Archives for November 24, 2019

Tesla already has 146,000 deposits for its Cybertruck

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But will people commit to buying the electric pickup?

The design of Tesla’s Cybertruck is polarizing, to say the least, but it appears to have a healthy number of potential buyers waiting in the wings. Elon Musk has revealed that over 146,000 people have placed deposits for the electric pickup so far. And while the $39,900 price of the single-motor truck is tempting, that’s actually the least popular model so far. Just 17 percent of customers have put money down for the entry model, while 42 percent have picked the dual-motor version and 41 percent want the speedy tri-motor variant.

For context, the Model 3 had 232,000 deposits within the first day after its debut. The gap is narrow, all things considered — the Model 3 was supposed to be the relatively affordable, ubiquitous EV where the Cybertruck is both higher-priced and targeted at a more specific audience. This is helped by a much lower $100 deposit versus the $1,000 needed for the Model 3, mind you.

It’s also important to stress that these are deposits, not absolute commitments to buy the Cybertruck. Tesla wound up refunding a significant portion of Model 3 deposits from customers that either didn’t want to wait or lost interest. A lot can happen between now and the Cybertruck’s late 2021 production window, and we wouldn’t be surprised if some of those 146,000 back away.

Samsung’s smaller Galaxy S11e might pack more cameras, too

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You wouldn’t have to buy the full-size phone to get creative with photos.

Samsung’s Galaxy S10e is clearly a compromise between its smaller screen and ‘just’ two rear cameras, but its follow-up might be more appealing. Hot on the heels of a purported leak for the full-size Galaxy S11, OnLeaks and Pricebaba have posted renders of what they say is the S11e. It would have a slightly larger 6.2- to 6.3-inch display (complete with a centered camera hole) while remaining relatively compact, but the star of the show would be the back. The S11e would have an iPhone 11- or Pixel 4-style camera bump with three rear cameras. There don’t appear to be extra sensors for depth or other features, but you might not have to be picky about shot types like you do with the S10e.

The purported leak is also notable for what’s missing. There doesn’t appear to be a fingerprint reader built into the wake button, suggesting that you’ll have an in-screen fingerprint reader like the larger S10 models have today. And like the larger S11, there’s no sign of a headphone jack.

Other rumors have the S11e jumping to a minimum 6GB of RAM, a larger battery and the obligatory processor update (likely a Snapdragon 865 in North America and some other regions). You might not get a 108-megapixel main camera, however, and it’s not clear if there would be a 5G variant.

It’s worth taking the renders with a grain of salt when the S11 family isn’t expected to debut until February. Things could change in the next few months. If this leak is accurate, though, it shows that Samsung is thoroughly committed to the “e” phone line — it wasn’t just a one-off to fill a gap in the company’s lineup.

Lexus unveils its first production EV, but it’s not for the US

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The UX 300e is an electrified version of the crossover you already know.

Lexus is moving beyond far-out concepts and releasing its first production electric car, but you may want to temper your expectations. The automaker has unveiled the UX 300e, an electrified version of its UX crossover that hides some serious powerplant changes underneath an otherwise familiar exterior. It replaces the gas engine with a 201HP front motor and a 54.3kWh battery. That last figure might not sound like much, but Lexus claimed that it would net up to 250 miles of range based on the NEDC testing cycle. We’d expect less with the newer WLTP cycle, but it’s still likely to be a healthy amount given the battery capacity.

There aren’t many telltale clues that this is an EV. You’ll find aerodynamic wheels and a smooth underbody cover, but those are the most conspicuous visual changes. You may be more likely to recognize it when its artificial sound comes whizzing past. You can also expect better bracing and tuned shock absorbers.

The main problem is simply availability. Lexus intends to ship the UX 300e to China in 2020, followed by the UK and mainland Europe in 2021. The automaker hasn’t mentioned a US release so far. It’s likely just a matter of time before a Lexus EV reaches American shores, but we wouldn’t count on the UX 300e being that model.

BlackBerry Limited (BB:CA) Rises 5.07%

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November 22 was a positive day for BlackBerry Limited (BB:CA) as its stock finished the day having gained 5.07% to hit a price of $7.46 a share. The company reached a market cap of 4.09 billion and has 548.56 million shares outstanding. BlackBerry Limited is a component of the the S&P/TSX Composite Index.

1.96 million shares changed hands over the course of the day as compared to an average volume of n/a over the last 30 days for BlackBerry Limited.

BlackBerry, formerly Research in Motion, designs and markets wireless handsets, software, and services. Its primary revenue drivers are the sale of handsets to customers for personal and corporate use, a variety of software products used in embedded systems and for mobile device management, and service access fees from wireless carriers associated with securing and processing wireless data traffic. BlackBerry also owns QNX, a leader in software used in automotive infotainment systems.. The company makes its home in Waterloo, ON, and is currently under the leadership of CEO John S. Chen.

BlackBerry Limited has hit a high of $13.74 and reached a low of $6.48 over its last year of trading. The stock’s 50-day SMA is now $n/a and 200-day SMA is $n/a. As for its price valuations, the P/E ratio is at n/a and P/B is now 1.21.

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (LXRX) Plunges 5.41%

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Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (LXRX) had a rough trading day for Friday November 22 as shares tumbled 5.41%, or a loss of $-0.22 per share, to close at $3.85. After opening the day at $4.07, shares of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. traded as high as $4.15 and as low as $3.75. Volume was 1.36 million shares over 7,222 trades, against an average daily volume of n/a shares and a total float of 106.27 million.

As a result of the decline, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. now has a market cap of $409.15 million. In the last year, shares of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. have traded between a range of $8.40 and $1.13, and its 50-day SMA is currently $n/a and 200-day SMA is $n/a.

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company that uses mouse genetics to discover the function of genes and find promising drug targets. Lexicon then designs and develops drugs for these targets, which cover a broad spectrum of therapeutic areas. Following a restructuring in January 2014, Lexicon focused efforts on two drugs: sotagliflozin in diabetes, which is partnered with Sanofi, and Xermelo (telotristat etiprate) in carcinoid syndrome, which is partnered with Ipsen outside the U.S. Early-stage programs include SGLT1 inhibitor LX2761 and neuropathic pain drug LX9211.

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. is based out of The Woodlands, TX and has some 202 employees. Its CEO is Lonnel Coats.

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a component of the Russell 2000. The Russell 2000 is one of the leading indices tracking small-cap companies in the United States. It’s maintained by Russell Investments, an industry leader in creating and maintaining indices, and consists of the smallest 2000 stocks from the broader Russell 3000 index.

Russell’s indices differ from traditional indices like the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) or S&P 500, whose members are selected by committee, because they base membership entirely on an objective, rules based methodology. The 3,000 largest companies by market cap make up the Russell 3000, with the 2,000 smaller companies making up the Russell 2000. It’s a simple approach that gives a broad, unbiased look at the small-cap market as a whole.

CPI Card Group Inc. (PMTS) Plunges 22.5%

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CPI Card Group Inc. (PMTS) had a rough trading day for Friday November 22 as shares tumbled 22.5%, or a loss of $-0.225 per share, to close at $0.78. After opening the day at $0.98, shares of CPI Card Group Inc. traded as high as $0.98 and as low as $0.77. Volume was 128,632 shares over 458 trades, against an average daily volume of n/a shares and a total float of 11.22 million.

As a result of the decline, CPI Card Group Inc. now has a market cap of $8.7 million. In the last year, shares of CPI Card Group Inc. have traded between a range of $4.02 and $0.88, and its 50-day SMA is currently $n/a and 200-day SMA is $n/a.

CPI Card Group Inc provides financial payment card solutions and services, It offers credit, debit and prepaid cards including Europay, Mastercard and Visa chip, personalization, instant issuance, fulfillment and mobile payment services. The company issues payment cards for Visa, Master card, American express, Discover and Interac brands. The company has U.S. Debit and credit, U.S prepaid debit and U.K limited and other segments. U.S, debit and credit segment generates the majority of the revenue for the company.

CPI Card Group Inc. is based out of Littleton, CO and has some 1,100 employees. Its CEO is Scott T. Scheirman.