NVIDIA (NVDA) – The company was in focus Tuesday and Wednesday following what one analyst called “the biggest graphics processing unit launch in NVIDIA history”: its GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards. Initial anecdotal information from consumers suggested the price point was pretty steep. Keep in mind: the launch of graphics cards and new chips from the semiconductor companies rarely impact stock prices.
Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) – A play on a bright spot in the “fatigued fast casual” space, according to one analyst. Cowen analyst Andrew Charles highlighted in a Wednesday morning research note takeaways from a recent meeting with Chipotle management. The analyst noted “strengthening value perceptions within proprietary survey data that supports Chipotle’s elevated [second half ’22] pricing levels & future pricing power.”
Aurora Cannabis (ACB) – A favorite cannabis play among the retail investing crowd. Shares were down about 2% in pre-market trade Wednesday following quarterly earnings from the company Tuesday evening. An analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald remained optimistic on Aurora’s business and stock following the earnings report and highlighted the company’s “strong medical [cannabis] franchise” and “right-sized” recreational cannabis segment within the US.
BlackBerry (BB) – A so-called meme stock; a favorite target for retail investors. The company will report quarterly results on Tuesday of next week.
Virax Biolabs (VRAX) – A play on a company with a testing kit for monkeypox. In an exclusive early report on Benzinga Pro Tuesday, Virax announced a distribution deal for its monkeypox antigen test. Shares closed Tuesday’s session up 40%; the stock saw some profit taking Wednesday morning and was down about 7% ahead of the open.