StemCells CEO's Letter Once Again Shows Catalysts And Why You Should Invest In June $STEM

With today's dramatic runup in $STEM shares, had to share this. This was my rejected article from June 4th:

Investing in StemCells (STEM) is not for the faint of heart. The stocks sees large double digit gains and losses on a monthly basis, as the company updates investors on trials and upcoming events. A recent letter from StemCells' CEO should have investors bullish on this long term play going into an exciting month and year full of catalysts.

StemCells CEO Martin McGlynn is active in letting investors know what is going on with his company. He tells investors it is "important to have regular updates to keep you informed of the remarkable progress we are making".

Here are the highlights from McGlynn's latest letter to shareholdersand future investors:

· Over the next two years, clinical data from two Phase II studies will be released. This data will center on StemCells progress in studies related to spinal cord injuries and eye injuries

· StemCells recently completed enrollment in a Phase I/II spinal cord injury trial. This is the world's first human neural stem cell transplantation in chronic injury

· 4 of 8 current patients have experienced return of sensation

· Phase II clinical trials this fall will be completed in as many as 12 clinical trial centers

· Enrollment in Phase II SCI test expected to be completed in 12 months, with results coming 12 months later

· Enrolled 13 of 16 patients in a Phase I/II dose escalating trial geographic atrophy of age-related macular degeneration.

· Looking for a partner for further Phase II trials in the areas of NCL (Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, aka Batten's Disease) and PMD (Pelizaeus merzbacher's disease)

· Cited the following as valuation drivers:

o People

o Alliances

o Intellectual property

o Research and development

o Financials

o Market opportunity

· Working on transforming "groundbreaking science" into "breakthrough medicine"

· Ended quarter (3/31) with $26.5 million in cash

Upcoming Catalysts

· June 19th: will present interim results of a test for age-related macular degeneration, trial is to test safety, tolerability and preliminary efficiency of one time transplant of stem cells, presentation taking place at International Society for Stem Cell Research in Vancouver, taking place June 19th through June 21st

· June 29th: will provide an additional update on the company's spinal cord trial at the Annual Symposium of the National Neurotrauma Society in San Francisco June 29th through July 2nd

· Fall 2014: Investor R&D Day, company will provide several items at this event including:

o Provide additional data from the Phase I/II AMD and SCI trials

o Provide clinical study design details for the planned Phase II controlled trials

o Hear from key opinion leaders in spinal cord injury and retinal degeneration

o Provide investors with a forum to have their questions addressed

Aside from the CEO letter, StemCells has also provided a couple of news releases investors shouldn't overlook. On May 21st, StemCellsreported the first 5 patients in a 16 patient AMD trial. On May 19th, StemCells announced that 2 patients had sensory functions from its spine cord injury trial. This brought the total up to 4 patients who had regained sensory function. The more impressive part is that the patients who have seen some function range in an elapsed time of 4 to 24 months from their injury. This shows the possibility of stem cells and the restoration of function in those with spinal cord injuries.

I have wrote about StemCells several times (January 2014, July 2012), urging investors to invest in this lottery ticket medicine company. Shares are now down since those articles. Shares are trading up 6% in 2014, but remain down 25% in the last 52 weeks. This is a company who routinely sees its shares jump 10 to 20% on positive news. The events in June and the investor day in the fall will likely see large jumps. While shares may also fall from those jumps, eventually shares will see value and not trade in the $1 to $2 range anymore.

StemCells continues to have a relatively small market capitalization, despite a leading position in the stem cell research market. The company owns a patent portfolio that is well ahead of rivals, as Nature Biotechnology calls three patents "among the five most fundamental neural stem cell patents". StemCells has the SCI and AMD trials going on, but also has pre-clinical tests dedicated to PMD, stroke, and Alzheimer's. In 2012, StemCells shares jumped 70% on bullish notes of stem cells being used to treat Alzheimer's.

Shares of StemCells have traded between $1.15 and $1.87 over the last 52 weeks. With shares trading around $1.40 and approaching several milestones, investors may want to consider starting a position now in this long term play.

The Wizard of Oz Fever Coming Back

One of my favorite movies of all time, "The Wizard of Oz", is coming back to theaters. The beloved 1939 movie is set to come back to IMAX theaters for a one week run. Hopefully I will be lucky enough to make it to the theater to see what enhanced picture and sound can do for one of the most important movies of all time.

Here was my article on how this will boost IMAX stock http://seekingalpha.com/article/1489262-the-wizard-of-oz-coming-to-imax-theatres-follow-the-yellow-brick-road-in-your-portfolio

Also, remember that "The Wizard of Oz" is coming to television through several networks. The movie will be the central focus on several new shows. Read my highlights here:

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/09/20/the-wizard-of-oz-set-to-boost-several-stocks.aspx

*Disclosure-Long shares of IMAX*

Zumba Kids: Will Investors Follow Majesco Entertainment Into Newest Venture?

Small video game company Majesco Entertainment (COOL) has seen its shares drop 42% in 2013. The drop comes off of earnings misses and lowered guidance. The gaming company, popular for its Zumba Fitness line of games, is trading for around $0.60 a share. Can two new gaming updates send shares back above $1.00?

On Friday morning, Majesco Entertainment announced its plans to launch "Zumba Kids" for the XBOX 360 Kinect and Nintendo Wii. The game will target kids ages 7 to 12. Mini-games and dances feature over 30 songs, including hits from Justin Bieber and Willow Smith.

The game has a chance to be successful for Majesco Entertainment. "Zumba Kids" will potentially have a cool factor among kids, as the "Dance Central" games have proved popular with children. The game could also be a good gift idea from parents, as it represents a way for kids to possibly lose weight. There are millions of overweight kids in America. The game could get the blessing from healthcare organizations if it can get kids off the couch and playing a movement based game.

"Zumba Kids" will be released during the holiday season, which could also help propel sales. The game pairs nicely with the latest Zumba Fitness game, "Zumba Fitness World Party". "Zumba Fitness World Party" will be released in October for XBOX One, XBOX 360, Nintentdo Wii, and the Nintendo WiiU.

Weeks ago, Majesco Entertainment announced its "Zumba Dance" game for the iPad and Android based tablets. Available for $4.99, the game is one of the best-selling health and fitness games in over 45 countries. The tablet version is similar to the console game and offers 20 to 60 minute workouts, tracks calories, and also helps users find live classes nearby.

The new kids game doesn't solve the problem of Majesco's dependence on the Zumba Fitness line. However, the game does help expansion of the franchise into new markets. The two new console games and tablet based version offer excitement to the stock. Strong sales of each of these products could lead to a revenue and earnings beat for the fiscal year. Any positive news and sales movement could send shares back over $1.

Analysts expect Majesco Entertainment to post a loss of $0.15 per share in fiscal 2013. Revenue is expected to decline 48.7% to $132.3 million. As you can see, analysts aren't expecting much from the company. If any of these games surprises or posts strong sales, Majesco investors could be in for a wild ride upwards. In fiscal 2014, the company is expected to post a profit of $0.01 with revenue returning to $84.0 million. Majesco is a great speculative stock going forward with a high risk high reward opportunity going into the 2013 holiday season.

*Disclosure-Author Owns Shares of COOL at Time of Writing*

Gluu Mobile Scores Big With MGM Deal For Robocop And James Bond Games

Shares of Gluu Mobile (GLUU) shot up in early morning trading Thursday before settling with a modest gain. The company released an 8K that shows a new deal with MGM. The announcement includes warrants from MGM to purchase up to 3.33 million shares of Gluu Mobile shares. This news could have a huge impact on shares in the near and long term.

Details of the warrants include:

· Rights to make games based on Robocop and James Bond

· Rights to purchase up to 3,333,333 common shares at $3 each

· Expiration on warrants on July 15, 2018

· First 333,333 vested and become exercisable on July 15

· 333,333 shares vest and become exercisable at release of a new mobile game based on MGM intellectual property (does not include first Robocop game)

· 1,000,000 shares vested and exercisable with release of new James Bond game and also 1,000,000 shares per sequel until limit reached

Will Dreamworks Animation Win in its Bid for Classic Media?

On Wednesday, I reported that Dreamworks Animation (DWA) was set to acquire Classic Media. Classic Media is the owner of a large library of cartoon characters. Some of these characters have been turned into television shows or movies. No official decision has been made by either Dreamworks Animation or Classic Media.

The key brands owned by Classic Media include:

Lions Gate Splits Mockingjay Into Two Films, The Hunger Games Trilogy Becomes Four Blockbuster Movies

Hunger Games -...

Buy This at Allposters.com

Lions Gate Entertainment made the smart decision to split up the third Hunger Games book into two movies. Mockingjay will be released as two movies in 2014 and 2015. The release dates for all of The Hunger Games movies have now been made official. Official release dates are:

• Catching Fire: November 22, 2013
• Mockingjay Part 1: November 21, 2014
• Mockingjay Part 2: November 20, 2015

This decision...

The Walking Dead Video Game Coming From Activision

Activision added one of the most popular television shows to its lineup of 2013 video games. The Walking Dead, which airs on AMC, hit record numbers for its Season 2 Finale. The show has increased in popularity over its 19 episodes. The third season premieres in October on AMC. There already is a episodic game put out allowing players to play a two hour scenario each month involving the characters of The Walking Dead. You can buy that game for $24.99 below for PC or Mac. I also wrote an article on how to trade AMC and ATVI (Did Activision Score a Blockbuster With The Walking Dead Video Game Rights?).



*Disclosure-I Own Shares of ATVI*

Top Ten Stocks for 2012 Mid Year Update

Hard to believe that 2012 is officially half way over. That means its time to check in on my annual top ten stock picks for the year. Follow the link to see results.

Are Anger Management's Week Two Ratings a Worry for Lions Gate

When Anger Management debuted on FX two Thursday ago, it broke records for a cable comedy premiere. The show recieved a lot of press and hype thanks to it being Charlie Sheen's first show since his well publicized departure from Two and a Half Men on CBS. I also wrote about the show on Seeking Alpha in an article entitled, "Lions Gate and News Corporation Winning With Charlie Sheen".

In its first week on the FX channel, Anger Management premiered two episodes with 5.47 million (9PM) and 5.74 million (9:30PM) viewers. Last week, the show suffered declining numbers in its second week. Thursday's episode had "only" 3.37 million viewers, suffering a drop of over 35%. The show did however...

2 Great New IPOs to check out

Over the past few years, I have switched most of my stock writing over to Seeking Alpha. Each month on that site I contribute articles on stocks that I feel are worth watching or buying. For anyone who has followed me on this blog or the Seeking Alpha community, you have seen many of those picks create great value for anyone who took my recommendations. Initial price offerings are companies who come to the public market. The investments are risky as many of the shares are held by private equity and are hard to acquire during the first public day.

Here are two recent IPO write-ups of stocks I think worth checking out after they go public.

Ignite Restaurant Group - Is the company behind the Joe's Crab Shack and Brick House Tavern + Tap Brand

T.I.M. WE - Offers Mobile Markeing, Mobile Money, and Mobile Entertainment in over 75 countries around the world.

THQ Raises Earnings Guidance and Stock Soars

Just a short time ago, THQ Incorporated (THQI) received a delisting notice from the Nasdaq if it could not maintain a price above a $1 a share. Shares have not seen a $1 since December of 2011 but appear destined to hit the key share price after upbeat earnings from the company.
The fourth quarter loss will now be smaller than the company and analysts once projected. The net loss is expected to now be in the $0.10 to $0.20 range. Previously, the loss was predicted to be in a range of $0.35-$0.50. Net sales will now be reported as $160-$170 million versus projected $130-$150 million.
Saints Row: The Third sales greatly increased once the company did several price cuts to attract buyers. The uDraw segment has weighed down shares and hurt revenue. Stronger sales of the UFC Undisputed game also helped the earnings beat. A blog post I wrote back in January highlighted the new UFC game and the company’s potential. Here’s a look at sales of some recent releases:

North America/Europe/Japan/Rest of World/Total

UFC Undisputed 3 XBOX 360 0.36million 0.08 million 0 0.04 million 0.49 million

UFC Undisputed 3 PS3 0.28 million 0.12 million 0.01 million 0.06 million 0.48 million



Saints Row 3 XBOX 360 0.89 million 0.92 million 0.03 million 0.22 million 2.07 million

Saints Row 3 PS3 0.55 million 0.69 million 0.09 million 0.28 million 1.62 million

Saints Row 3 PC 0.07 million 0.11 million 0 0.03 0.21 million



Sales figures from www.vgchartz.com


Earnings will now be reported on May 15th and this could lead to an increased share price once guidance for the rest of the year is reported. An update on the game release schedule could also push shares back over $1. The company will also report $76 million in cash balances. Along with its cash balance, the company still maintains a $50 million level of credit that can be utilized to release several games in 2012 and 2013.

The company will likely update the status on the highly anticipated Darksiders II game. The game will be a follow-up to 2010’s Darksiders, which sold close to a million copies on the XBOX 360 platform. The company’s recent UFC game is also helping earn the company additional revenue with downloadable character packs, including the recent International Fighters pack. The WWE games also have made extra money from downloadable character packs. In my recent blog post, I also mentioned how the company was expanding into social gaming including UFC and Margaritaville.



The fifty two week share price of the company is a wide $0.45-$4.67. Shares once traded for over $35 a share. I bought shares of this stock under $1 as I believe the company is producing enough money from several minor hits to keep its studio going. New releases will power the company further along or will lead to a buyout. A buyout is also very realistic as larger Take Two (TTWO), Electronic Arts (EA), or Activision (ATVI) looks to strengthen its portfolio and will gain the Saints Row, Darksiders, and UFC brands as well as others. I remain bullish on shares of THQI and think they are worth buying below a $1 a share.

*Disclosure - I own shares of THQI and ATVI

Buy the Company Behind the Tupac Hologram

Over the weekend, attendees of the annual Coachella Music Festival were treated to a suprise appearance from Tupac Shakur. Now I know what you're thinking, yes Tupac was shot and killed in 1996. This Tupac was a hologram that was made by Digital Domain Media Group (DDMG). The Tupac hologram performed "Hail Mary" and "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" with Snoop Dogg.

Digital Domain Media Group went public in November of 2011. The stock is trading below its IPO price, even with a nice runup from the Tupac hologram. I wrote an article on Seeking Alpha today analyzing other parts of the business and the potential for other holograms.

Check out the article here.

*Disclosure - I own shares of Digital Domain Media Group*

My Top Ten Stock Picks for 2011

My Top Ten Stocks for 2011

Results for Top Ten Stocks of 2010.

 This is a brief summary of how my Top Ten Stocks for 2010 performed over the course of the year. I am working on my new list for 2011 soon.

Top Ten Stock Update-Nine Months.

I meant to do this at the end of June for a half year update but instead this nine month update will have to do.
Here is a summary of how the stocks are currently trading. Prices are as of close on September 30th, 2010. Returns are rounded to the nearest whole percent.

Why I Bought More Activision Shares.

It seems these days that the video game sector is crowded with numerous companies. Each company has hit games series and seems to have a roller coaster in earnings based on game releases. Several companies are buying into social gaming. Other companies, like Activision are relying on recurring revenue from users’ monthly subscription fees. Currently eleven million users pay ten to fifteen dollars a month to play World of Warcraft, and Activision Blizzard owned property.

Avatar on Imax - A Blogger's Takeaway on the Stock.

Netflix Newest Title: 28 Days Later Comes Your Rental

Review of Top Ten Stocks for 2009.

Back in January 2009, I posted a list of my top ten stock picks for 2009.The original article can be found here: seekingalpha.com/article/113173-ten-stock-picks-for-2009Start prices are January 1, 2009 and end prices are from December 31, 2009.The results and recommendations can be found here:

Where the Wild Things Are Opens Solid on IMAX Screens