Alpha-Centric ESG Research

Kyle Rudden

COVID-19 vaccines figure into Biden's recently-announced COVID-19 response plan, though with a clear emphasis on distribution versus development (as was Trump's focus). Biden's prioritisation of vaccine distribution – and the US$25 billion earmarked for it – is a gift for "cold chain" stocks."Cold chain" refers to a complex temperature-controlled supply chain that is mission-critical to the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Critical, because vaccines require consistent ultra-cold storage from manufacture to needle-stick, otherwise those expensive vaccines become medical waste.This Insight looks at cold chain stocks as an investment theme inherent in Biden's COVID-19 plan (see <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/biden-covid-19-response-plan-overview-of-its-inherent-investment-themes" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:45631" rel="noopener">Biden COVID-19 Response Plan: Overview of Its Inherent Investment Themes</a>). Although the cold chain is fragmented and largely privately-held, but there are opportunities in three areas:<ol>
<li>
Freight and Logistics: Most listed companies fall into this category, including both integrated cold chain freight and logistics stocks, as well as niche players in either of freight or logistics.</li>
<li>
Freezer Manufacturers: Ultra-cold freezer boxes and related industrial components of various shapes and sizes are needed for the cold chain to function. Several stocks serve this segment.</li>
<li>
Specialty Chemicals: Dry ice gets all the headlines, as massive amounts are needed but supply is short, but other specialty chemicals and industrial gases are also needed in the cold chain.</li>
</ol>

COVID-19 vaccines figure into Biden's recently-announced COVID-19 response plan, though with a clear emphasis on distribution versus development (as was Trump's focus). Biden's prioritisation of vaccine distribution – and the US$25 billion earmarked for it – is a gift for "cold chain" stocks."Cold chain" refers to a complex temperature-controlled supply chain that is mission-critical to the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Critical, because vaccines require consistent ultra-cold storage from manufacture to needle-stick, otherwise those expensive vaccines become medical waste.This Insight looks at cold chain stocks as an investment theme inherent in Biden's COVID-19 plan (see Biden COVID-19 Response Plan: Overview of Its Inherent Investment Themes). Although the cold chain is fragmented and largely privately-held, but there are opportunities in three areas:

Freight and Logistics: Most listed companies fall into this category, including both integrated cold chain freight and logistics stocks, as well as niche players in either of freight or logistics.

Freezer Manufacturers: Ultra-cold freezer boxes and related industrial components of various shapes and sizes are needed for the cold chain to function. Several stocks serve this segment.

Specialty Chemicals: Dry ice gets all the headlines, as massive amounts are needed but supply is short, but other specialty chemicals and industrial gases are also needed in the cold chain.


Biden COVID-19 Response Plan: Cold Chain Transportation and Logistics Stocks Benefit

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

The rotation out of stay-at-home/COVID-19 beneficiary stocks and into reopening/economically sensitive stocks that we highlighted last week has continued, leading us to make several upgrades and one downgrade (see first bullet below). This broadening-out of participation and several other bullish developments highlighted below tells us the bulls have the upper hand. In today’s report we highlight attractive Groups and stocks within Discretionary, Transportation, and Manufacturing: CD-05 Auto Parts Retailers, TR-05 Large-Cap Air Freight &amp; Logistics, TR-12 Large-Cap Trucking, and MF-31 Building Products and Fixtures.

The rotation out of stay-at-home/COVID-19 beneficiary stocks and into reopening/economically sensitive stocks that we highlighted last week has continued, leading us to make several upgrades and one downgrade (see first bullet below). This broadening-out of participation and several other bullish developments highlighted below tells us the bulls have the upper hand. In today’s report we highlight attractive Groups and stocks within Discretionary, Transportation, and Manufacturing: CD-05 Auto Parts Retailers, TR-05 Large-Cap Air Freight &amp; Logistics, TR-12 Large-Cap Trucking, and MF-31 Building Products and Fixtures.

U.S. Equity Strategy: Healthy Sector Rotations Continue

Our long-term bullish outlook remains intact. The weight of the evidence still points to further upside, allowing, of course, for occasional backing and filling. That said, we are selective about new buy recommendations.  In today’s report we provide a recap of our investment thesis and sector weightings, and highlight actionable ideas within cyclical Groups, including Air Freight &amp; Logistics, Truckers, and Paper &amp; Packaging.

Our long-term bullish outlook remains intact. The weight of the evidence still points to further upside, allowing, of course, for occasional backing and filling. That said, we are selective about new buy recommendations.  In today’s report we provide a recap of our investment thesis and sector weightings, and highlight actionable ideas within cyclical Groups, including Air Freight &amp; Logistics, Truckers, and Paper &amp; Packaging.

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>XPO Logistics recently reported its second-quarter results, revealing a mixed yet solid performance amid a challenging freight environment.</li><li>The company's revenue remained stable year-over-year at $2.1 billion, showing a 6% sequential increase from the first quarter.</li><li>Adjusted EBITDA stood at $340 million, slightly down by 1% compared to the previous year, although the North American Less-than-Truckload (LTL) segment saw a marginal EBITDA increase to $300 million, expanding its margin by 90 basis points to 24.2%.</li></ul>

XPO Logistics recently reported its second-quarter results, revealing a mixed yet solid performance amid a challenging freight environment.The company's revenue remained stable year-over-year at $2.1 billion, showing a 6% sequential increase from the first quarter.Adjusted EBITDA stood at $340 million, slightly down by 1% compared to the previous year, although the North American Less-than-Truckload (LTL) segment saw a marginal EBITDA increase to $300 million, expanding its margin by 90 basis points to 24.2%.

XPO Inc: Is The Growth in Local Channels Here To Stay?

<ul><li>XPO Inc., a leading provider of less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation, recently presented its first-quarter financial results for 2025.</li><li>The results highlighted both the company's strengths and the challenges it faces in the current economic climate.</li><li>XPO reported first-quarter revenue of $2 billion with adjusted EBITDA of $278 million.</li></ul>

XPO Inc., a leading provider of less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation, recently presented its first-quarter financial results for 2025.The results highlighted both the company's strengths and the challenges it faces in the current economic climate.XPO reported first-quarter revenue of $2 billion with adjusted EBITDA of $278 million.

XPO Logistics: A Tale Of Financial Prudence & Strategic Investments To Drive Growth!

United States

XPO Logistics, Inc. provides logistics services. The Company offers expedited airfreight forwarding, warehousing management, drayage, freight brokerage, intermodal, transportation, and reverse logistics. XPO Logistics serves customers throughout North America.

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Xpo Logistics (XPO US)

Biden COVID-19 Response Plan: Cold Chain Transportation and Logistics Stocks Benefit

Biden's COVID-19 response plan earmarks US$25 billion to vaccines, but with a twist. His emphasis is vaccine distribution, not development. That...

Kyle Rudden

U.S. Equity Strategy: Healthy Sector Rotations Continue

The rotation out of stay-at-home/COVID-19 beneficiary stocks and into reopening/economically sensitive stocks that we highlighted last week has...

Vermilion Research

U.S. Equity Strategy

Our long-term bullish outlook remains intact. The weight of the evidence still points to further upside, allowing, of course, for occasional...

Vermilion Research

XPO Inc: Is The Growth in Local Channels Here To Stay?

XPO Logistics recently reported its second-quarter results, revealing a mixed yet solid performance amid a challenging freight environment. The...

Baptista Research

XPO Logistics: A Tale Of Financial Prudence & Strategic Investments To Drive Growth!

XPO Inc., a leading provider of less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation, recently presented its first-quarter financial results for...

Baptista Research

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