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>Heavy lithium. Halfway through the year, the S&amp;P 500 has appreciated 15.4% YTD, driven by the strong performance of the Magnificent Seven, even as the remaining 490+ companies saw their stock prices move more in line with the Russell 2000, which itself posted an 7.8% gain YTD.</li><li>Over the same timeframe, the WTR-CMI Index delivered a disappointing 4.4% gain under the weight of lithium and graphite companies losing 36-62% of their value due to collapsing lithium and synthetic graphite prices, driven by slower growth of EVs and steel production and liquidation of excess inventories by customers, built over the course of 2022-23.</li><li>Sticky costs remain as pricing power wanes. Over the course of 2022-23, many companies experiencing a rapid rise in raw material costs, driven by higher petrochemical prices and rising costs of transportation and logistics aggressively raised prices in an attempt to preserve profits, if not profit margins. </li></ul>

Heavy lithium. Halfway through the year, the S&amp;P 500 has appreciated 15.4% YTD, driven by the strong performance of the Magnificent Seven, even as the remaining 490+ companies saw their stock prices move more in line with the Russell 2000, which itself posted an 7.8% gain YTD.Over the same timeframe, the WTR-CMI Index delivered a disappointing 4.4% gain under the weight of lithium and graphite companies losing 36-62% of their value due to collapsing lithium and synthetic graphite prices, driven by slower growth of EVs and steel production and liquidation of excess inventories by customers, built over the course of 2022-23.Sticky costs remain as pricing power wanes. Over the course of 2022-23, many companies experiencing a rapid rise in raw material costs, driven by higher petrochemical prices and rising costs of transportation and logistics aggressively raised prices in an attempt to preserve profits, if not profit margins. 

Mat-Chem Notes - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - 2H24 Outlook

Podcast of business and financial stories, Behind the Money

Behind the Money

Podcast of business and financial stories

From hostile takeovers to C-suite intrigue, Behind the Money takes you inside the business and financial stories of the moment with reporting from Financial Times journalists around the world.

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul><li>Business executives blame regulations for hindering innovation and making products more expensive</li><li>Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference, giving businesses more power to challenge regulations</li><li>The end of Chevron rule may lead to confusion and legal challenges for businesses in regulated industries</li></ul>This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

Business executives blame regulations for hindering innovation and making products more expensiveSupreme Court overturned Chevron deference, giving businesses more power to challenge regulationsThe end of Chevron rule may lead to confusion and legal challenges for businesses in regulated industriesThis content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

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

iShares Russell 2000 ETF / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Breadth has expanded significantly in recent weeks with the Russell 2000 (IWM) breaking above major 2.5-year resistance at $210; $210 is now critical support moving forward.</li>
<li>Technology/Large-Cap growth/Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) has consolidated after getting extended, and with June 12 gap support on QQQ getting filled/breaking today, it appears this pullback is likely to continue.</li>
<li>The SPX is breaking its 20-day MA. June 12th gap at 5375-5409 is potential support, but it appears a pullback in the SPX and QQQ may be headed to 5191/$449.</li>
</ul>


Breadth has expanded significantly in recent weeks with the Russell 2000 (IWM) breaking above major 2.5-year resistance at $210; $210 is now critical support moving forward.
Technology/Large-Cap growth/Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) has consolidated after getting extended, and with June 12 gap support on QQQ getting filled/breaking today, it appears this pullback is likely to continue.
The SPX is breaking its 20-day MA. June 12th gap at 5375-5409 is potential support, but it appears a pullback in the SPX and QQQ may be headed to 5191/$449.


Monitoring Small- Vs. Large-Caps and Growth Vs. Value; $SPX, $QQQ in Pullback Mode

<ul><li>The WTR Sustainable Index was down 3.6% W/W versus the S&amp;P 500 Index (down 2.0%), the Russell 2000 Index (up 1.7%) and the Nasdaq Index (down 4.0%).</li><li>Energy Technology (14.4% of the index) was down 8.1%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (59.6% of the index) was down 1.7%, ClimateTech Mining was down 7.0%, and Advanced Transportation Solutions (20.7% of index) was down 6.0%.</li><li>Top 10 Performers: ARVL, ZAPP, NAAS, VMC, PEGY, QS, LCID, OUST, EVGO, COMM</li></ul>

The WTR Sustainable Index was down 3.6% W/W versus the S&amp;P 500 Index (down 2.0%), the Russell 2000 Index (up 1.7%) and the Nasdaq Index (down 4.0%).Energy Technology (14.4% of the index) was down 8.1%, while Industrial Climate and Ag Technology (59.6% of the index) was down 1.7%, ClimateTech Mining was down 7.0%, and Advanced Transportation Solutions (20.7% of index) was down 6.0%.Top 10 Performers: ARVL, ZAPP, NAAS, VMC, PEGY, QS, LCID, OUST, EVGO, COMM

Sustainable Investing Surveyor - Focus on Westwater Resources, Inc. (WWR)

Oil and Gas, Mint Finance

Suhas Reddy

Oil and Gas

Deep Fundamental Analysis

Mint Finance

Mint Finance's investment research blends deep fundamental analysis with technical & quant insights. Investment strategies straddle across multiple asset classes with risk management embedded into every trade to deliver an outsized reward-to-risk ratio.

Mint Finance's research is centered around three key themes. First, energy transition and climate change. Second, artificial intelligence. Third, shifting world order with its impact across politics and monetary economics.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Halliburton’s Q2 revenue rises by 0.6% YoY, held back by an 8% YoY decline in revenue from North America. It missed its revenue estimates by 1.9%.</li>
<li>Strong performance from the international operations more than offset the slowdown in North America. Revenue from international markets rose 8% YoY.</li>
<li>For 2024, Halliburton forecasts a 10% YoY increase in international revenue, while North American revenue is expected to decline by 6-8% YoY.</li>
</ul>


Halliburton’s Q2 revenue rises by 0.6% YoY, held back by an 8% YoY decline in revenue from North America. It missed its revenue estimates by 1.9%.
Strong performance from the international operations more than offset the slowdown in North America. Revenue from international markets rose 8% YoY.
For 2024, Halliburton forecasts a 10% YoY increase in international revenue, while North American revenue is expected to decline by 6-8% YoY.


[Earnings Review] Halliburton Dips as North America Slowdown Hits Q2 Revenue

United States

The S&P 500® is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap U.S. equities and serves as the foundation for a wide range of investment products. The index includes 500 leading companies and captures approximately 80% coverage of available market capitalization.

S&P 500 INDEX (SPX INDEX)

Mat-Chem Notes - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - 2H24 Outlook

Over the same timeframe, the WTR-CMI Index delivered a disappointing 4.4% gain under the weight of lithium and graphite companies losing 36-62% of...

Water Tower Research

Less Regulation, More Problems?

The overturning of the Chevron deference by the Supreme Court may lead to increased challenges of regulations by businesses, causing uncertainty...

Behind the Money

Monitoring Small- Vs. Large-Caps and Growth Vs. Value; $SPX, $QQQ in Pullback Mode

Monitoring Small- Vs. Large-Caps and Growth Vs. Value; $IWM Still Above Major Support at $210, but $SPX $QQQ are in Pullback Mode. Possible this...

Vermilion Research

Sustainable Investing Surveyor - Focus on Westwater Resources, Inc. (WWR)

The WTR Sustainable Index was down 3.6% W/W versus the S&P 500 Index (down 2.0%), the Russell 2000 Index (up 1.7%) and the Nasdaq Index (down 4.0%).

Water Tower Research

[Earnings Review] Halliburton Dips as North America Slowdown Hits Q2 Revenue

Halliburton met Q2 EPS estimates but missed revenue targets. International revenue grew 8% YoY, led by Latin America. Management anticipates the...

Mint Finance