Stellar Biotechnologies – The real deal or just more tulip bulbs?DISCLAIMER: I am long shares of SBOTF and may add to the position at any time.
”Even blind squirrels find an acorn every now and then”
OK, I know .. there is already plenty of discussion re Stellar Biotechnologies (SBOTF) on the site. Since Travis posted the tease from Nick Hodge in early July, the stock is up a hair over 100% (my Special Situation account sends many thanks for that one!). The reason I’m opening this thread is because the majority of comments from those of us interested or already invested in SBOTF are being posted under another wonderful – yet mostly unrelated – thread by Doc Gumshoe that talks about Alzheimers and possible causes/treatments/cures. Great stuff, but not fully germane to the topic of SBOTF. So, tho seperate the two discussions, I thought I’d try this so we can focus on each of the topics independantly.
That said, here’s some commentary about SBOTF that I have gleaned from the original tease, tracking the price action since July, reading member comments on this site, and studying anything and everything I can find about the Company and it’s product, Giant Keyhole Limpet Hemogobulin, a/k/a KLH.
First, a little peeve I’ve developed; the actual name of this animal that is the central focus of the business. I’ve noticed a trend of sorts by readers to refer to the Limpet as a ”snail”, ”escargot”, or something along those lines. While some may be using this as a light-hearted way of referring to the animal, it is not any of those. Please, use the proper name – as silly as it might sound. New readers could easily dismiss the entire idea and be misled otherwise. No disrespect meant to any who have done this, but I think it’s important we stay on track.
Now, some factoids for you.
If you haven’t done your due dilligence yet, the place to start is right here on this page. In the upper right you’ll see a box that says ”Teaser Tracking.” Click on that. The page that comes up is a list of the teases which Travis has posted over the past many months. Second from the top is the one re SBOTF. Some good tidbits of info right there. But what you want to do is look all the way over to the right and click on the link to the original tease posting. Open that and you’ll get the full story that Travis wrote when he first uncovered this tease (produced by Nick Hodge) and is a solid foundation of info about the company. Read it – two or three times to get an understanding of what SBOTF is all about.
Next, if you can find it, try and get a post that has the original video that Hodge did to tease the company with. In it, he (Hodge) interviews a couple of the company’s top executives and takes the cameras outside the room totalk with another employee about the ”farming” process that SBOTF has spent years and millions developing and patenting. You’ll get a pretty good visual inspection of the plant itself, the ”grow tanks”, and the Limpet. Good stuff. By the end you’ll have a fair overview of the company and what it does. FYI, the video tease runs about 40 minutes. It’s the first 25 minutes or so that will interest you. The remainder is what all teases consist of, overblown and repetitive pleas to get you to subscribe to the newsletter service that the promoter has to offer. Save yourself time and money by skipping that stuff.
A few takeaways from the video and additional research:
SBOTF has been around since the late 1990’s, working on how to extract the blood from the Limpet without killing them (they have done that and gotten patents on the process) and how to raise them in captivity in order to ensure a continuious supply of the animals to work with. This ”farming” process has, for the most part, been perfected and SBOTF can now raise them from fertilization of sperm and egg to maturity. They have a lifespan of some 30 years, and coupled with the patent-protected process they developed for extracting the blood without killing the Limpet, the company can now say with assurance that they can provide the Big Pharma with all the KLH they need to conduct clinical trials and produce the drugs they develop once FDA approval is granted. And – this is a big ”and” – they are the ONLY company in existence that can do this at the present time. The many patents they hold may ensure that to be the case for years to come.
Did I mention that KLH cannot be synthesized? So far nobody has been able to do that, so the supply of KLH from SBOTF seems to remain the only game in town.
Stellar Bio has yet to turn a profit. Sales and not much to write home about. That is mainly due to the small supply available and that SBOTF has focused on R&D in the past moreso than actual KLH production. That’s my best guess – I can’t verify that but seems to be the case. It is changing, however. The R&D is still in full swing, but the ability to produce and sell KLH is starting to ramp up as witnessed by increasing sales volume. It’ll take time but those increasing sales are coming.
In the wild (ocean floor), the Giant Keyhole Limpet has never been found ANYWHERE in the world other than in the small colony (estimated to be about 100,000 animals) which is just offshore from the Stellar Bio plant in Ventura County, CA. The enviromental community has been getting more and more concerned about the harvesting of the Limpets from this colony since there apparently aren’t any more around. Whisper talk about possible extinction have begun to surface, although no official governmental action regarding a ”protected specise” has yet been issued. This is why the farming of the animals has been crucial and why Stellar has such a leg up on any possible competition. If the Tree Huggers get hold of that idea, the ability to harvest the colony could – and probably would – be severely impacted.
Recent price and volume action has been fast and furious. As more and more people are becoming aware of the company by means of Hodges’ tease and thing such as this discussion, volume has had days that were near three times the average six months ago (175K shares average vs. some days now running around 500K). And most of this is upside volume indicating increasing demand for shares of a small float. This of course leads to highr prices as we are witnessing as I write.
For now, the gravy train is tearing down the track. The question is, when will demand for shares be curtailed as investor thirst for a bite of Limpet pie become satisfied? When will Nick Hodge back off this promotion, letting the press subside and therefore lessening investor awareness (the stock is not covered by any analyst, anywhere, that I can find, nor is it held by any mutual fund or investment management company). If and when this interest backs off, what effect will that have on the stock price? Trees don’t grow to the sky … or do they?
I can’t answer those questions. Just like you, I can only hold ’um and not fold ’um – yet. That day may come, and that is why I suggest anyone long the stock keep a DAILY eye on it. I’m making no prediction whatsoever about where the price will go over the next several weeks or months. In the interest of full disclosure, I have already taken some money off the table just to partially protect the quick profits I made since purchase. I sold about 30% of my initial position when that part became valued around 50% of my original investment. What remains is valued today right at the same $ amount I first put in. The amouunt I pulled out gives me full protection of some 50% of my original investment. Would I be better off today if I hadn’t done that? Yes. I would, because the price continues to rise. Will I be better of for having made thaat sale if the price stumbles and falls in the near future? Again, yes, I will – if the price falls. Some wise man once said ”you can’t go broke if you take profits” and I believe in that. Me, I don’t care for the idea of going broke, so I’m perfectly happy with this concept. No regrets about putting actual money in the bank, so to speak.
Comments? Concerns? Insights? Let the fun began!
Sincerely,
Your Resident Blind Squirrel
Jim Skelton
This is a discussion topic or guest posting submitted by a Stock Gumshoe reader. The content has not been edited or reviewed by Stock Gumshoe, and any opinions expressed are those of the author alone.
“These are the times that try mens souls”
by Jim Skelton
The Blind Squirrel
I must admit it .. I had somewhat hoped, even expected, SBOTF might consolidate a bit and pull back into the $1.65 – $1,70 area. The proof of that was shown when I posted a few days back about having closed out all my position at prices from $1.85 to $1.75. That was done with the thought I’d buy back in at $1.80 or less. But not less than $1.60. That number just wasn’t in my thoughts.
So yesterday I got the chance – bought 2000 shares at $1.75 and was happy with that for maybe 2 hours. Then the decline continued through the end of the day. This morning at 9:45 AM I bought another 1000 shares at a hair under $1.65. That, I felt, was going to be the end of it. But no .. it wasn’t.
As I write the bid is at $1.56, Ask $1.57, and volume approaching 400,000 shares. At least the spread has closed which, although far from any sort of guarantee, sometimes indicated an order balance that stops slides or ends run ups.
In just a few minutes I’m going to go in with a limit order to buy another 2000 shares at $1.56. That, if filled, will give me 5000 shares, half the total number I want to own before I leave this this thing alone to work its way forward for the next 12 months or so. I won’t buy below $1.50 regardless. It’s unwise to try and catch a falling knife and I’m already bleeding a bit from so doing over the past 24 hours.
Ah, I am long ACAD. Bought a small amount at $23.62 not too long ago and am currently underwater by about 3.5% or so. I’m holding this company for long term returns – good outlook, I think.
And David, I’m with you on Natcore (NTCXF). I really liked what I saw in it and bought a reasonable quantity at $0.78 not too long ago. This is one of those “wish I’d done more” stocks seeing as I am up 60% in a very short time. Kinda reminds me of the price action of SBOTF six months ago. Now, please God, don’t let anybody write a negative article about it!
And am I ever glad I pulled the plug on ONVO when I was still profitable yesterday. It’s getting smacked hard today again. As you probably know, this is a result of a Seeking Alpha contributor who is short ONVO putting out an exhaustive and scathing report on the company which (he feels) demonstrates that the company is wildly overvalued and does not have nearly the prospects the market was assigning to it. And honestly, it makes sense. I was among the wild-eyed cretins who bought into it thinking they had a near lock on 3-D human tissue printing and was the only company that could provide the liver tissues for Phama R&D. Apparently it ain’t so, Joe. ONVO may well be worth more like $4.00 than $20.00. I won’t look back at that one, just be gone.
Which begs a question: The SA site has been all abuzz since that report with a ton of people throwing mud at the author of the article. They are mad as hell that he, being short before publication, could then write such a destructive article, get it up on SA boards, then reap the profits as the stock tanked. I mean, these people (people who were long ONVO and making money hand over fist right up to time of publication) are PISSED and calling for his head! It is Muddy Waters vs. NQ Mobile redeaux.
The questions then is why is a short writing an article bashing a company and then profiting any different from a long writing an article and then benefiting if the price goes up? Both had positions that would increase in value if market participants believe the premise they present and move the price in that direction.
I don’t see the difference except that I am basically a “long” kinda guy and hate to see a company I own get whacked by some short-seller. Yes, I own NQ, but thankfully bought just a day AFTER release of the MW report. I have an average cost around $13.25 and believe NQ is all it claims to be and that MW will wind up being shown to have mislead investors. We’ll see. If that happens, should (or even can) NQ sue MW for slander of a sort? Can investors sue MW for their losses? Or is this just all part of the game we involve ourselves in? Questions, questions, questions.
Now I go to check pricing of Stellar and make a buy or sit still awhile decision. Maybe I’ll just buy JCP instead …
Regards to All,
Jim Skelton
The Blind Squirrel
“Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and then”
DISCLOSURE: I AM LONG SBOTF, ACAD, NQ, and NTCFX and may buy or sell positions in any of them at any time. I HAVE NO POSITIONS IN JCP OR ANY PLANS TO BUY WITHIN THE NEXT 72 HOURS.
The Market treats the shorts as sleaze and backlash at them is acerbic. But i think in a balanced market both the longs and shorts have their own karma to do. IF a big IF in a fair and open market. Just a question. What is your thought process as to not buy SBOTF if it falls below 1.50? i was thinking of increasing my holding if it falls below 1.50. Granted that you should buy on the up and up (Jim’s fundamental 103), why not buy on the down IF we believe the company has long term potential. I have my eyes on ACAD, JCP and ANV. Both have fallen big time and atleast JCP appears to be bouncing back. Your thoughts on JCP and ANV if you have the time.
Thank you.
“If you like it at $1.60, what’s wrong with $1.45?”
by Jim Skelton
The Blind Squirrel
Hello AH – and anyone else paying attention. Thought I’d address AH’s question of my thought process of not buying below $1.50 if and when that might happen. Here’ s the deal.
AH, there is no magic regarding the $1.50 price level. Since you’ve been reading my posts these past couple days you are aware that I was devoid of any stock by the middle of last week, having sold most at $1.85 and then the rest (about 20% or so) at $1.75 as the decline continued. I had an average sale price around $1.81 or and my hope was that I could reacquire the position around $1.70. For a few days it didn’t appear I was going to get that chance. Then the sell off began for no apparent reason that I can find. David mentions something about the exercise of warrants but I have no info on that. David, if you would, tell us how many were exercised, at what price, and how this would cause a decline of this magnitude in the price. Serious – i don’t get it.
Anyway, when the decline got underway I began to phase back into the positions as I described earlier. At the open today I had bought back 3000 shares and watched as the price continued to drop. I considered whether or not to sit it out, but decided to stretch a bit. So I put in a limit day order for just 500 shares at $1.55 which at the time was almost $0.10 away from the bid. I simply didn’t have conviction that (1) $1.55 bid would be hit or (2) if it was, how much further it might fall. Turns out that by mid-afternoon I got a fill on those 500 shares and the price actually did continue to slip a bit more to $1.51.
That’s where I stand right now – 3500 shares with an average cost of $1.69. I’m $0.18 per share underwater, some $630.00 or so. Not exactly how I had hoped for things to go.
I’ve decided that enough is enough – for now. The $1.50 level was a floor support price just a few weeks back. I hope it holds now. But if it does not, and the price slips under that, I don’t know what a bottom might be. And I’m not going to put any more money in at this point until I see so stabilization and upside come into play. I’d rather pay $1.60 per share. That would still be reducing my cost and at the same time give me some feeling of reassurance that perhaps the worst was over. Continuing to chase the price lower here with no idea of when it might level out could prove to be a fools game.
Now, for someone like you who hasn’t been buying this dip of late and is considering entering at a price below $1.50, fine. In retrospect I wish that were me. But I started back in (obviously) too soon and have already committed just over 1/3 of the funds I want to have in the stock. So I really can’t compare my thought process to that which you face. Right now I rather be you than me – but that’s said with the perfect clarity of 20/20 hindsight.
I’m not worried about the position when I look with longer-term vision. Unless HARD news were to come out destroying all the things we’ve come to know and believe about the business madel, management, revenue and sales forecasts, product development, and overall outlook for Stellar, I won’t sell one single share of this at a loss. If it were to drop to that $1.05 level of such controversy a couple months back, well, I’d hate that but I’d still hold it. And when the price firms up – as I’m confident it will – and confidence is restored, I’ll start to add more to the position. I want 10,000 shares, which would be less than half what I first owned when this story began for me in June, but that was a CRAZY big position for me and my portfolio. It paid off, sure, but things were different then. Within the confines of my overall assets in my Special Situations account, 10,000 shares is plenty big.
So, to sum up, buying below $1.50 is fine and I would do so if I hadn’t already committed to those first three purchases. But foe me, for now, I need to see some consolidation and positive moves to the upside.
An Aside: I didn’t buy any JCP today and probably won’t. Not yet convinced they have truly made a turn around as needed. And the solar energy and 3-D spaces continue to get clobbered. I’m thinking of selling my position in DDD – I still have a profit of some 24%, down from about 42% three days ago. The company is fine and will do great – my opinion – over the coming few years. But it just might keep on sliding here and I HATE sitting idle and watching what were big gains go up in smoke. My “Frienemy”, Mr. Market, up to his old tricks, taking his cut of what I would like to be mine. Like I have said repeatedly – no gain you see on a statement is truly yours until you sell and realize it. The statement may indicate you’ve made $50,000, but the truth is you haven’t made a dime you can use for yourself as long as you own the position. Until then it belongs to Mr. Market to do with as he pleases. Man, I hate that guy!
Also, noted that Stellar hired a new guy to run the PR/Investor Relations arena. Good thing – I hope he is proactive in giving out info and news to keep us all in the loop. Maybe get himself invited onto a couple of the financial shows at CNBC and Fox Business, etc. We could use the exposure an on-air interview would provide.
Let’s all stay real, stay calm, and stay tuned .. much, much more to come in the story that is Stellar Biotech!
Regards,
Jim Skelton
The Blind Squirrel
“Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and then”
PS – where has everyone else that was all over this topic a few weeks ago gone? Lost interest? Sold and moved on? Tired of this Squirrels chatter? I – We – would love to hear from you – I’m pretty tired of hearing mostly from ME! :0)
Regarding the warrants. I received them from the ‘ipo’, they expired on 11-14-2013 at a strike price of .71 a share. Although I wasn’t planning on selling a share of my holdings, I did sell enough to exercise 15,000 shares, bringing my total holdings in it to 75000 shares. The blind squirrel has me wondering if i’m sitting on too many shares, and I agree that no money is made until the position is sold, but at this point, i’m playing with the banks money, and look at this position as a possible home run that could make my retirement very comfortable. Although as Jim stated, something negative could happen with the company, that’s not what worries me. My biggest worry is the possibility of the overall market as a whole crashing before Stellar gets to take off. Devoid of that happening, i’m fairly confident that the company will succeed in the long run and reward its shareholders, and also believe it is will be a takeover target of a major pharmaceutical in fairly short order. Confident…. but I still have my fingers crossed….
I am still here, and I suspect most of the rest of the cast is still here. Today’s news about the new officer hired is the only thing I’ve heard in weeks. I think this is the part where we watch and wait and try to be patient for the $2.00 or so mark (correct me if I’m wrong). Or whatever is considered the next resistance level, while the price is bouncing around, reflecting everything except its intrinsic value…hoping those giant limpets are squeezing every last drop of hemocyanin they can spare, that the studies are moving in a positive direction, and we’ll hear something positive. And hoping they really do know what they’re doing 🙂 I haven’t bought or sold anything since my first buy, given myself some piece of mind with a stop-limit order, and intend on riding the crest of this gravy wave, so to speak, into the golden sunset. Good luck to all of us!
“What a difference a day can make!”
by Jim Skelton
The Blind Squirrel
OK then. The $1.50 support – “floor” if you will – I mentioned yesterday has held. Not only held but apparently acted as a trampoline to the price of Stellar. I just checked back in and SBOTF is trading up $0.14 at $1.64 – $1.65. I’m just $0.04 away from break-even on the three buys I made over the past three days. The day could prove interesting.
But enough of that – it will do what it will do. I’d like to address the comment from Robert Vinciguerra posted above.
Robert, I am very happy for you! I mean that. Through a combo of good intuition and perhaps a dose of luck, you are in a truly enviable position. And that you have had the fortitude to simply sit and hold on to your position since inception is indeed remarkable. Not many people (me included) would have had that conviction. It has paid off big time and continues to do so. Congratulations!
Importantly, I’d like to thank you for being forthright about the size of your position. That gives perspective into your thought process about what to do as prices bounce in dramatic fashion. The pull to sell is, I’m sure. large. Yet the desire to let this play out in hopes of realizing not just a good return but indeed a “Stellar” one that, as you say, can ensure you and yours a comfortable retirement and beyond is equally compelling. An investment dilemma to be sure. A good one!
Now .. the important stuff.
Robert, I realize you didn’t ask me directly for any advice as to what to do. But you did pose some interesting questions that at least indirectly asked for input on what could be the wisest course of action for you given the size of the position and your cost basis. Obviously, I know nothing else at all about you or your financial situation. I could not – indeed OUGHT NOT – give you any direct advice. So don’t take anything I say as such. Talk with your own trusted financial adviser and tax guy/gal about it, then make your own decision. So, to be clear, what I am about to relate is not advice as to what you should do, but instead just some musings of a particular situation I ran into with a client in 1986. It’s a “war story” from my time spent as a Financial Adviser, one of the most interesting I have from among many. You may read what happened here and give it consideration as it might relate to your personal decisions. It’s a good story. Perhaps you – and others here – will come away from reading with a few things to think about.
It began in February 1985. I was a very new broker and hungry for new accounts – of any size. The easiest accounts to prospect for at that moment was IRA’s, and I was working a call list at night (yes, cold calling was the way to prospect in those days) for potential IRA investors. At some point I called a name off the list and got the investors name (I’ll call him John, not his real name) and got his wife (I’ll call her Helen) on the phone. Nice, polite lady – didn’t slam the phone down in my face. She let me tell her why I was calling but said they simply couldn’t afford to fund an IRA that year. Said all their money had been used a couple years back when John went to work for a fledgeing, privately held company in Ft. Lauderdale that made some kind of specialized parts for those new things just getting attention – personal computers. John was an electricial engineer there. That’s all she told me. But she did make one comment that caught my attention. She said that there was “something going on” at the company which could cause them to need to talk with someone like me next year. She didn’t say what that was and I didn’t ask. Whne we hung up I put some generic IRA info and a couple biz cards in an envelope to mail the next day, and then filled out a 3X5 index card relating the conversation and a note to call back in a year. That got put into my state-of-the-art plastic index card box (yes, that’s how it was done back then – no computers, no internet, no way to keep records other that index cards, legal pads, and a good memory) under February 1985 and forgotten.
Fast forward to February 1985.
My first year had come and gone and I was doing well in developing accounts and clients. But not so well I could ignore the possibility of opening a new $2000 account. And, as I went through the index cards for callbacks, there sat the one for John and Helen. I wondered what if anything had happened with Johns company, so I dialed them up and opened a box that led to one of the best accounts I ever had. Here’s what happened – and the point I was making earlier about how you might get some takeaway as it could relate to your situation.
Things had indeed “started to happen” at Johns company I’ll call it “Telebotics”, (not the real name). When John went to work for them, part of his employment contract was that, if the company ever went public – a HUGE “if” at the time – any employee who had put in some investment capital would be entitle to receive shares of the common stock based on a formula they devised. As I’ve said, John and Helen were true believers and put in $25,000 (the actual amount) and hoped for the best. Well, management had been in discussions with an investment bank, reached an agreement to come to market in an IPO in about three months, and price talk was focusing in the $10.00 – $15.00 per share area. Based on the amount John had invested and the formula of allocation set by management. John and Helen were going to receive 122,500 UNRESTRICTED shares if this came to fruition. It was champagne and caviar time – almost. Dreams of sugarplums danced in their heads.
At the low end of the proposal ($10.00) the holdings would be worth $1.225 million dollars. At the high end ($15.00) it would be$1.84 million. Pretty heady return on a $25K investment in about 4 years!
As you might imagine, the employees at Telebotics were just besides themselves with joy. Scuttlebut around the offices had this valuation as just a start – John told me that most felt this price, even at the upper end, represented only perhaps half of the potential within the first 12 months. And beyond that, well, the sky was the limit. Not a single soul was concerned about any kind of drop in price after the offering. They had a great product, innovative, and an industry leader. What could be better?
As I listened and took notes I realized what was going to come my way very soon. John and Helen were going to ask me what to do – hold, sell (some or all) or even take out a home equity loan and buy more (never an advisable option – NEVER!).
My first problem was that, with the talks at the point they were, the company had gone into a sort of “quiet period” where they were not releasing any news of providing any financial data. I was being asked to value a company and provide a projection while flying totally blind. Remember, this was 1985 and there was no internet, no good way to get or retrieve data. We worked in a very, very different world back then. And the truth was, even if I had access to those numbers, I had little experience to guide me in trying to value one of these new-fangled companies that had come to be called “High Tech” firms, whatever that meant. All I really had to go on was what John was hearing around the water cooler. And we all know how that usually goes.
In addition, I had to face an elephant in the room. John and Helen were wonderful, honest, forthright folks – what I simply call “good people”. They never mentioned the fact that, depending on my recommendation (and if they took it) I would be in for a substantial payday of my own. I had to turn the volume on my internal radio station that we all are constantly tuned to way, way down. That station is known as “WII-FM” which stands for “What’s In It For Me?” It plays constantly in every broker/salesman head. And it can lead to some nasty, self-serving conclusion. I wanted to avoid that at all costs, but it was hard to do. I knew I stood to generate upwards of $20,000 commission dollars just with the first actions, and much more coming down the road as cash that might be raised was redeployed into other, more diverse, investments. To me, at that stage of my career, this one transaction would be larger than any single entire MONTH I had experienced up to that point. And based on the commission payout grid in effect at that time and my prior 12 months gross commissions, I would be paid 34% of that $20,000 or some $6,800 gross. In 1985, for me, $6,800 was huge and hard to ignore. But I had to if I was going to be what a Financial Adviser is supposed to be – a person who puts the clients best interests first.
Over the next few weeks John and I spoke almost daily so he could tell me what he was hearing. Talk from employees (there were only about 25 of them if memory serves) was the same – get the stock and hold on for a ride to the sky. Whatever the offering price might come to be set at, it would be too little and sure to rise fast to that $25.00 level and beyond. The offering would be set soon, the price decided, and John and Helen were looking for guidance from me. To say I was in a sweat is quite an understatement.
The day finally arrived when the Telebotics released the finalization f plans for the IPO to employees. It was set for the middle of July (about 6 weeks out) and at a price of $14.25 p/s. The deal was all but done, and you could hear those Dom Perigon corks popping! And my time was up. Crunch time. Decision time. What to do?
It’s now near 4:00PM and this is getting too long. So here’s what I’m going to do for today. I’m going to ask you what you would have advised John and Helen to do if you had been me back then. Think that through. They were a couple in their early 40’s, two boys ages 13 and 11, nice but not over-the-top home in a very good city (Coral Springs, FL) where I also lived, net worth (before this event) around 100K including about $80K in home equity. John’s job is (obviously) solid and he earns in the neighborhood of 75K a year. Helen is a stay-at-home Mom, the hardest job of all with zero pay. And they are looking at you across the kitchen table asking what to do about this new-found fortune. Specifically, what do you tell them? Post up your thoughts if you’d like to share.
To Be Continued ..
Jim Skelton
The Blind Squirrel
PS: with mkts about to close, SBOTF has hung around that morning price of $1.65. It’s been a good day in the neighborhood.
So many ‘sayings’ going thru my head right now…. ‘a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush’, ‘bulls get rich, bears get rich, pigs get slaughtered’ ….
I’m not a big Vegas or AC gambler, but when I dabble, I’ll play a slot, most likely a progressive one… why, because although the odds are stacked against you, if those wheels end up matching, could be a life changing win. Thats why I’m holding onto a wad of shares of Stellar. I purchased it originally with my ‘Vegas’ money (money I’d rather gamble on stocks than in a casino), and my original investment is off the table. Don’t get me wrong, selling the position right now would put a very pretty penny in my wallet, just not life changing. If I knew nothing about the company, and was just going on other folks suggestions, I’d be way more wary… but Stellar seems to have a line of people at their door, and i don’t believe they have gotten any fda approval on a vaccine in which its the ingredient. Once one of those pharms gets an approval with KLH in it, I think that door gets broken down and this thing could go parabolic. That said, selling half of what I have now would still put a pretty penny in my wallet, as well as retaining enough shares to ride with into the sunset in case good things happen. Now its a bit easier making this decision when it affects only the decision maker, you as a financial adviser to John and Helen should probably attempt to safeguard a bunch of their profits. Sure if it went skyrocketing upwards, they would be upset they missed the party, but if it crashed and they lost everything… something tells me they might aim a lawsuit at you. I’ve been involved in enough low priced, high tech stocks that went to zero, that I should probably play it a bit safer, but there is something about Stellar that just gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling that they will succeed bigtime. With one kid in college, one going next year, and one 3 years away, an nice influx of cash would be welcome, so perhaps I will be looking to sell some in the near future, but with the way this crazy economy is, and the fact that there really aren’t jobs for college graduates the way there used to be, I’d be very sad if I cashed out just to pay for college, and had nothing left to buy them houses or land, which I’m starting to think they may never be able to afford on their own. My situation differs than John and Helens in that I will have a pension and an IRA along with my other investments, so I think it makes me a bit more willing to ‘let it ride’. Maybe I have a loose screw too, as I’ve got some decent positions in other ‘penny’s’, such as Aethlon Medical (AEMD) and Cytosorbents (CTSO), and 20g’s in the soon to be issued stock of the greenpolkadotbox.com company (something about its owner Rod Smith that I trust). Running out of fingers to cross.
Always love hearing from the blind squirrel…. keep up the good work and I’m looking forward to the end of your story!
Indeed, it was a very good day in the neighborhood as I had been having a terrible week in my portfolio and today erased all of my losses for the week! I think that Robert, Jim and I are rather birds of a feather–I’m willing to take on some significant risks when I’m seeing huge upsides and the downsides don’t seem very likely to me. The pump and dump type stocks are definitely not for me although some quick money can be made if you time it right (I would consider NNRX one of these). I’m much more comfortable with choosing several microcaps that seem almost certain to make a lot of money in the future (preferably the near future, but even within a couple years can be worth the wait). In my opinion: Stellar, Natcore (NTCXF) and ClearSign (CLIR) are in this category, hence I have about 40% of my portfolio in these three companies. I’m proud of myself for not panicking at all earlier this week when my picks were getting hammered. I’m still down a bit on my CLIR but have confidence that it will have a great next 12 months. Pick quality companies you trust with great growth prospects and hang in there!
Found this Seeking Alpha article today about Celldex and its glioblastoma vaccine (which includes Stellar’s KLH), could explain the nice bounce we had yesterday:
Investment Significance of Upcoming Conference Call
Celldex (CLDX) has raised expectations for positive results for rindopepimut in recurrent glioblastoma. It will hold a conference call on Monday, November 25 at 8:30 AM to discuss results on the use of rindopepimut in recurrent glioblastoma. The actions of Celldex clearly indicate that the data will be positive. The recently published abstract of the paper on which this presentation partially will be based, indicated that there was an immune response to rindopepimut and that there was one complete response and one objective response out of 25 patients for an overall response rate of 8%.
I find the data interesting from this standpoint. There is widespread skepticism on Wall Street and in the medical community that any cancer vaccine will be effective. There has been one cancer vaccine approved and that was Dendreon’s (DNDN) Provenge. However, there were a long string of failures before the Provenge approval and some after.
Even among people like me who are hopeful that cancer vaccines/immunotherapy can be the next great breakthrough in oncology, the data causes me to scratch my head.
The conventional wisdom is that cancer vaccines/immunotherapy should be used as close as possible to initial diagnosis and surgery because it takes a long time to take effect. If so, rindopepimut would be expected to have little chance to work in the recurrence of an aggressive cancer like glioblastoma. Also, rindopepimut targets a single antigen, EGFRvIII, and many people believe that a cancer vaccine should target several antigens to be effective. Finally, some have suggested that there is less EGFRvIII expression in recurrent glioblastoma than newly diagnosed glioblastoma than recurrent. If so, rindopepimut would be expected to be more effective in newly diagnosed glioblastoma (for which Phase III data is some time off) than recurrent glioblastoma.
The conference call on Monday should be very interesting and may give us new insights into rindopepimut and perhaps cancer vaccines overall. There should be more data in the oral presentation than in the abstract that has already been published. The data in the abstract is several months old. In recurrent glioblastoma, this is a long time so that the data will be more mature and hopefully more meaningful.
This promises to be an important event for the stock. What is my prediction on the outcome? I think the data will be encouraging. However, this is based almost totally on the emphasis that Celldex has put on the data. Based purely on the science as I understand it, I would have been skeptical. I am extremely interested in seeing the data and hearing Celldex interprets it.
Background for Conference Call on Monday
Celldex announced on August 12, 2013, that it had completed enrollment in an initial cohort of 25 patients who were refractory to Avastin. Based on preliminary evidence of stable disease, tumor shrinkage and investigator-reported response, the company decided to add an expansion cohort of approximately 75 patients to better characterize the potential activity of rindopepimut in this refractory patient population.
The results in the 25 initial patients will be reported at the Society for Neuro-Oncology Annual Meeting of November 21 through 24 in San Francisco. The embargo on the abstract was lifted on Monday, November 11, and available on the SNO website. I have included a copy of the abstract in the appendix of this report. It has been accepted as an oral presentation and is entitled “ReACT: a Phase 2 Study of Rindopepimut Vaccine (CDX-110) Plus Bevacizumab in Relapsed Glioblastoma.” The oral presentation will be made in a session lasting from 10:20 AM to 12:00 PM on Sunday, November 24. On Monday, November 25, at 8:30 am EST, management will also hold a conference call to review the data.
The data release relates to 25 patients enrolled in one arm of the Phase II ReACT trial in recurrent GBM. Patients with recurrent GBM have the expectation of six to nine months of median overall survival. They can be treated with Avastin, Gliadel Wafer as an adjunct to surgery (seldom used), surgery or just supportive care. These particular 25 patients were part of an arm of ReACT that enrolled patients who did not respond to Avastin. The August 12th announcement of the trial expansion obviously raised the expectation that rindopepimut had produced a clinically meaningful improvement.
The question is what constitutes a clinically meaningful improvement in recurrent GBM patients who are resistant to Avastin. I note that Avastin was approved in recurrent GBM on the basis that it produced tumor shrinkage in about 28% of patients, increased progression free survival by about 4.2 months but had no effect on median overall survival. Could it be the case that rindopepimut also might be approved on the basis of improvement only in progression free survival without an increase in median survival? Remember that these patients have very short survival expectations and have no viable drug option. Because of these factors, it is possible that this narrow indication could be a quick route to approval for rindopepimut.
Of the 600 recurrent glioblastoma patients, we don’t know how many patients would be Avastin resistant. Hence, the addressable patient population is some fraction of 600. While this is a very small patient population, the approval for this narrow indication could be very important commercially. Once approved, it could lead to off-label use in newly diagnosed patients as well. And as previously noted, I am also expecting that rindopepimut could be priced at $100,000 per course of therapy so that 600 patients represents an addressable market of as much as $60 million in the U.S. and $120 million worldwide.
The Abstract
I have included a copy of the abstract that has already been released.
ReACT: a Phase II study of rindopepimut vaccine (CDX-110) plus bevacizumab in relapsed glioblastoma
David Reardon 1, Gordon Li2, Lawrence Recht2, Karen Fink3, Louis Nabors4, David Tran5, Annick Desjardins6, Nitin Chandramouli7, J. Paul Duic8, Morris Groves9, Anne Clarke10, Thomas Hawthorne10, Jennifer Green10, Michael Yellin10, John Sampson6
1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA, 2Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA, 3Baylor Research Institute, Dallas, TX, USA, 4University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA, 5Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA, 6Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA, 7Utah Cancer Specialists, Salt Lake City, UT, USA, 8The Long Island Brain Tumor Center at Neurological Surgery, P.C, Lake Success, NY, USA, 9Texas Oncology, Austin, TX, USA, 10Celldex Therapeutics, Inc., Needham, MA, USA
EGFRvIII is a constitutively active tumorigenic deletion mutation of EGFR, expressed in ~30% of primary glioblastoma (GB) and linked to poor long-term survival. The investigational vaccine rindopepimut consists of the unique EGFRvIII peptide sequence conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), delivered intradermally with GM-CSF as an adjuvant. Three phase II studies of rindopepimut in newly diagnosed, resected, EGFRvIII+ GB have supported improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), compared to contemporary cohorts matched for major eligibility criteria. Bevacizumab (BV), which inhibits VEGF and its immunosuppressive properties, may augment EGFRvIII-specific immune response and antitumor activity in patients with advanced GB. ReACT is a Phase II study of rindopepimut plus BV in patients with 1st or 2nd relapse of EGFRvIII+ GB. BV-naïve pts (Group 1; n=70) are randomized 1:1 to BV plus double-blinded injection of either rindopepimut or control (KLH). BV-refractory patients (Group 2, n=25) receive BV plus open-label rindopepimut. To date, 31% of screened patients are EGFRvIII+. 47 patients (Group 1=22, Group 2=25) have been enrolled, and 23 (Group 1=12, Group 2=11) continue treatment. Primary treatment-related toxicity was Grade 1-2 injection site reaction. Rindopepimut-induced anti-EGFRvIII humoral responses are robust (median peak titer [range] = 1:12,800 [1:100-1:3,276,800]), similar or higher to those in rindopepimut studies of newly diagnosed GB, and greatest in BV-refractory patients. Of 17 Group 2 patients evaluable for response (investigator-assessed; RANO criteria), one Complete Response (32+ weeks duration; peak anti-EGFRvIII titer=1:3,276,800) and one Partial Response (at week 8; subsequent confirmation pending) have been observed. 5/17 (29%) had PFS >8 weeks. Preliminary data show that rindopepimut+BV can induce remarkably potent EGFRvIII-specific immune response and objective tumor response in immunosuppressed patients refractory to BV. Full response, PFS and OS data for both groups are expected to further define the potential clinical benefit of the combination in relapsed GB.
Nice article on Stellar Biotech just publishd by the Behavioral Economist in Seeking Alpha: Conclusion
Stellar Biotechnologies is an enticing investment option with innovative and exciting science. Given the companies head start in the field of KLH research, and their proprietary methods and exclusive rights to further advancements, there exists considerable upside.
At Stellar, the addressable markets they aspire to become a part of, combine to exceed 440 billion dollars. The in-house forecasts for revenue are nearly 700 million dollars annually. The upside to share price, based on those projections, and in consideration of current outstanding shares, would be by a factor of ten. Needless to say, that is significant. However, due to an uncertain timeline moving forward, forecasting a price target would be a highly speculative, and counterproductive, exercise.
What is certain however is this; Stellar is leading the way in an emerging treatment market. The science is innovative, the potential is noteworthy, and the leadership is impressive. The company is, in terms of an equity, a viable option for long term investors with a moderate tolerance for risk, and an ability to cope with uncertain timeline’s. Stellar Biotechnologies is deserving of both investor consideration, and additional due diligence
Decision time for John & Helen: yesterdays post continued ..
by Jim Skelton
The Blind Squirrel
First, action with Stellar: At 10:00 AM, after some upside moves in after hours trading, SBOTF is up afain by some $0.07 to $1.80. I – and I’m sure you – are all green again. In fact, all positions in the Special Sit acct. are moving up including DDD (which I held) and UREE (US Rare Earths) that I was a tad concerned about of late. Oops – I just got pinged on an alert – NNRX (Nutranomics) just went south about $0.05 so it’s the lone decline in that portfolio today. No worries there, though. I’m up some 30% since purchase less than a month ago – wish I could say I had that sort of gain in all portolios, but the others aren’t designed and managed for that.
Now, on with the story. FYI, I’m going to try and be less detailed here – this is getting too windy and I’m sure many of you are bored to tears with an ole mans stroll down memory lane.
With a week left before the offering, I laid out my plan. I opened the thoughts with a statement that I hoped would give John and Helen some clarity into my thinking. I told them that my objective was threefold: First, I wanted them to become instant, all taxes paid, money in the bank millionaires. In 1986 that was still considered quite a feather in your cap – to be a bona fide millionaire, not just on paper, but in your pocket. And it would help ensure a lifestyle of their choosing going forward if properly managed. Second, that I wanted them to escrow enough cash to pay whatever taxes may be due come the following April. Then forget about that for the time being, knowing most of it was not theirs but instead Uncle Sams. And third, I wanted to preserve enough of the shares of Telebotics so that, if the rapid rise in price that was believed to be coming actually did happen, they would have enough to still make Many tens of thousands of dollars with the company.
Here’s how these three objectives would be accomplished.
One: We would sell 100,000 shares at 10:00 AM following the opening at 9:30. This would allow a little time to see if the stock was going to “POP” higher or trade into the market at or near it’s set opening price of $14.25. We agreed, however, that if the price was at $16.50 or higher, and seemingly trending higher, we would hold off on the sell until and unless that upward trajectory stalled and/or began to pull back. After the sale, we’d put $1,000,000.00 into an account I had already set up and was pending funding. This accomplished the “Instant Millionaire” part of the suggestions. What might be done with it was for later consideration after all the smoke had cleared and emotions settled.
Two, the remaining proceeds of the sale – that part which would amount to at least $425,000 if the 100K shares were sold at the offering price, – would be put into a separate account of its own in a money market fund. When the tax man cometh, this would be the pool from which that obligation would be paid and the remainder moved over to the first account for future investment. Heck, in 1986 we were being paid about 7% or so on money market funds, a return not to be ashamed of. I told them to just think of it as if they had bought a basket of high dividend-paying stocks that had the benefit of having a guarantee of no chance of going down.
And Three, we would hold the remaining 22,500 shares for future potential in case the other employees were right and the stock would move much higher in the coming months. That size of a position in such a high-risk stock was plenty enough to give hefty dollar gains if that appreciation should happen.
After consideration of a day or so, John called and gave me the green light to go ahead with the plan as proposed. And, on offering day, I did just that.
The stock opened as advertised at $14.25 p/s. There was no immediate “POP” in the price. By10:00 AM it was trading around $14.75, so I called our trading desk and placed the order. They worked the shares so as not to affect the price and by noon were were sold with an average price around that $14.75 area. Step one accomplished; John and Helen were confirmed millionaires.
The day closed little changed but still up a tad from the offering. And then we got our resolve tested.
Day two saw the price move up to the low $15.00’s, then closing near $16.00. I spoke with John – he was a little remorseful but not overly so. That’s just human nature. After some hand-holding we agreed again that the right thing had been done regardless of where the price went from there.
Day three began a different story. That price of about $15.90 began to slide back. The day closed with the price right at $15.00. The next day the slide continued, closing back at the offering price, give or take. And from there things just got worse.
The price of $15.90 was the high water mark for Telebotics. Never again did we see that level. Why, I don’t know. Like I said earlier, there was little financial data available and besides, there was only one analyst covering it – he was with the lead underwriting firm, and they almost ALWAYS put at good face on a stock they have promoted and sold to clients and other firms. One must be cautious in relying on analysis from the underwriter. John and Helen were happy – even though denial was rampant at the company offices with neally 100% of the other employee/investors standing by the assertions that this was just a temporary setback and the right thing to do was hold and wait it out. That proved to be a mistake. A really, really big mistake.
For this point my memory gets a little fuzzy as to exact prices and time frames, but I can remember this much; At some point, within a year I think, we sold the rest of the shares at prices in the $10.00 – $10.50 range. The stock died a slow and painful death, and those who doggedly held on got creamed. The last time I looked at it, perhaps three years after the offering, it was below $2.00. Again, I can’t say why this happened to a company that seemed to hold such promise. In addition, John had left the firm after perhaps a year from the offering to set up his own freelance consulting business. So I had no contacts at the company to speak with. No matter – we were out and on to other things. And I had earned a client for life.
John and Helen enjoyed some of the money straight away. John bought himself a top of the live Volvo – engineers tend to love those vehicles, that and BMW’s. We set up college fund accounts for the two boys, Helen got a few things she had always wanted, and they made a big decision. They sold the house in Coral Springs and bought one high up in the Smokey mountains of South Carolina. Got away from all the congestion and hustle of the super-urban South Florida area, back into a far more relaxing and laid back lifestyle.John continued his consulting work free from worries of what if a month of three passed with no income, Helen spent her days happily being Mom to the boys and enjoying their last few years at home before college and life got them out of the house.
The last time I actually saw them was in the summer of 2000. My then-wife and I were off on another of our many two-week tours of America in the saddles of our Harley-Davidson Electra Glide. Both of us simply LOVED traveling in that manner on the small back roads of our beautiful Country, meeting people and finding off-the-map places never seen by those who travel enclosed in a 4-wheeled vehicle and flying down an Interstate. Believe me, America is still out there, alive and well (more or less), and there is great adventure to be had by getting out and finding it! Anyway, we had ridden up to Gatlinburg, done that and then spent a day at Dollywood (go if you can – it’s GREAT family fun!), and were headed over to Kentucky to see my aunt. I called John and arranged to stop by and see them on the way, and we did. Spent a few hours just visiting and such, then had to get back on the road.
It was great to see how happy they were, the beautiful house nestled up on that mountain top, picture-perfect vistas of the surrounding countryside. Life for them was good. When I lay down in bed that night I reflected for a moment on how things were for the two of them, and I must admit I found personal satisfaction in knowing I played a small part in making that happen. Two years later I closed my Edward Jones office and retired from the business. John and I stayed in touch via e-mail for another couple years and then that that tailed off to nothing. And life went on.
So, that’s it. We put the funds to work in several very good ideas, and a couple not so great. That’s to be expected in that business. Nobody’s perfect, certainly not me. To this day I sometimes think back to that time nearly 30 years ago now and wonder how they are doing. I hope all is well. They contributed a lot to my life in many ways and I’ll never forget that.
I don’t know what if any takeaway you might get from this story, AH. Or anyone else who faces a situation where a life changing event is in the balance and you have to make a decision as to what to do. John and Helen and I made what turned out to be a very good decision for their circumstance. It could have gone the other way – never overlook the luck factor in all of this. “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” I wish you all the best of good fortune, wisdom, and understanding in your personal decisions.
And that as they say is “The End”.
Meanwhile, as I have been writing, Stellar has been all over the board – currently at $1.75, off from the intraday high of $1.84. And the wheel spins round and round.
Best to All,
Jim Skelton
The Blind Squirrel
FINALLY!! RECOGNITION!!
by Jim Skelton
The Blind Squirrel
At long last, Stellar Bio has attracted some attention. Today at 1:19 PM, a comprehensive research article on SBOTF was posted on the Seeking Alpha website. It was written by a Contributor who writes under the name of The Behavioral Economist. The author states he has no position on the stock and no plans to acquire one within 72 hours.
It is a highly technical article about the properties of KLH and it’s many uses. It tells of Stellars’ huge lead in the industry of land-based farming of the Giant Keyhole Limpet and why that is critical. And it goes on to illustrate what they are doing, the great leadership in place, and the potential growth over the next few years – a 10X return is suggested but not offered as a solid prediction.
Go to the S/A site, find this article, and read carefully. This is the first comprehensive article I’ve seen to date and it is a very good one for all of us who are long SBOTF.
This is a great first step on the road to coverage and investor exposure. It’s a landmark day in Limpetland!
Jim Skelton
The Blind Squirrel
Addendum to the S/A comments: The title of the article is “Stellar Biotechnologies: Innovation, Experience, and Upside”. I should have had that in the lead of the previous post. Apologies.
Jim Skelton
The Blind Squirrel
Hi everyone,
great story Jim, really enjoy your musings and stories back from the old days. Listening to your story makes me reflect on my own state of ‘greediness’, meaning always wanting to get the top and the bottom and not being satisfied with a bit less. Thanks for that!
Robert V. , thanks for your comments and insights into your trading activities. My fingers are crossed too. Wish you the best of all possible outcomes with your lucky limpets and other stocks. You definitely did some great research in some of the companies you mentioned above. Thank you for sharing. I will take a closer look at them.
Happy investing to All and go for the lucky limpets.
P.S. I am long Stellar (SBOTF) and Aethlon Medical (AEMD)
Herbert
Jim, you never bore me. When I see a post from you, its time to brew a cup of coffee, sit back… relax and enjoy. Keep up the good work!
Herbert, thanks for the kind words.
Haha..Thanks Jim.
This was more like a feel good movie ending rather than a cautionary tale! Was more excited on the Gatlinburg story though. Over the weekend I went to Gatlinburg, Smokies and hiked Mt Leconte. Excellent town, old town feel and wished i had a house up there. Shoutout to all members for their their stock insights.
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.
Cheers,
AH
AH:
I hadn’t thought of it as a “movie ending” but you’re right, It was. A happy one for all. I hope no one thinks I make this stuff up or alter the facts of cases I was involved in. I don’t. Sometimes things just work out in a very pleasant manner .. and sometimes not so much. Maybe someday I’ll post up another story that doesn’t have such a warm and fuzzy ending. I’ve plenty of those, too.
I envy your trip to Gatlinburg. It is such beautiful country in and around there even with the commercialization that has enveloped the area over the past 30 years. The first time I went to Pigeon Forge it was hard to find. Now it’s mile after mile of hotels, eateries, and Comedy Clubs. Very family oriented. Dollywood is a wonderful place, full of all manner of things to do, and priced for the family pocketbook – Dolly has never forgotten her rural, empoverished roots. And those comedy clubs – what a riot!! The Comedy Barn is my fav. Split your sides with two hours of constant laughter and never hear a vulgar word. Not one. Like I said, America as we remember it is still out there but you gotta get off the superslabs and away from the Vegas-style developments to find it. And the food at those thousands of Mom-and-Pop cafes .. OMG!! As we bikers say, “Ride to eat, eat to ride!” :0)
Wishing you and the entire Gumshoe Nation a very happy Thanksgiving – we all have so very much to be thankful for.
Regards,
Jim Skelton
The Blind Squirrel
… will somebody please pass over that sweet potato casserole and the dressing?
Almost forgot .. this thread is supposed to be about SBOTF, not Comedy clubs and gravy-soaked chicken fried steaks. We took a $0.07 hit today and I’m back in the red a bit with my long position. Not gonna buy or sell anything until next week at the latest. Probably not until the upcoming Investor presentation is over next week. That might offer some information that is helpful in understanding where we are and what direction the winds are blowing. Don’t expect any big revelations or blockbuster-style announcements. Do expect further insights and hope that the sponsor of the conference will be interested enough to do a follow up analyst report on Stellar. This house is being built one brick at a time and this presentation is another of those construction blocks. Go to the Stellar website at the conclusion of the presentation to watch a replay and hear for yourself.It should be on there by about noon EST, give or take.
The Blind Squirrel is OUTAHERE!
Thanks again Jim. Enjoyed the article about Stellar on Seeking Alpha. Interesting comments as well. Have a great day everyone!
FYI doubt there will be any big news but who knows? Most likely the Webcast will emphasize recent encouraging trial results with KLH and talk of staff expansion–perhaps related to increasing KLH demand worldwide. Happy reading, David
Stellar Biotechnologies to Host Corporate Update Conference Call and Webcast on December 11
Management to discuss recent achievements and future catalysts for growth
PORT HUENEME, CA, (December 3, 2013) — Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc. (“Stellar” or “the Company”) (OTCQB: SBOTF) (TSX-V: KLH), the world leader in sustainable manufacture of Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (“KLH”), will host a general corporate update and conference call virtual presentation webcast at 11:00 AM ET (8:00 AM PT) on December 11, 2013.
The Company will review the significant milestones achieved in 2013 including its acquisition of exclusive rights to an innovative KLH-based immunotherapy technology to treat Clostridium difficile infection (“C. diff”), as well as recent manufacturing and R&D progress. In addition, Stellar’s management will discuss the Company’s plans for expansion involving potential catalysts in R&D, manufacturing and business development.
Telecast and Webcast Information:
Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Time: 8:00 AM PT/ 11:00 AM ET
US Dial-in (Toll-free): 1-877-941-1427
International Dial-in: 1-480-629-9664
Conference Call ID: 4653815
Webcast Link: http://public.viavid.com/index.php?id=107091
For the live and archived webcast, please visit the investor presentation section on Stellar Biotechnologies’ website at: http://www.stellarbiotech.com
A replay of the call will be available through December 25, 2013. To access the replay, please call 1-877-870-5176 if calling from North America and 1-858-384-5517 if calling from outside the U.S. and Canada. The replay passcode is 4653815, for additional information please visit the investor section of the company website at http://www.stellarbiotech.com.
Two new patents announced today on the C Difficile vaccine. One in the U. S. and one in China. Not huge news, but further evidence that the company feels strongly about the prospects for this vaccine. This is also evidence that the company continues to protect its interests against a hostile takeover or other predatory practices. SBOTF has great management, incredible growth prospects and a virtual corner on the medical grade KLH market. No wonder it’s up 600% in 12 months.
Re: Two new patents, further proof that SBOTF is indeed “The Real Deal” and not just more tulip bulbs. I’m not at all sure what more can be said at present but am awaiting Wednesdays presentation with interest.
As an aside, I sent the new PR guy an e/m last week asking if I could pose some questions to him for which I’ve never seen answers. I didn’t ask any questions at that time, just wanted to see if he could respond if I do. No reply from him yet – probably consumed with matters such as this press release and the upcoming presentation. If he does reply to me with an affirmative, I’ll ask what I’d like to then let you all know the answers.
Thanks for posting, David – I was just about to do the same when yours popped up saving the time and effort. I’ve been consumed following the events of the day regarding another micro-company, Nutranomics (NNRX). I took a small position about 6 weeks ago at $0.61 per share and have since watched it climb as if on a perfect staircase upwards, closing Friday at $1.23. Then today it opened at $1.26, stayed there for maybe 20 minutes, and a sell order from somewhere for about 1.5 million shares hit the floor. Price gaped down to about $0.58, has recovered a little since. This could be a classic Pump-N-Dump between the company itself (Nutranomics), the “promoter” (InvestorIntel) that has been sending out short touts about the company and giving a target price of $1.75 in a week, $4.50+ in a year, and a company (Nugget Enterprises LLC) that has been paying InvestorIntel around $250,000 twice a month for unknown “services” (see disclosure statement at bottom of InvestorIntel touts. I’m just guessing here but I suspect Nugget Enterprises has paid InvestorIntel to send out those daily touts for NNRX and is somehow connected to Nutranomics. But finding ANY info about any of this is difficult at best.
My investigations into who and what NNRX is has yielded very little hard data. Only the SEC filings they have made over the past several years provide any peek into the company at all – which I believe began life an a gold pre-exploration / mining outfit called Buka Ventures with a small claim in the Republic of Fiji (ever heard of that, Myron?). That went bust in short order, a reorg of sorts ensued, company went through a few name changes and organizational restructuring, emerged as a nutritional supplement company that says they are about to get a blockbuster of a supplement treatment for diabetes on the market in less that 2 weeks. And so on and so on.
Price just kept rising, then this AM … BOOM!! Chart looks like Mt. St. Helens upside down.
Hope none of you got hooked on the hype and creamed in the decline. Me, I’ve given back the profits and a little more, so no big deal really except Santa will have to pull back on the sleigh-load a bit when he stops by this year. Oh well. I’ve said it a few dozens times – no profit is yours until you actually TAKE it by selling. Until then Mr. Market is in possession and can come calling at any time to claim what is his. Honestly, I don’t know if there was any malfeasance on the part of the company or not. But it sure looks so. Many things that make ya go Hummmm.
PLEASE: don’t take this info and respond on this thread. This blog is about SBOTF. If you have comments about NNRX, open a new mini-blog and those of us who like to try and expose these scams (if that is what this is) can join in there.
I’m thinking NNRX is indeed Tulip Bulbs. Makes Bitcoin look rational. And the nice profit I was sitting on last Friday? Well, that’s gone up in smoke today in one fell swoop. Deja Vue – It’s October 1987 all over again in miniature.
Such is the life of a high risk taking investor in tiny, unproven companies. What you think you see ain’t always what you get. It’s “Run Forest, run!!” time.
Your Resident Blind Squirrel,
Jim Skelton
I’m ridin’ the SBOTF train, It looks like the real deal. On the other hand NNRX is in the PUMP and DUMP hall of fame!