Here’s Why Investors Are Watching Sangamo Biosciences, GNC Holdings, and Three Other Stocks Today

Markets are mixed on Wednesday as investors get ready to digest a flurry of earnings, and await Federal Reserve’s summary of commentary of the current economic condition, also known as the “Beige Book”.

Among the stocks that are in the spotlight this morning are Sangamo Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:SGMO), Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT),  Marinus Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:MRNS), GNC Holdings Inc (NYSE:GNC), and Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ:NTRS). In this article, we will take a look at the latest activity surrounding these stocks, and will assess the hedge fund sentiment towards each of them.

At Insider Monkey, we track around 750 hedge funds and institutional investors. Through extensive backtests, we have determined that imitating some of the stocks that these investors are collectively bullish on can help retail investors generate double digits of alpha per year. The key is to focus on the small-cap picks of these funds, which are usually less followed by the broader market and allow for larger price inefficiencies (see more details about our small-cap strategy).

Sangamo’s Vice President Resigns

Sangamo Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:SGMO) is making headlines after the company disclosed in a SEC filing that its Executive Vice President Geoffrey Nichol, M.B. is stepping down, effective October 25. The company’s stock hit a new 52-week low on Tuesday. Earlier this week, the clinical stage biopharmaceutical company said it will participate in a scientific conference conducted by European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy and the National Hemophilia Foundation’s 13th Workshop on Novel Technologies and Gene Transfer for Hemophilia in this month. The stock has lost over 57% so far this year. A total of 20 funds from our database were bullish on Sangamo Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:SGMO) at the end of the second quarter.

Abbott Laboratories Beats Estimates

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) is in the spotlight today after the company reported third-quarter results that beat analysts’ forecast. The Illinois-based healthcare company earned $0.59 a share on revenue of $5.30 billion revenue, above the expected EPS of $0.58 and revenue of $5.29 billion. For the full fiscal 2016, the company now expects EPS of $2.19 to $2.21, compared to the previous $2.14-$2.24 range and the consensus estimate of $2.20. Abbott’s CEO Miles White said in a statement that strong performance in sectors of established pharmaceuticals and medical devices drove sales in the quarter, and the company is on track to meet its financial targets it set at the start of the year. At the end of the second quarter, 47 funds tracked by Insider Monkey owned $1.61 billion worth of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) shares.

We will discuss why Marinus, GNC Holdings, and Northern Trust are trending today on the next page.

Marinus Announces Successful Results from Phase 1 Study of Status Epilepticus Drug

Marinus Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:MRNS)’s stock has gained over 6% so far today after the company said Phase 1 dose-escalation study of its treatment for  Status epilepticus achieved dose levels targeted for efficacy. Albena Patroneva, chief medical officer of the company which focuses on drug-resistant seizures and neuropsychiatric disorders, said in a statement that Phase 1 study of Ganaxolone IV has shown that the drug has promising prospects to treat the patients with the seizure disorder, and the company is now looking forward to advance clinical studies of the drug into patients with SE. Just three funds tracked by Insider Monkey had owned shares of Marinus Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:MRNS) at the end of the June quarter.

Chinese Companies Interested in Buying GNC Holdings

Investors are watching GNC Holdings Inc (NYSE:GNC) shares closely today after a report from the Wall Street Journal said several Chinese buyers are interested in buying the health and nutrition products retail company, amid a rising interest in supplements, vitamins and related products in heath conscious Chinese consumers. The Journal’s source said the potential deal could be worth $4 billion including debt. Companies that are probable candidates for a buyout include Shanghai-based Fosun Group, investment firm ZZ Capital International Ltd, and several Chinese pharmaceutical companies whose names weren’t mentioned. GNC’s current market value is $1.40 billion, and it has nearly $1.6 billion of outstanding debt. The source cited Euromonitor International, according to which the vitamins and dietary-supplement market in China could grow by 53% to $28.7 billion by 2021. This creates huge opportunities for the industry players, especially for those based in the US and Europe, as Chinese consumers now largely prefer Western brands.  Dinakar Singh’s TPG-AXON Management LP is one of 31 funds tracked by Insider Monkey that were long GNC Holdings Inc (NYSE:GNC) at the end of the second quarter.

Northern Trust Corporation Misses Estimates

Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ:NTRS) opened lower but has recovered in the first minutes of trading on the back of the company reporting third-quarter EPS of $1.08,  which missed the consensus estimate of $1.09, while revenue of $1.22 billion fell short of the expected $1.25 billion. The financial services company’s CEO Frederick H. Waddell said in a statement that the company performed well in the quarter, as its revenue grew by 5% year-over-year, and expense-to-fee ratio was less than 107%. Mr. Waddell added that EPS increased by 13% as compared to the same period last year, and expenses were also “well managed” by the company. A total of 27 funds from our database held stakes in Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ:NTRS) at the end of June.

Disclosure: None