Last Week’s Biggest Stock Movers: Eagle, Noodles & Co.
Plenty of stocks go up and down in any given week. The gainers inspire us to keep investing. The decliners keep greed in check while reminding us about the risks of the equity markets.
Let’s go over some of last week’s best and worst performers.
Eagle Pharmaceuticals (EGRX) — Up 61 percent last week
Last week’s biggest gainer was Eagle Pharmaceuticals, soaring after striking a licensing deal with drug giant Teva Pharmaceutical (TEVA) for its potentially promising rapid-infusion bendamustine hydrochloride product.
Teva will pay Eagle $30 million now, another $90 million as milestones are reached, and an ongoing double-digit royalty rate on future net sales for the right to commercialize the cancer-tackling drug candidate. Perhaps more important, the agreement puts an end to patent infringement litigation simmering between the two companies.
Angie’s List (ANGI) — Up 34 percent last week
Sometimes a better-than-expected quarterly report can jump-start the shares of a former dot-com darling. Angie’s List moved higher after posting a fourth-quarter profit of 26 cents a share, up sharply from the 5 cents a share it rang up a year earlier and the 22 cents a share that the pros were targeting. Revenue climbed 19 percent to $82.2 million, just ahead of the $81.2 million that Wall Street was forecasting.
Angie’s List provides a premium online platform offering service provider reviews across hundreds of categories. It now has more than 3 million paying members, up 22 percent since the end of 2013.
CafePress (PRSS) — Up 24 percent last week
You don’t often see stocks come through with back-to-back weeks of double-digit percentage gains, but that didn’t stop CafePress. The provider of one-off printing products moved 35 percent higher a week earlier after agreeing to sell its art business in a $31.5 million deal.
This week’s pop came on the news that it would also be selling its Groups business in a $10.3 million transaction. The division accounted for 10 percent of last year’s revenue at CafePress, comprising the LogoSportswear customizable sports apparel brand and the Tfund.com site offering crowd-funded custom apparel. The two deals will help CafePress focus on its core business.
Noodles & Co. (NDLS) — Down 27 percent last week
It was “pasta la vista” for many analysts following Noodles & Co. after the fast-casual chain posted disappointing quarterly results. Sales and earnings may have moved 19 percent and 18 percent higher, respectively, but Wall Street was holding out for more.
At least three analysts — Wedbush, Barclays and Baird — slashed their price targets on the stock following the report.
Rocket Fuel (FUEL) — Down 24 percent last week
Another stock taking a big hit after a problematic quarterly report was Rocket Fuel. The provider of artificial-intelligence solutions in digital advertising may have come through with a sharp 63 percent spike in revenue, but that was actually less than analysts were projecting. It also saw its quarterly deficit widen dramatically from a year earlier. Wall Street doesn’t see Rocket Fuel turning a profit until 2017 at the earliest.
Fossil (FOSL) — Down 14 percent last week
The maker of designer wristwatches slumped after offering up weak guidance in its latest quarter. One can argue that it’s simply a matter of time. Do we really need fashionable timepieces in an age when smartphones do so much? What happens when smart watches start to take off? Fossil has been able to flourish in the past based on the fashionable allure of its stylish wrist huggers. That is starting to change. Sales were flat during the holiday quarter relative to a year earlier, and Fossil’s outlook calls for a flattish 2015.
[source : dailyfinance.com]