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Sentiment is on the rise as the annus horribilis 2020 winds to an end. Theres a feeling, after all we have been through over the past ten months, that things just can not get worse. And so, investors are looking forward to 2021.Two big factors in market uncertainty are on their way to resolving themselves. First, COVID-19 vaccines are in the works, and two major drug companies have announced that vaccines will be available in a matter of months. And second, Democrat Joe Biden will take office in the White House, with a strengthened GOP opposition in Congress. The prospect of relief from the coronavirus and a divided government unable to enact extreme or controversial measures promises us a degree of stability that will be welcome.A feeling of optimism and a perception that there are opportunities available, have Wall Streets analysts tagging stocks for success. Weve pulled up theTipRanks dataon three stocks that high-rated analysts have tagged as potentially strong investments. These are buy-rated equities, with double-digit upside potential for the coming year.LendingTree, Inc. (TREE)First up is LendingTree, the online marketplace that connects borrowers and lenders. The company offers borrowers options to shop for competitive rates, loan terms, and various financing products. Among the offerings, from multiple financing sources, are credit cards, deposit accounts, and insurance products. LendingTree is based in North Carolina, with offices in New York, Chicago, and Seattle.In the third quarter, the company showed mixed fiscal results. Revenues were up sequentially, gaining 19% to reach $220 million but earnings were down, both sequentially and year-over-year. At minus $1.33, the EPS was net-negative, and far below the year-ago quarters $1.70.Covering this stock for Needham, 5-star analyst Mayank Tandon rated 66 overall out of more than 7,100 stock pros is upbeat despite the recent turndown after the Q3 results. Tandon noted, [We] remain positive on the shares of TREE LT as we believe that the company is well-positioned to generate strong and consistent revenue Consumer revenue dropped 68% Y/Y as the pandemic constrained consumer credit originations, but trends improved on a sequential basis due to better personal loan volumes and a seasonal boost from the student loan business""TREE's diversified portfolio of personal finance products and the strong secular trends driving the shift of personal finance advertising and shopping to digital channels will help the company achieve its LT growth targets, the analyst concluded. To this end, Tandon rates TREE a Buy, and sets a $375 price target. At current levels, his target suggests a 44% upside for the stock in 2021. (To watch Tandons track record, click here)LendingTree has a unanimous Strong Buy analyst consensus rating, based on 6 Buy reviews set in recent week. The stocks average price target, $362, implies it has room for 39% growth from the current share price of $260.09. (See TREE stock analysis on TipRanks)Allegro MicroSystems (ALGM)Allegro MicroSystems is a semiconductor company and fabless manufacturer of integrated circuits for sensor systems and analyst power technologies. The companys products are used in the automotive and industrial sectors, and include solutions for developing electric vehicle control systems. Allegros circuit chips can also be found in data centers and green energy applications.Allegro is new to the stock markets, having held its IPO just this past October. The stock debuted at $14 per share, and the company put 25 million shares up for offer. In its first day of trading, it closed at more than $17 per share, grossing over $440 million for the IPO. Since then, ALGM has gained 35% in less than four weeks of trading.Vijay Rakesh, 5-star analyst with Mizuho, is clearly bullish on this newly public company.We believe Allegro is leading the early stages of a multi-decade transformation in sensing, automotive electrification, and power distribution, with substantial upside from its industry leadership in magnetic sensors, a differentiated Power IC roadmap, and fabless operating model. Allegro's xMR sensors and power ICs drive technology platform leadership and enable better performance, accuracy, and control for the growing EV market and Industry 4.0 - key for next-generation electrified automotive powertrains, data centers, and factory automation, Rakesh wrote.Along with his upbeat comments, Rakesh gives this stock a Buy rating and a $28 price target. His target implies an upside potential of ~17% for the next 12 months. (To watch Rakeshs track record, click here)Overall, this chip maker is a Wall Street favorite. Out of 6 analysts polled in the last 3 months, all 6 are bullish on ALGM. With a return potential of ~18%, the stock's consensus target price stands at $28.29. (See ALGM stock analysis on TipRanks)American Well (AMWL)American Well, also called AmWell, connects patients, health care providers, and insurers to promote quality care outcomes in a digital world. The company boasts over 55 major insurers and more than 62,000 providers incorporating its service into their networks, giving access to more than 80 million potential patients.AmWell is another newcomer to the markets. This past September, the company held its IPO and raised more than $742 million. Over 41.2 million shares were sold, with the initial price of $18. This compared well to the 35 million shares and $14 to $16 price expected prior to the event. In its first quarter trading as a public company, AmWell reported several gains in key metrics. Revenue was up year-over-year, rising 80% to reach $62.6 million. The active provider total more than 62,000 represents a 930% increase in the past year, and shows strong growth for the company. And the company registered over 1.4 million patient visits during the quarter, a 450% increase from the year-ago quarter.Piper Sandlers 5-star analyst Sean Wieland notes the importance of network growth for AMWL, writing in his note on the stock: 62K providers are using the AMWL Network, up almost 10x from a year ago. The increase was driven primarily by providers employed by, or affiliated with, AMWL's health systems and payor clients As the number of providers on the network grows, so does the value of the network; network expansion makes it easier for patients to find the right provider and for providers to find the right patient.Wieland rates AMWL an Overweight (i.e. Buy), and his $44 price target indicates his confidence in an upside of 78% for the next 12 months. (To watch Wielands track record, click here)All in all, AMWL's Moderate Buy consensus rating is based on 8 reviews, including 5 Buys and 3 Holds. The shares are selling for $24.71 and their average price target, at $35.86, represents a 45% upside potential. (See AMWL stock analysis at TipRanks)To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Forecast: Analysts Think Fulgent Genetics, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:FLGT) Business Prospects Have Improved Drastically - Yahoo Finance

Africa is the cradle of humankind. All humans are descendants from this common pool of ancestors. Africa and its multitude of ethnolinguistic groups are therefore fundamental to learning more about humans and our origins.

A genome is the complete set of genetic information in a cell. We inherit our genomes from our parents. Studying the variations in peoples genomes gives clues to how genetic information influences peoples health and tells us about our ancestry.

Very few African individuals have been included in studies looking at genetic variation. Studying African genomes fills a gap in the current understanding of human genetic variation and gives new insights into the history of African populations.

My colleagues and I, who are all members of the Human Heredity and Health (H3Africa) consortium, contributed to a landmark genetics study, which focused on 426 individuals from 13 African countries. More than 50 different ethnolinguistic groups were represented, one of the most diverse groups of Africans ever to be included in such an investigation. We sequenced the whole genome of each of these individuals in other words, we could read every part of the genome to look for variation.

This study contributes a major new source of African genomic data, which shows the complex and vast diversity of African genetic variation.

One of the key outcomes was the discovery of more than three million new genetic variants. This is significant because we are learning about human genetic diversity in general, and discovering more differences that could be linked to disease or traits.

The study also adds details to what is known about the migration and expansion of groups across the continent. We were able to show that Zambia was probably an intermediate site on the likely route of migration from the west of the continent to east and southwards. Evidence supporting movement from east Africa to central Nigeria between 1 500 and 2 000 years ago was also revealed through the identification of east African ancestry in a central Nigerian ethnolinguistic group, the Berom.

The study enabled us to reclassify certain variants that were previously suspected to cause disease. Variants that cause serious genetic diseases are often rare in the general population, mostly because a person with such a variant often does not reach adulthood. The study showed that many of these variants are quite common in the studied populations, something one wouldnt expect in healthy adults. This finding helps to reclassify these variants for clinical interpretation.

Finally, we found a surprising number of regions with signatures of natural selection that have not previously been reported. Selection means that when individuals are exposed to environmental factors like a viral infection, or a drastic new dietary component, some gene variants may confer an added adaptive advantage to the humans that bear them in their genome.

Our best interpretation of these findings is that as humans across Africa were exposed to different environments, sometimes as a result of migration, these variants probably helped them survive in those new conditions. This has left an imprint on the genome and contributes to genomic diversity across the continent.

Our data has also shown that we have not yet found all the variation in the human genome. There is more to learn by looking at unstudied population groups. Less than a quarter of participants in genomics research are of non-European ancestry because most genetic data comes from just three countries the United Kingdom (40%), the United States (19%) and Iceland (12%).

It is essential to keep adding more genomic data from all populations to ensure that everyone can benefit from the advances in health that precision medicine offers. Precision medicine refers to the customisation of healthcare to fit the individual. Including personal genetic information could radically change the nature and scope of healthcare options that would work best for that individual.

The Human Heredity and Health consortium is now in its eighth year of existence and supports more than 51 projects. These include studies focusing on diseases such as diabetes, HIV and tuberculosis. The reference data generated through our study are already being put to use by many of the consortiums studies.

We are planning to take an even deeper look at the data to better understand what other types of genetic variation exist and to add unstudied populations to expand and enrich this data set.

Building capacity for genomics research on the African continent is a key goal of Human Heredity and Health. An important aspect of this study is that it was driven and conducted by researchers and scientists from 24 institutions in Africa participated and led this investigation.

Zan Lombard is principal medical scientist and associate professor at the University of the Witwatersrand. This is an edited version of an article first published by The Conversation. Read the original article here

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Africa study finds three million new genetic variations - Mail and Guardian

Africa is the cradle of humankind. All humans are descendants from this common pool of ancestors. Africa and its multitude of ethnolinguistic groups are therefore fundamental to learning more about humankind and our origins.

A human genome refers to the complete set of genetic information found in a human cell. We inherit our genomes from our parents. Studying the variations in different peoples genomes gives important clues to how genetic information influences peoples appearance and health. It can also tell us about our ancestry. To date, very few African individuals have been included in studies looking at genetic variation. Studying African genomes not only fills a gap in the current understanding of human genetic variation, but also reveals new insights into the history of African populations.

My colleagues and I, who are all members of the Human Heredity and Health (H3Africa) consortium, contributed to a landmark genetics study. This study focused on 426 individuals from 13 African countries. More than 50 different ethnolinguistic groups were represented in the study one of the most diverse groups of Africans ever to be included in such an investigation. We sequenced the whole genome of each of these individuals this means we could read every part of the genome to look for variation.

This study contributes a major, new source of African genomic data, which showcases the complex and vast diversity of African genetic variation. And it will support research for decades to come.

Our findings have broad relevance, from learning more about African history and migration, to clinical research into the impact of specific variants on health outcomes.

One of the key outcomes was the discovery of more than three million new genetic variants. This is significant because we are learning more about human genetic diversity in general, and discovering more differences that could be linked to disease or traits in the future.

This study also adds details to what is known about the migration and expansion of groups across the continent. We were able to show that Zambia was most probably an intermediate site on the likely route of migration from west Africa to east and south Africa. Evidence supporting movement from east Africa to central Nigeria between 1,500 and 2,000 years ago was also revealed, through the identification of a substantial amount of east African ancestry in a central Nigerian ethnolinguistic group, the Berom.

The study also enabled us to reclassify certain variants that were previously suspected to cause disease. Variants that cause serious genetic diseases are often rare in the general population, mostly because their effect is so severe that a person with such a variant often does not reach adulthood. But we observed many of these variants at quite common levels in the studied populations. One wouldnt expect that these types of disease-causing variants would be this common in healthy adults. This finding helps to reclassify these variants for clinical interpretation.

Finally, we found a surprising number of regions with signatures of natural selection that have not been previously reported. Selection means that when individuals are exposed to environmental factors like a viral infection, or a drastic new dietary component, some gene variants may confer an added adaptive advantage to the humans that bear them in their genome.

Our best interpretation of these findings is that as humans across Africa were exposed to different environments sometimes as a result of migration these variants were likely important to surviving in those new conditions. This has left an imprint on the genome and contributes to genomic diversity across the continent.

Our data has shown that we have not yet found all the variation in the human genome. There is more to learn by adding new, unstudied population groups. We know that less than a quarter of participants in genomics research are of non-European ancestry. Most available genetic data come from just three countries the UK (40%), the US (19%) and Iceland (12%).

It is essential to keep adding more genomic data from all global populations including Africa. This will ensure that everyone can benefit from the advances in health that precision medicine offers. Precision medicine refers to the customisation of healthcare to fit the individual. Including personal genetic information could radically change the nature and scope of healthcare options that would work best for that individual.

The Human Heredity and Health consortium is now in its eighth year of existence, and supports more than 51 diverse projects. These include studies focusing on diseases like diabetes, HIV and tuberculosis. The reference data generated through our study are already being put to use by many of the consortiums studies.

Read more: What we've learnt from building Africa's biggest genome library

Next, we are planning to take an even deeper look at the data to better understand what other types of genetic variation exist. We are also hoping to add further unstudied populations to grow and enrich this data set.

Building capacity for genomics research on the African continent is a key goal of Human Heredity and Health. An important aspect of this study is that it was driven and conducted by researchers and scientists from the African continent. Researchers from 24 institutions across Africa participated and led this investigation. This study showcases the availability of both infrastructure and skills for large-scale genomics research on the continent. It also highlights the prospect of future world-class research on this topic from Africa.

Continued here:
Major new study unveils complexity and vast diversity of Africa's genetic variation - The Conversation CA

TEMPLE CITY, Calif., Nov. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fulgent Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLGT) (Fulgent Genetics or the company), a technology company providing comprehensive testing solutions through its scalable technology platform, today announced that it has updated its revenue guidance for the full year 2020 due to accelerating demand for its COVID-19 testing solutions.

The company now expects to generate at least $300 million in revenue for the full year 2020, an increase of 28% compared to previous guidance of $235 million. This updated guidance represents estimated year-over-year revenue growth of more than 800%.

Since our Q3 earnings call on November 9th, we have seen accelerating demand for our COVID-19 tests and are raising our full year revenue guidance to reflect this significant increase, said Paul Kim, Chief Financial Officer of Fulgent Genetics. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country, we expect to see increasing demand for testing through the balance of the year. We believe we remain well positioned to meet this demand with our ample resources and capacity to run more than 60,000 tests per day.

About Fulgent Genetics

Fulgent Genetics proprietary technology platform has created a broad, flexible test menu and the ability to continually expand and improve its proprietary genetic reference library while maintaining accessible pricing, high accuracy and competitive turnaround times. Combining next generation sequencing (NGS) with its technology platform, the company performs full-gene sequencing with deletion/duplication analysis in an array of panels that can be tailored to meet specific customer needs. In 2019, the company launched its first patient-initiated product, Picture Genetics, a new line of at-home screening tests that combines the companys advanced NGS solutions with actionable results and genetic counseling options for individuals. Since March 2020, the company has commercially launched several tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), including NGS and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) - based tests. The company has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the RT-PCR-based tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 using upper respiratory specimens (nasal, nasopharyngeal, and oropharyngeal swabs) and for the at-home testing service through Picture Genetics. A cornerstone of the companys business is its ability to provide expansive options and flexibility for all clients unique testing needs through a comprehensive technology offering including cloud computing, pipeline services, record management, web portal services, clinical workflow, sequencing as a service and automated laboratory services.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include statements about, among other things: anticipated future revenue and guidance; evaluations and judgements regarding demand for the companys testing services, including its COVID-19 testing services, evaluations and judgements regarding the companys resources and its ability to meet any increasing demand for testing services and statements regarding the companys ability to continue to grow its business.

Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical facts and relate to future events or circumstances or the companys future performance, and they are based on managements current assumptions, expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effect on the companys business. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, which may cause the forward-looking events and circumstances described in this press release to not occur, and actual results to differ materially and adversely from those described in or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the preventive public health measures that may continue to impact demand for its tests and the pandemics effects on the global supply chain; the market potential for, and the rate and degree of market adoption of, the companys tests, including its newly-developed tests for COVID-19 and genetic testing generally; the companys ability to capture a sizable share of the developing market for genetic and COVID-19 testing and to compete successfully in these markets, including its ability to continue to develop new tests that are attractive to its various customer markets, its ability to maintain turnaround times and otherwise keep pace with rapidly changing technology; the companys ability to maintain the low internal costs of its business model, particularly as the company makes investments across its business; the companys ability to maintain an acceptable margin on sales of its tests, particularly in light of increasing competitive pressures and other factors that may continue to reduce the companys sale prices for and margins on its tests; risks related to volatility in the companys results, which can fluctuate significantly from period to period; risks associated with the composition of the companys customer base, which can fluctuate from period to period and can be comprised of a small number of customers that account for a significant portion of the companys revenue; the companys ability to grow and diversify its customer base and increase demand from existing and new customers; the companys investments in its infrastructure, including its sales organization and operational capabilities, and the extent to which these investments impact the companys business and performance and enable it to manage any growth it may experience in future periods; the companys level of success in obtaining coverage and adequate reimbursement and collectability levels from third-party payors for its tests; the companys level of success in establishing and obtaining the intended benefits from partnerships, joint ventures or other relationships; the companys compliance with the various evolving and complex laws and regulations applicable to its business and its industry; risks associated with the companys international operations; the companys ability to protect its proprietary technology platform; and general industry, economic, political and market conditions. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, forward-looking statements should not be relied on or viewed as predictions of future events.

The forward-looking statements made in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and the company assumes no obligation to update publicly any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or to changes in expectations, except as otherwise required by law.

The companys reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on March 13, 2020 and the other reports it files from time to time, including subsequently filed quarterly and current reports, are made available on the companys website upon their filing with the SEC. These reports contain more information about the company, its business and the risks affecting its business, as well as its results of operations for the periods covered by the financial results included in this press release.

Investor Relations Contacts:The Blueshirt GroupNicole Borsje, 415-217-2633; nicole@blueshirtgroup.com

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Fulgent Genetics Announces Increase to Full Year 2020 Guidance to $300 million - Yahoo Finance

By Roy Benaroch, M.D., Emory UniversityPersonal genetic testing is now quite common, but consumers should know about the drawbacks. (Image: Dusan Petkovic/Shutterstock)Are the Example Cases Relevant?

In the October 2017, The New York Times, published an article headlined Personal Genetic Testing is Here. Do We Need It? The tone of the article was set by the subheading: Jody Christ, in her home in Elysberg, PA, says genetic testing saved her life, though experts warn such tests require caution.

This article begins with a personal story, in this case, of a 62-year-old Jody Christ who struggled unsuccessfully for years to control her high cholesterol.

A genetic test revealed she had familial hypercholesterolemia, which put her at high risk for atherosclerotic heart disease, and she underwent a triple-bypass heart surgery. The article quotes Ms. Christ, If I had not taken that test I might be dead by now. Thats a dramatic and unequivocal endorsement of this kind of genetic test.

But this startling example isnt a realistic example of the kind of genetic testing that the rest of this article talks about. Ms. Christ had intractably high cholesterol and testing revealed a definite, causal diagnosis. She needed to have been tested for arterial blockages anyway, even without the genetic test.

This is a transcript from the video series The Skeptics Guide to Health, Medicine, and the Media. Watch it now, on The Great Courses Plus.

The remainder of the article discusses testing on asymptomatic people, or people who dont experience any health problems. And that kind of testing is very different.

Continuing from theTimesarticle:

Experts [] also warn that some consumers may be led astray by genetic findings that are overblown or irrelevant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, takes a cautious approach to personal genomics tests, telling consumers on its website to think before they spit and that evidence on the ability of genetic information to change health behavior has been lacking.

But that cautious sentiment is followed by a paragraph about a company offering testing for genetic variants linked to several kinds of cancer, or another test for heart problems. A medical officer at one of these companies says: This is really for people who dont have any reason to think that theyre at particular riskbut the problem is you really dont know unless you do the genetic test.

Some services, according to the article, claim to predict how well youll respond to different medications or even to different kinds of exercises, or which foods you should eat, or even which types of wine you might prefer.

So, the tests range from things that have at least some scientific support to claims that are just silly. Quoting a professor of genetics, the article says, Theres this mixture of some that have real solid footing and then some that have zero footing.

TheTimesarticle, though beginning with a personal endorsement, did at least superficially present a caveat, by covering the shortcomings inherent in the interpretation of these tests.

Learn more abouthow to better understand and evaluatemedical data.

A 2017Huffington Postarticle focused on a different caveat that ought to be considered before testing. Titled What to Consider Before Taking a 23andMe Test, the thesis was revealed in the subhead, You might not want to know all of your health results. The title refers to testing by a specific company, 23andMe, which is one of the largest direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies.

The article begins in the first person, which is ordinarily taboo in traditional journalism, but gives the article a more personal touch.

I stared at the email announcing Your 23andMe results are ready for several minutes before I had the courage to uncover my genetic health and ancestry secrets.

The article continues, talking about how more and more of these consumer genetic tests are likely to become available. The FDA has announced theyve streamlined approval, and there are several new start-ups that are ready to offer testing for your risk of cancer, genetic diseases, and, quote, an untold number of insights.

A handful of labs are working on offering a very low-cost way to sequence your entire genome, perhaps for as little as $100, in the next few years. Yet experts worry, to quote the article directly again, that consumers might be psychologically unprepared to handle frightening health information.

This is especially true about tests for diseases that currently have no cure, like Alzheimers or Parkinsons disease. In fact, the FDA approval of 23andMes health tests explicitly requires consumers to opt in to testing for these kinds of conditions.

Learn more abouthealth, medicine, and the media.

And, again, theres the crucial importance of understanding that these tests do not make a diagnosis. They can only predict a risk level. The Huffington Post article did say that toward the end, but what it didnt say is that we cannot be sure of the accuracy of these risk estimates.

So what did the authors testing show? The 23andMe material said shed have a 5%-7% chance of having Alzheimers by age 75. But we should take a look at the context the article didnt provide. According to the Alzheimers Association, the risk of having Alzheimers in the 65-74 year age range is between 3% and 9%. The evaluated risk is not much more accurate than the general estimate.

So, the media will often tell you the result of tests but not the complete context. The consumer and the reader should always know the caveats and the pitfalls.

The Centers for Disease Control is cautious about genetic testing because there is generally very little evidence about the ability of genetic information to change health behavior.

Some genetic testing services claim that their tests can predict how well an individual will respond to different medications or even to different kinds of exercise, or which foods you should eat, or even which types of wine you might prefer.

The FDA wants customers to opt in for genetic tests for diseases which have no cure or prevention, such as Alzheimers or Parkinsons disease. This is because consumers might be psychologically unprepared to handle frightening health information.

Excerpt from:
Caveats in Genetic Testing: Reporting in the Media - The Great Courses Daily News

The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman.

Maximizing and cultivating the right genetics from your herd is no easy feat, particularly in our shifting and consolidating dairy market. As we strive to improve the efficiency and profitability of our dairy herd, it's more important than ever to assess opportunities to tie in a quality beef solution on our lower genetic animals. Let's take a closer look at the impact of using a differentiated beef-on-dairy program to drive profitability and give thought to its place in a high-caliber genetic strategy.

Please join us Thursday, December 3, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. Central time.

Matthew Cleveland, director, Global Beef Product Development, ABS

Brandon Sowder, director, North American Business Development-Beef InFocus, ABS

Samantha Wilson, North America Beef InFocus & NuEra Genetics Brand Manager, ABS

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Upcoming DCHA Webinar: Genetic Focus: Creating the Most Valuable Calves Across the Dairy Herd - Hoard's Dairyman