Hottest Stocks in CW 14/24

Viking Therapeutics' share price has been unstoppable since the end of October. Since then, the stock has risen from just over eight US dollars to its current level of $80. At one point, it even reached a high of around $100. Most wikifolio traders used the price correction in the first half of March to add to their existing investments or make new ones. Juergen Hartmann (JPHart) has doubled his commitment to the stock in his wikifolio SystemAlpha Technology Trend which is very popular with investors. In addition to the stock, he also has a leverage product on the highflyer in his portfolio. In his opinion, the company presented convincing fresh data on its so-called "weight loss pill" last week. "The Phase 1 results were very well received by the market and could rekindle speculation of a buyout. Eli Lilly, for example, could be interested in a potential takeover," writes the trader in his latest article.

This specifically concerns a potential anti-obesity drug that the pharmaceutical manufacturer is marketing under the name "VK2735". In a 28-day clinical trial, test subjects taking a corresponding pill achieved an average weight loss of up to 5.3 % compared to a placebo, as reported by Viking Therapeutics. In light of this and in view of the safety and tolerability results, it was decided to continue the clinical trial with higher dosages. A phase 2 trial with the drug is scheduled for the second half of the year. The share price subsequently climbed 18 % over the course of the week.

Things are actually going really well again for the major cruise companies. After the COVID-19 pandemic, many people seem to want to treat themselves and enjoy a great cruise vacation. This is also reflected in the latest figures from the Anglo-American cruise operator Carnival. Thanks to robust demand, the company was able to deliver a pleasing performance in its results for the first quarter. Booking volumes reached an all-time high with significantly higher prices. The fact that the stock dropped 5 % in value last week is probably due to the collapse of an important bridge in Baltimore, among other things. The destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge caused by a container ship last Tuesday interrupted shipping traffic indefinitely.

Industry experts now fear that the incident has the potential to result in the largest marine insurance claim in history. Carnival's Management Board is already expecting an adverse impact of up to $10 million on profitability in the current financial year. The news that the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund has reduced its stake in the cruise line to just under 1 % is also viewed negatively by investors. Meanwhile, wikifolio traders have used the price decreases to buy the majority of the stock.

The current sentiment in the textile and clothing industry is anything but good. While customer demand leaves a lot to be desired, many companies are also struggling with high costs and the negative effects of increasing brand counterfeiting. The most recent performance of the G-III Apparel Group was correspondingly poor. The American market player suffered a decline in sales of 4 % in the 2023/24 financial year (as at the end of January), which was higher than analysts had previously anticipated. Ultimately, this resulted in a loss of $ 176.2 million. The company was also unable to impress the markets with its outlook. Although it is expected to see revenues rise again in 2024/25, the projected net profit of $ 3.50 to $ 3.60 per stock was below the analysts' forecast of $ 3.88. As a result, the share price came under pressure in mid-March, but subsequently recovered somewhat. Some traders now seem to have used this recovery to bail out. The current trading sentiment for G-III Apparel shows a clear selling overhang in recent weeks:

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The euphoria surrounding electromobility in the automotive industry has long since given way to considerable disillusionment. Despite the clear benefits for the environment, many consumers are still somewhat sceptical, which can partly be attributed to economic considerations. Moreover, the development of vehicles is still in a kind of start-up phase, which occasionally leads to difficulties and subsequently negative press. On the stock market, companies active in this segment have already suffered the consequences of this. While the share prices of six of the so-called "Magnificent 7" have generally enjoyed a positive (in some cases even extremely good) performance, Tesla is completely out of step. In addition to their own home-grown problems, the Americans are also facing increased competition from China, which has already prompted the US government to take measures to protect the domestic e-car industry.

China's BYD is on the rise worldwide and also wants to break into the European market and acquire market share. However, this company is not without its worries. A massive discount battle for electric vehicles is currently taking place on the domestic market, causing BYD's figures for the past financial year to fall short of the market's high expectations. The reported sales of electric vehicles in the first quarter were also disappointing, with a significant decline compared to the final quarter of 2023. After rallying in the preceding weeks, BYD's stock fell by around 7% last week. Some wikifolio traders preferred to play it safe and sold the stock. For example, Sven Schaper, who completely divested himself of his holding in the wikifolio Pryme Financial Topic Leaders in two stages, making profits of up to 12%.

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