Blackberry (BBRY)’s Swan Song, Bear Attacks and Failed Drugs: 5 Stocks Getting Mauled by the Market Today

The markets are firmly in the red today as investors worry about dwindling consumer confidence heading into the holiday season, after a Bloomberg survey showed a steep drop in confidence this month. The markets are also mulling over the prediction from Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) that global economic growth will remain subdued in 2017, at around 2.5%.

In this article, we’ll take a look at five stocks that are taking it on the chin along with the broader market this morning. After running through the news affecting each of those five stocks, we’ll take a look at how hedge funds have been trading them at the end of the article.

Through extensive research that covered the portfolios of several hundred large investors between 1999 and 2012, we determined that following the small-cap stocks that large money managers are collectively bullish on, can generate monthly returns nearly 1.0 percentage points above the market (see the details).

BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s Swan Song Elicits Yawns

BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) officially released the DTEK60 this morning, after a preorder page for the device was prematurely launched earlier this month. The 5.5″ Android phone, which will retail for $499, will be the Canadian company’s last, as it shifts its focus to software. BlackBerry is not planning on leaving the hardware business meekly, however, as it believes that it has created a device that rivals the iPhone 7 Plus and Google Pixel XL in terms of hardware, while packing in BlackBerry’s vaunted security features, including a new feature that will guard the device against counterfeiting. BlackBerry-branded devices will still be made by third-party companies, and Blackberry also hasn’t ruled out helping to develop another device with a physical keyboard. BlackBerry shares are off by 1% this morning.

Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRBP) Gets Attacked By A Bear

Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRBP) is getting clobbered to the tune of a 22% loss following a bearish article posted by The Street this morning. According to the article’s author Adam Feuerstein, his most reliable source when it comes to biotech investing, which happens to be a fund manager, believes the stock is headed for a fall (talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy). Feuerstein claims that the unnamed source is of the belief that Corbus’ only drug candidate, resunab, is bound for failure. The treatment has previously proved ineffective for combating pain, but Corbus has since redefined it as a drug that could fight inflammation and fibrosis. The source believes the company’s data to back up those claims is “weak and inconsistent”, and is shorting the stock ahead of the top-line results from a mid-stage trial of the drug being released later this quarter.

Head to the end of this article to see what the funds that we track think of Corbus. On the next page we’ll check out the news concerning three more stocks as well as analyze the recent hedge fund trading activity in the stocks featured in this article.

Dipexium Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:DPRX)’s Locilex Fails Trials

Dipexium Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:DPRX) is suffering the fate that could be in store for Corbus (according to that source). Shares of the company have imploded by 82% after two phase III clinical trials of locilex failed to achieve their primary endpoint. The treatment did not prove to be any more effective than the vehicle arm at treating patients with mild infections of diabetic foot ulcers. Both trials also failed to meet their secondary endpoints of demonstrating superiority at eradicating bacteria. The company is reviewing the trial data and may seek to test the treatment for other indications based on its findings. Analysts at Feltl downgraded the stock to ‘Hold’ from ‘Buy’ this morning in light of the results.

FuelCell Energy Inc (NASDAQ:FCEL) Project Not Selected

FuelCell Energy Inc (NASDAQ:FCEL) shares have tumbled by 29% after the company disclosed in a regulatory filing that its Beacon Falls Energy Park has not been selected for contract negotiations under The New England Clean Energy Request for Proposals. The rejection is a blow for FuelCell, which has been working on the Beacon Falls project for years with the aim of manufacturing and selling its fuel cell power plants to O&G Technologies, the land owner. The parties involved plan to pursue other means to see the project come to fruition. FuelCell also reported that it has yet to be notified regarding its four bids for over 50 megawatts made with the State of Connecticut 2 – 20 megawatt RFP. Decisions on those bids are expected by the end of January.

Under Armour Inc (NYSE:UA) Guidance Flops

Lastly, shares of Under Armour Inc (NYSE:UA) are 14.49% in the red after the sports apparel company’s growth outlook was a disappointment to investors and beneath the company’s projections at its 2015 Investor Day. While it reiterated its 2018 revenue goal of $7.5 billion, it anticipates operating income growth in the mid-teens over each of the next two years, beneath previous forecasts. Jim Cramer declared that the conference call was “grim”, while Piper Jaffray analyst Erinn Murphy states that the selling is overdone. Several other analysts have downgraded the stock today, however, including Stifel Nicolaus and William Blair. For the third quarter, Under Armour pulled in $1.47 billion in revenue and earned $0.29 per share, which topped estimates of $1.45 billion in revenue and EPS of $0.25.

Hedge Fund Sentiment

Let’s take a look at hedge fund sentiment now towards each of the five stocks, based on the collection of hedge funds in our database. Of the five stocks, Under Armour Inc (NYSE:UA) was the most popular on June 30, as 31 hedge funds owned the stock. Under Armour also had the most positive sentiment during the quarter, as a net total of ten hedge funds added the stock to their portfolios. BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), which had been the most popular of the five as of March 31, was held by 20 hedge funds at the end of June, down from 24 at the end of March. Dipexium Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:DPRX) and Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRBP) were held by eight and seven hedge funds respectively on June 30, and hedge funds owned more of their shares in aggregate than any of the other three stocks, 17% and 23% respectively. FuelCell Energy Inc (NASDAQ:FCEL) was the least popular stock, with just four hedge funds long 3.60% of its shares at the end of the second quarter.

Disclosure: None