Stocks fell the most since February as investors decided that maybe the market had come too far than justified by fundamentals.

Michael Nagle/Bloomberg News

The S&P 500 rose 1.2% to 2,041.91 today, its biggest decline since Feb. 23, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 174.09 points, or 1%, to 17,541.96. The Nasdaq Composite tumbled 1.5% to4848.37, its biggest drop since Feb. 8

The only news today was good news: U.S. jobless claims fell to 267,000, below forecasts for 268,000, and the 57th straight week that claims remained below 300,000.

So why is the market slipping? JPMorgan’sDubravko Lakos-Bujas blames “technical factors having already run their course.” He explains:

The market has weathered one of the most volatile first quarters in recent years. Since February lows recession fears appear to have faded, with the US market rallying 13% since then, the forward equity multiple re-rating back to its 2015 highs of ~17.5x, and the VIX back below 14. We think this recovery has been largely driven by fundamentally insensitive strategies and broad based short covering. Our high-frequency Utilization Ratio for stocks and ETFs has almost fully normalized to pre sell-off levels, implying little room left for further short covering. Positioning wise, trend-following strategies (CTAs) have covered most of their shorts and are currently close to being neutral equities. Risk parity portfolios and macro funds are long equities with their exposure approaching levels seen late last year. Long/short equity strategies exposures remain above average levels, and if anything have started to come off their mid March highs. With most of the technical factors h aving already run their course and with equity valuation at elevated levels, we believe a re-acceleration in earnings growth and weaker USD are needed to warrant a more constructive view on US equities.

Top 5 Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy Right Now: Smithfield Foods Inc.(SFD)

Smithfield Foods, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and marketing of fresh meat and packaged meats products in the United States and internationally. The company involves in the production of hog; and produces various fresh pork, beef, poultry, and packaged meats products. It sells fresh pork to retail customers as unprocessed and trimmed cuts, such as butts, loins, picnics, and ribs; packaged meats products, including smoked and boiled hams, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and deli and luncheon meats; specialty products, such as pepperoni and dry meat products; and ready-to-eat prepared foods comprising pre-cooked entrees, and pre-cooked bacon and sausages. The company offers its products to supermarket chains; wholesale distributors; the foodservice industry, including fast food, restaurant and hotel chains, hospitals, and other institutional customers; export markets; and other further processors. It sells its products through its salespersons an d independent commission brokers. Smithfield Foods, Inc. was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia.

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Victor Mora]

  Smithfield Foods is a provider of fresh and packaged meat products that are seen as a staple food item for many consumers and growing populations worldwide. A takeover of the company is believed to be going through after a shareholder vote scheduled for Tuesday. The stock has been moving higher in recent years and is now trading slightly below all-time high prices. Over the last four quarters, investors have had mixed feelings about the company, as earnings have been decreasing and revenues have been rising. Relative to its peers and sector, Smithfield Foods has been a year-to-date performance leader. WAIT AND SEE if a vote to acquire Smithfield Foods goes through.

Top 5 Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy Right Now: Apollo Global Management, LLC(APO)

 

Apollo Global Management, LLC is a publicly owned investment manager. It primarily provides its services to endowment and sovereign wealth funds, as well as other institutional and individual investors. The firm manages client focused portfolios. It launches and manages hedge funds and mutual funds for its clients. The firm also manages real estate funds and private equity funds for its clients. The firm invests in the fixed income and alternative investment markets across the globe. Its alternative investments include investment in private equity and real estate markets. The firm’s private equity investments include traditional buyouts, recapitalization, distressed buyouts and debt investments in real estate, corporate partner buyouts, distressed asset, corporate carve-outs, turnaround, corporate restructuring, special situation, acquisition, and industry consolidation transactions. Its fixed income investments include income -oriented senior loan and bond, structured credit, opportunistic credit, non-performing loans and value oriented fixed income securities. The firm seeks to invest in chemicals; commodities; consumer and retail; oil and gas, metals, mining, agriculture, commodities, distribution and transportation; financial and business services; manufacturing and industrial; media distribution, cable, entertainment, and leisure; natural resources, energy, packaging and materials; and satellite and wireless. It seeks to invest in companies based in across North America with a focus on United States, and Europe. The firm also makes investments outside North America, primarily in Western Europe and Asia. The firm employs a combination of contrarian, value, and distressed strategies to make its investments. It conducts an in-house research to create its investment portfolio. The firm seeks to acquire minority positions in its portfolio companies. The firm seeks to make investments in the range of $200 million and $1.5 billion. Apollo Global Management, ! LLC was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, New York with additional offices in Los Angeles, California; Purchase, New York; Houston, Texas; London, United Kingdom; Frankfurt, Germany; Luxembourg, Luxembourg; Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Singapore, Singapore; and Mumbai, India.

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  The Fresh Market Inc (NASDAQ: TFM) agreed be acquired by Apollo Global Management LLC (NYSE: APO) for $28.50 per share in cash.

  In an approximately $1.4 billion in cash buyout, shareholders are set to receive $28.50 per share. This calculates to an approximately 53 percent premium over the February 10 closing price and an approximately 24 percent premium over last Friday’s closing price.

• [By Chad Tracy]

  In 2008, Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO) co-founder Joshua Harris was on a losing streak.

  The firm's $430 million investment in big-box retailer Linens N' Things went south when the company filed for bankruptcy.

Top 10 Gas Stocks To Own Right Now: Pinnacle West Capital Corporation(PNW)

Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides retail and wholesale electric services primarily in the State of Arizona. The company involves in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity through coal, nuclear, gas and oil, and solar resources. It also offers energy-related products and services, such as energy master planning, energy use consultation and facility audits, cogeneration analysis and installation, and project management with a focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy to commercial and industrial retail customers in the western United States. In addition, the company owns minority interests in various energy-related investments and Arizona community-based ventures; and develops residential, commercial, and industrial real estate projects in Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, and Utah. As of December 31, 2010, it owned or leased approximately 6,290 mega watts of regulated generation capacity; and serviced approximately 1.1 million customers. Pinnacle West Capital Corporation was founded in 1920 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Iron Mountain has gained 2.6% to $26.55 at 3:05 p.m., making it the fourth-best performer in the S&P 500, ahead of WPX Energy (WPX), which has gained 2.4% to $19.94, Pinnacle West Capital (PNW), which has gained 2.3% to $53.55 and Dominion Resources (D), which has risen 2.1% to $59.85.

Top 5 Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy Right Now: The Charles Schwab Corporation(SCHW)

 

The Charles Schwab Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, money management, and financial advisory services. The company operates through two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services. It offers brokerage products, such as brokerage accounts; individual retirement accounts; retirement plans for small to large businesses; 529 college savings accounts; designated brokerage accounts; equity incentive plan accounts; and margin loans, as well as access to fixed income securities, equity and debt offerings, options, and futures. The company also provides no-load, proprietary, and other third-party mutual funds, as well as mutual fund trading and clearing services to broker-dealers; and third-party and proprietary exchange-traded funds. In addition, it offers advice solutions, including separately managed accounts, customized personal advice for tailored portfolios, an d specialized planning and full-time portfolio management; and trust custody services, personal trust reporting services, and administrative trustee services. Further, the company provides banking products, such as checking accounts linked to brokerage accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, demand deposit accounts, first lien residential real estate mortgage loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, and personal loans and entity lending collateralized by securities. It serves individuals and institutional clients in the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, London, and Hong Kong. The Charles Schwab Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Javier Hasse]

  The other big earnings call of the day was that of Charles Schwab Corp (NYSE: SCHW), which delivered in-line first quarter EPS of $0.29, on revenue of $1.76 billion, which beat estimates by $10 million.

• [By Matthew Smith]

  Although we were not surprised by the move yesterday we did not take an overly aggressive stance in positioning the portfolio to benefit from the Fed not tapering. We were long, but we did not initiate any trades solely for the purpose to benefit from the announcement. We are more interested in the long-term wealth building of portfolios right now and as such believe that readers should look to our recent winners that had pullbacks yesterday as buying opportunities. Specifically, we like Ameritrade (AMTD), Charles Schwab (SCHW) and MetLife (MET) which all saw pullbacks ranging from 2.5% to a bit over 5.5% in yesterday’s session. We highlighted the discount brokers as a sector to watch right before the latest takeoff and our belief is that although rates remain unchanged the brokerage business will continue to perform strongly. The next big move up will be as rates rise, but even if one has to wait for this move it will be well worth it for one’s portfolio.

Top 5 Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy Right Now: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(REGN)

 

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, discovers, invents, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions worldwide. Its marketed products include EYLEA injection for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and macular edema; ZALTRAP, an injection for intravenous infusion for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer; and ARCALYST, an injection for subcutaneous use for the treatment of cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes comprising familial cold auto-inflammatory syndrome and muckle-wells syndrome in adults and children. The companys trap-based clinical product candidates comprise EYLEA for the treatment of AMD and diabetic macular edema; and ZALTRAP for oncology. Its antibody-based clinical programs include various human monoclonal antibody product candidates, such as REGN727 for low-density lipopro tein cholesterol reduction and for the prevention of cardiovascular events; REGN88 for rheumatoid arthritis and non-infectious uveitis; REGN668 for atopic dermatitis, asthma, nasal polyposis, and eosinophilic esophagitis; REGN2222 for respiratory syncytial virus; REGN1033 for skeletal muscle disorders; and REGN2176-3 and REGN910-3 antibodies for use in ophthalmology. The company is also developing REGN1908-1909, REGN1154, REGN1500, and REGN1193 antibody product candidates; REGN1400, REGN1979, and REGN2810 for oncology; and REGN475 for the treatment of pain. It has collaborations with Sanofi and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation; license and collaboration agreement with Bayer HealthCare; and Avalanche Biotechnologies, Inc., as well as Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Tarrytown, New York.

Advisors’ Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  BMO’s M. Ian Somaiya and team contend biotech stocks like Gilead Sciences (GILD) Amgen (REGN), Celgene (CELG) and Regeneron (REGN) might be bottoming–but that a bounce back probably won’t happen until the second half of the year. They explain why:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Do we need to remind you how hard biotech stocks have been hit this year? If you read this blog, probably not, but we’ll do it anyway. The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) has fallen 24%, while Gilead Sciences (GILD) has declined 8.7%, Biogen (BIIB) has fallen 17%, Celgene (CELG) has dropped 16%, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) has plunged 32%. Yet despite these drops–and the decline in valuation that accompanied them–the Janus Equity Team contends nothing has changed for the sector:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Biotech stocksRegeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN),Biogen (BIIB),Amgen (AMGN) and Celgene (CELG), among themhave staged nice rallies during the past three months but are still down for 2016. Now, Piper Jaffray’s Joshua Schimmer and team ask: “What’s the trade for the rest of the year?” They answer their own question:

  Reuters

  Investors are generally lukewarm on biopharma, and many think we’re finally moving towards a ‘stock-pickers’ environment and away from the group trade that has dominated for much of the past year. Some valuations are viewed as more attractive than others, but with few obvious shorts to be found. Much discussion is on M&A target.

  Large cap focus: Investors are generally sticking to more liquid names, although we are slowly seeing a return of interest to select small-caps. The general agreement is that fundamentals have changed, biopharma pricing power has eroded, payors/PBMs are wielding considerable power and more uncertainty exists for product outlooks.

  Gilead Sciences’ (GILD) 7x P/E plus potential to engineer some form of EPS CAGR seems to resonate strongly with investors despite lingering questions on the HCV franchise and underwhelming pipeline, but the HIV franchise and Genvoya launch appear to be in good shape with potential to finally drive the kind of earnings beats that can drive shares higher in our view.

  Most investors seeBiogen as a company that has deteriorated in quality but offers very attractive valuation optionality around LINGO (despite low expectations), Alzheimer’s (readthrough from Solanezumab), and they see a theoretically strategic fit with Roche (aligned on the CD20 and MS franchises). Many felt that a likely large bid/ask spread over the value of the Alzheimer’s program may be difficult to reconcile should there be real interest there. Investors are also wondering if the hemophilia spin is actually in response to

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) lost a patent case with Amgen (AMGN) and now a judge will have to make a decision regarding an injunction on sales of Praluent. Citigroup’s Robyn Karnauskas and Mohit Bansal provide and update:

  We spoke to Regeneron regarding the timelines of the injunction decision in the PCSK9 patent case and the company noted that the Judges opinion could come in 3-4 months. The hearing on injunction took place last week and the Judge now will have to form an opinion based on the hearing. This typically takes 3-4 months to get the opinion per the company.

  This makes Dupilumab phase 3 data in Atopic Dermatitis next important catalyst. As we noted before, we see $25/sh upside on positive data and $50-$60/sh downside on negative data. Investors are concerned that overhang due to the patent case could limit the upside with Dupilumab phase 3 data. Regeneron has said Dupilumab data would come in 1H16 while Sanofi (SNY) has said SOLO-1/2 data will readout in Q116 while CRONOS will readout in Q216.

  Shares of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals have gained 1.3% to $368.55 at 2:40 p.m. today, while Amgen has advanced 0.6% to $149.36, and Sanofi has climbed 2.8% to $39.84.