as Rate Cut Cycle Begins; SPX 5670-5783 Is Resistance, 2007 Analog on Track

United States

Equitable Holdings, Inc. is an independent U.S.-based financial services company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides advice, protection, retirement strategies, and investment-management and research.

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Equitable Holdings (EQH US)

Equitable Holdings: Is the Corebridge Merger the Catalyst for Its Next Big Expansion?

Equitable Holdings reported first-quarter 2026 results demonstrating solid financial performance and ongoing strategic initiatives. The company...

Baptista Research

Equitable: Driving Retirement Growth Through FABN Expansion & Margin Stabilization Efforts!

Equitable Holdings reported full-year 2025 financial results reflecting modest earnings growth amid elevated mortality claims that constrained...

Baptista Research

S&P500 Index Rebalance: Calling an UBER

Passive S&P500 index trackers will need to buy around US$18bn of Uber in two weeks. Positioning in the stock began a month ago and just ahead of Q3...

Brian Freitas

S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Testing Initial Support; Russell and Nasdaq With Bullish Breadth Divergences

$SPX and $QQQ $NDX Testing Initial Supports at 5770-5850 and $490-$500; Russell 2000 $IWM and Nasdaq 100 Bullish Breadth Divergences (% above 20-...

Vermilion Research

SPX Testing Resistance as Rate Cut Cycle Begins; SPX 5670-5783 Is Resistance, 2007 Analog on Track

$SPX Testing Resistance as Rate Cut Cycle Begins; SPX 5670-5783 is Resistance, 2007 Analog on Track if Below 5783. Still Neutral, prefer to sell...

Vermilion Research

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