Research from Water Tower Research, Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research

Research from Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research is a leading equity research firm that provides research on micro, small and mid cap companies.

Water Tower Research was founded by Wall Street veterans after witnessing a fundamental shift in the investment research industry with the result being a declining knowledge base among investors, a lack of awareness and a shrinking pool of fundamental research being conducted on companies across the small-cap and micro-cap spectrum. The same issues are now increasingly occurring in the mid-cap space. This sea change within the investment community is impacting not only the companies themselves but also current shareholders and potential investors. With significantly less active sell-side sponsorship by Wall Street, a substantial information gap has developed between companies and various constituents in the financial community. The net result is fewer channels for insight and information to flow between companies and investors.

Equity Research Firm

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>The WTR Sustainable Index fell by 1.1% W/W versus the S&amp;P 500 Index (up 0.4%), the Russell 2000 Index (down 1.5%), and the Nasdaq Index (up 0.1%).</li><li>Energy Technology (13.8% of the index) was up by 1.3%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (48.4% of the index) was down 1.7%, ClimateTech Mining was up 0.5%, and Advanced Transportation Solutions was down 1.7%.</li><li>Revolve Renewable Power is an owner, operator, and developer of renewable energy projects focused on the North American market.</li></ul>

The WTR Sustainable Index fell by 1.1% W/W versus the S&amp;P 500 Index (up 0.4%), the Russell 2000 Index (down 1.5%), and the Nasdaq Index (up 0.1%).Energy Technology (13.8% of the index) was up by 1.3%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (48.4% of the index) was down 1.7%, ClimateTech Mining was up 0.5%, and Advanced Transportation Solutions was down 1.7%.Revolve Renewable Power is an owner, operator, and developer of renewable energy projects focused on the North American market.

Weekly Sustainable Investing Surveyor Week Ended October 13, 2023

Global Multi-Asset Investment Strategist, True Insights

Jeroen Blokland

Global Multi-Asset Investment Strategist

Build Well-Diversified Multi-Asset Portfolios

True Insights

Our research helps investors build well-diversified multi-asset portfolios and profit from market developments. In addition, our unique and proven Macro – Sentiment – Valuation (MSV) investment framework ensures a consistent flow of new investment opportunities. Together with our market views, these opportunities will be reflected in our live ETF-based Global Multi-Asset Portfolios.

Macroeconomics

<ul>
<li>All our forward-looking EPS indicators have shown improvement over the past few months. Nevertheless, our aggregated bellwether EPS indicator points to negative earnings growth, while investors anticipate the opposite. </li>
<li>Developed Market earnings per share are well above the long-term trend. One must make a compelling case for earnings to structurally grow faster to sustain this trend. </li>
<li>Big Tech’s earnings superiority has vanished. With a significant concentration of expensive stocks in Big Tech, earnings expectations must be exceptionally (perhaps unreasonably) high.</li>
</ul>


All our forward-looking EPS indicators have shown improvement over the past few months. Nevertheless, our aggregated bellwether EPS indicator points to negative earnings growth, while investors anticipate the opposite. 
Developed Market earnings per share are well above the long-term trend. One must make a compelling case for earnings to structurally grow faster to sustain this trend. 
Big Tech’s earnings superiority has vanished. With a significant concentration of expensive stocks in Big Tech, earnings expectations must be exceptionally (perhaps unreasonably) high.


Make or Break? A Close Examination of Company Earnings as We Head into Q3 Earnings Season

<ul style="list-style-type: disc;"><li>Despite the turmoil in the Middle East, the MSCI World Index gained 0.36%, while the S&amp;P 500 rose 0.94%.</li><li>The Russell 2000 underperformed again, losing 1.58%, while the NASDAQ climbed 2.35%. YTD, the Russell 2000 is -2.35%, the S&amp;P 500 is +12.83, and NASDAQ is +28.10%.</li><li>This is surprising, as small caps typically lead off a bear market bottom. However, during this cycle, large tech is leading the way.</li></ul>

Despite the turmoil in the Middle East, the MSCI World Index gained 0.36%, while the S&amp;P 500 rose 0.94%.The Russell 2000 underperformed again, losing 1.58%, while the NASDAQ climbed 2.35%. YTD, the Russell 2000 is -2.35%, the S&amp;P 500 is +12.83, and NASDAQ is +28.10%.This is surprising, as small caps typically lead off a bear market bottom. However, during this cycle, large tech is leading the way.

The Highlights - Cannabis News for the Week Ending October 13, 2023

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>We've discussed since late Sept increasing odds of a pullback to confluence of support at 4165-4200/the 200-day MA on SPX, and that if this support holds, it's a normal pullback</li>
<li>Ongoing market dynamics allow us to be even more confident in our unchanged outlook; 4216 was the low for this pullback, with 4200 getting hit overnight (early Wednesday last week).</li>
<li>The broad equity market is not yet out of the woods, but as long as the SPX is above 4165-4200 and the 200-day MA, we are bullish.</li>
</ul>


We've discussed since late Sept increasing odds of a pullback to confluence of support at 4165-4200/the 200-day MA on SPX, and that if this support holds, it's a normal pullback
Ongoing market dynamics allow us to be even more confident in our unchanged outlook; 4216 was the low for this pullback, with 4200 getting hit overnight (early Wednesday last week).
The broad equity market is not yet out of the woods, but as long as the SPX is above 4165-4200 and the 200-day MA, we are bullish.


Growing Confidence That the Lows Are In; 4165-4200/200-Day MA on SPX Remains Key; Buys in Financials

<ul><li>WTR-CMI last week. The third quarter ended on a down note, with the S&amp;P 500 losing 3.7% and the Russell 2000 dropping 2.7%.</li><li>Our WTR-CMI index slightly underperformed the Russell 2000, declining 3.0% for the week. Coincidently, RYAM led the performance of stocks in our index, appreciating 18% last week, as news spread of one of its main competitors in commodity markets announcing the intention to shut down a major wood pulp production plant in the US</li><li>Lithium (LAC and PLL) and ag- chem stocks (FMC and AVD) were the worst performers in our index last week on lower lithium prices and signs of slowing EV demand, and a weaker farmer outlook for 2024/25 season.</li></ul>

WTR-CMI last week. The third quarter ended on a down note, with the S&amp;P 500 losing 3.7% and the Russell 2000 dropping 2.7%.Our WTR-CMI index slightly underperformed the Russell 2000, declining 3.0% for the week. Coincidently, RYAM led the performance of stocks in our index, appreciating 18% last week, as news spread of one of its main competitors in commodity markets announcing the intention to shut down a major wood pulp production plant in the USLithium (LAC and PLL) and ag- chem stocks (FMC and AVD) were the worst performers in our index last week on lower lithium prices and signs of slowing EV demand, and a weaker farmer outlook for 2024/25 season.

Mat-Chem Notes For the Week Ended September 29, 2023

United States

The Russell 2000 Index is comprised of the smallest 2000 companies in the Russell 3000 Index, representing approximately 8% of the Russell 3000 total market capitalization. The index was developed with a base value of 135.00 as of December 31, 1986.

Russell 2000 Index (RTY INDEX)

Weekly Sustainable Investing Surveyor Week Ended October 13, 2023

The WTR Sustainable Index fell by 1.1% W/W versus the S&P 500 Index (up 0.4%), the Russell 2000 Index (down 1.5%), and the Nasdaq Index (up 0.1%).

Water Tower Research

Make or Break? A Close Examination of Company Earnings as We Head into Q3 Earnings Season

Our forward-looking EPS indicators have improved. Yet, our aggregated bellwether EPS indicator points to negative earnings growth, while investors...

Jeroen Blokland

The Highlights - Cannabis News for the Week Ending October 13, 2023

The Russell 2000 underperformed again, losing 1.58%, while the NASDAQ climbed 2.35%. YTD, the Russell 2000 is -2.35%, the S&P 500 is +12.83, and...

Water Tower Research

Growing Confidence That the Lows Are In; 4165-4200/200-Day MA on SPX Remains Key; Buys in Financials

Our confidence in our outlook is growing: as long as the $SPX is above 4165-4200 and the 200-day MA, most signs point to this being a normal...

Vermilion Research

Mat-Chem Notes For the Week Ended September 29, 2023

WTR-CMI last week. The third quarter ended on a down note, with the S&P 500 losing 3.7% and the Russell 2000 dropping 2.7%.

Water Tower Research