News

Citigroup joins Wall Street peers in forecasting 25 bps rate cut by Fed in December

Citigroup's revision came after data on Friday showed nonfarm payrolls rose by 227,000 jobs last month, following an upward revision to 36,000 jobs in October. U.S. job growth surged in November after being severely hindered by hurricanes and strikes, but a rise in the unemployment rate to 4.2% pointed to an easing labor market that indicated the Fed could likely cut interest rates this month. Major brokerages including Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have reiterated their expectation of a 25-basis-point interest rate cut by the Fed in December after the jobs data.

Vertex Has $5 Billion-Plus Opportunity In Pain And Kidney Disease Programs, Analyst Upgrades Stock

Jefferies has upgraded Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTX), citing the company’s robust cystic fibrosis base business and the additional upside from the new LNP/ mRNA therapy (around $1 billion opportunity) and “triple pill” regimens. The company’s pipeline can potentially exceed expectations if the data is positive. The analyst views the risk/reward balance as mostly neutral for 2024. The pain program stands out as a potential blockbuster, especially with the upcoming launch for acute pai