Daily Brief United States: Maze Therapeutics, Bank Of America, Shell PLC, Crude Oil, Louisiana Pacific, Ainos , PetroTal, Charter Communications and more

• Currently advancing two wholly owned lead programs, MZE829 and MZE782, each of which represents a novel precision medicine-based approach for chronic kidney disease
• Lead candidate initiated a Phase 2 trial of MZE829 in November 2024 and expect to dose their first patient in the first quarter of 2025
• We anticipate this company to set terms (share size, price range) in the next week for a late January / early February debut.

• BAC shows strong growth of its core income in the period YoY, almost accounting for 100% of its full net profit delta YoY
• The bank is showing greater strength in corporate lending YoY and QoQ, and this can be more powerful of a statement for economic health
• NCO figures are coming down in corporate lending, while residential mortgages is seeing strong new originations – both are a good view on US economy

• Shell’s Q4 2024 revenue and EPS are expected to decline 21.9% YoY and 35.1%, respectively. For fiscal 2024, forecasts project a 4.8% revenue drop and a 7.4% EPS decline.
• Shell anticipates a USD 1.3 billion Q4 charge for emissions certificates and biofuel programs, alongside non-cash post-tax impairments ranging from USD 1.5 billion to USD 3 billion.
• Shell forecasts flat refining margins at USD 5.5/bbl but a 16% QoQ drop in chemical margins to USD 138/tonne.

• For the week ending 10/Jan, US crude inventories fell by 2m barrels, missing expectations of a 3.5m barrel decrease. Gasoline and distillate stockpiles rose more than expected.
• US natural gas inventories fell by 258 Bcf for the week ending 10/Jan, slightly missing analyst expectations of a 260 Bcf drawdown. Inventories are 2.5% above the 5-year seasonal average.
• BP forecasts tepid Q4 earnings on low refining margins and upstream output, while TotalEnergies expects higher production and gas prices to offset lower oil prices.

• LPX is recommended to buy at $104 with a 5-year price target of $255
• The company has developed value-added Oriented Strand Board products and converted mills to produce higher-margin siding
• LPX is expected to deliver mid/high-teens total shareholder return and has opportunities for reinvestment at high returns, focused on wood-based products for construction.

This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only. This article was originally published 3 months ago on Value Investors Club.

• Looking ahead in 2025, we expect greater visibility in Ainos’ AI Nose programs, including robotics, smart manufacturing, elderly care monitoring, and Ainos Flora for women’s health testing.
• Veldona clinical trials in Sjogren’s syndrome and HIV-related oral warts remain on track, with Taiwan study completions expected in 2026.
• Sets eye on robotics. Ainos aims to expand its AI Nose application to robotics. It is seeking collaboration with the robotics and humanoid developers, as it believes now is the time to equip robotics with the ability to smell, filling a key gap in robot sensory capabilities.

• PetroTal expects to produce 21-23 mbbl/d in 2025, with the midpoint of this guidance exceeding our expectations of 21.2 mbbl/d.
• Although only four new wells are expected to come online in 2025 (including the 23H well but excluding the final well of the FY25 four-well drilling program), average production is expected to grow by ~4.2 mbbl/d from 2024 to 2025.
• In comparison, six new producers were brought online in 2024 (excluding the 23H well but including the 16H well), but production increased by only ~3.4 mbbl/d from 2023 to 2024.

• Author has a long position in CHTR and may buy or sell securities without notice
• Importance of conducting independent research before making investment decisions
• Views CHTR as a opportunity despite competition from FWA, with significant risk-reward potential

This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only. This article was originally published 3 months ago on Value Investors Club.