Nuwellis stock falls after CFO appointment announcement

Investing.com -- London’s FTSE 100 edged higher on Friday as markets weighed U.S. President Donald Trump’s pick of Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve, with European shares advancing and the pound slipping below $1.38.

As of 1403 GMT, the blue-chip index rose 0.3%% and the British GBP/USD fell 0.4% against the dollar to 1.3752.

DAX index in Germany gained 0.8%, the CAC 40 in France rose 0.6%.

UK round up

AstraZeneca PLC (ST:AZN) will pay Chinese drugmaker CSPC Pharmaceutical Group up to $18.5 billion in a licensing deal for experimental obesity and weight-related drugs, CSPC announced Friday.

The agreement includes an upfront payment of $1.2 billion, with potential additional payments of up to $17.3 billion if certain milestones are met. This deal expands on existing collaboration between the companies in areas including artificial intelligence.

In other market news, Airtel Africa Plc (LAGOS:AIRTELAFRI) shares fell approximately 6%, reversing early gains despite reporting strong third-quarter results. The telecommunications company posted a 31.0% increase in EBITDA to $836 million in constant currency terms, with margins expanding to 49.6%, up 278 basis points year-over-year. The results were driven by strong revenue growth in Nigeria and mobile money services.

Meanwhile, Antofagasta PLC (LON:ANTO) shares dropped more than 4.8% following a downgrade by UBS from "buy" to "neutral." UBS cited limited near-term growth momentum after the Chilean copper miner’s shares surged approximately 135% over the past 12 months on a total shareholder return basis in U.S. dollars, outperforming copper prices by roughly 90% and the COPX index by about 40%.

In the financial sector, Schroders PLC (LON:SDR) has held high-level discussions about potential partnerships to boost growth in its private capital business, according to Reuters. The British asset manager reportedly explored deals for Schroders Capital with French investment firm Wendel and London-listed Bridgepoint Group. These previously undisclosed talks, which took place several months ago, have since been paused for reasons that remain unclear.

Regarding monetary policy, Deutsche Bank expects the Bank of England to keep its Bank Rate at 3.75% in its February decision. The German bank forecasts a 7-2 vote split, with external Monetary Policy Committee members Alan Taylor and Swati Dhingra likely to favor a rate cut. Deutsche Bank analysts pointed to signs of economic resilience in the UK despite a fragile labor market, where unemployment has reached 5.1% in the three months to October.

Investing.com -- Kazia Therapeutics Ltd ADR (NASDAQ:KZIA) stock rose 2.5% in premarket trading Friday after the company announced compelling preclinical data for NDL2, its potentially first-in-class protein degrader targeting nuclear PD-L1.

The Sydney-based oncology company revealed that NDL2 is designed to eliminate nuclear PD-L1, which Kazia identified as a previously unrecognized driver of immunotherapy resistance and metastatic progression. According to the company, this intracellular target is not addressed by currently approved PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies.

In preclinical models of triple-negative breast cancer, NDL2 reduced primary tumor volume by 49% as monotherapy and 73% when combined with anti-PD-1 therapy. The combination approach also demonstrated a 50% reduction in lung metastases.

"The pharmaceutical industry is clearly signalling that targeted protein degradation represents a transformational opportunity in oncology," said Dr. John Friend, CEO of Kazia Therapeutics. "What differentiates NDL2 is that we are applying protein degradation to PD-L1 as one of the most clinically validated targets in cancer, while addressing a resistance mechanism not reached by existing therapies."

The data were generated by Professor Sudha Rao and her team at QIMR Berghofer, showing that nuclear PD-L1 promotes aggressive cancer characteristics including epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cancer stem-like phenotypes, and immune evasion.

Kazia reported that NDL2 demonstrated a favorable preclinical safety profile with no observed toxicity. The company is advancing IND-enabling studies with plans to initiate first-in-human clinical trials in 2027, subject to regulatory review.

The company plans to present additional data at an oncology-focused scientific meeting in the second quarter of 2026, with further program updates expected in the first quarter of 2026.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com -- KGHM shares have declined more than 8 percent on Friday after the Polish copper and silver producer abruptly replaced its top leadership, a move Morgan Stanley called a “negative surprise” given the company’s recent operational progress.

CEO Andrzej Szydlo and Vice President Piotr Stryczek were removed. The company did not provide a reason for the dismissals.

Supervisory board member Remigiusz Paszkiewicz is stepping in as acting CEO. 

Morgan Stanley analyst Ioannis Masvoulas said in a note that Paszkiewicz is “essentially a newcomer to the company,” appointed to the supervisory board on Jan. 20, 2026. 

His previous roles include CEO of Grupa Przemysłowa Baltic, management board member of Slovenske Železnice’s freight division, and earlier leadership posts at Anwil, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe and other infrastructure-related firms.

“We would view the departure of Andrzej Szydlo as a negative surprise because we view him as instrumental in improving KGHM's operational performance and capital allocation as well as in securing the recent tax relief in Poland,” wrote Masvoulas.

“We note that KGHM was gearing up for a strategy update in the near term and we seek more clarity on the strategic direction and capital allocation priorities under potential new management,” he added.

Here’s a summary of the most significant insider buying and selling activities disclosed on Thursday, January 29, 2026.

Top Insider Buys

USA Rare Earth, Inc. saw significant insider buying activity with Director Michael Blitzer acquiring 100,000 shares of common stock valued at $2.14 million at a price of $21.44 per share. The trades were executed in a range from $21.32 to $21.49. Following this transaction, Blitzer directly owns 847,500 shares and indirectly controls 3,125,000 shares through Inflection Point Holdings II LLC, where he serves as sole Managing Member. The stock currently trades at $22.07, slightly above his purchase price, though down from its previous close of $25.18. The company has delivered impressive returns of 85.46% year-to-date.

USA Rare Earth, Inc. also had another director making purchases, as Carolyn Trabuco acquired 1,300 shares of common stock at a price of $22.60 per share, for a total transaction value of $29,379. The SEC filing indicates that following this transaction, Trabuco directly owns 1,300 shares of the company’s common stock. The purchase was executed across multiple trades at a weighted average price.

Under Armour, Inc. saw ten percent owners Fairfax Financial Holdings LTD/CAN and WATSA V PREM ET AL purchasing a combined total of $16.4 million worth of Class A and Class C Common Shares. The purchases were executed on January 27 and 28, 2026, at prices between $6.20 and $6.30. Specifically, they bought 842,481 Class C Common Shares at a weighted average price of $6.20, and 686,505 Class A Common Shares at a weighted average price of $6.30.

NBT Bancorp INC Director Timothy E. Delaney acquired 22,730 shares of common stock at a price of $42.97 on January 28, 2026, in a transaction totaling $976,708. Following the transaction, Delaney directly owns 74,615 shares and indirectly owns 8.987 shares as custodian for his spouse.

ASA Gold & Precious Metals Ltd saw ten percent owner Saba Capital Management, L.P. purchasing shares in two transactions valued at $4,578,517. On January 27, 2026, Saba Capital acquired 3,730 shares at $73.15 per share, and on January 28, they bought 57,165 shares at $75.32 each. Following these transactions, Saba Capital now owns 5,527,657 shares of the company.

Top Insider Sells

Microchip Technology CEO Steve Sanghi sold 98,814 shares of common stock on January 28, 2026, at a price of $80.55, for a total transaction value of approximately $7.9 million. Following the transaction, Sanghi indirectly holds 9,922,319 shares through The Sanghi Trust and The Sanghi Family Limited Partnership.

Micron Technology Inc SVP and Chief Legal Officer Ray Michael Charles sold 10,468 shares of common stock on January 27, 2026, in a series of transactions. The sales were executed at prices ranging from $401.16 to $415.65, resulting in a total transaction value of $5,025,987. Following these transactions, Charles directly owns 74,675 shares of the company.

Teledyne Technologies Director Michael T. Smith sold 4,000 shares of common stock on January 28 and 29, 2026, for $621 each, totaling $2.48 million. The sales were executed in two separate transactions: 1,531 shares on January 28 and 2,469 shares on January 29. Following these transactions, Smith directly holds 47,128 shares, including 468 Restricted Stock Units.

GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC Global Treasurer Halio Carey sold 2,836 shares of the company’s common stock on January 27, 2026. The shares were sold at prices ranging from $921.25 to $932.81, for a total transaction value of $2,638,716. Following the transactions, Carey directly owns 2,017 shares of Goldman Sachs.

Wrap Technologies, INC. ten percent owner Elwood G. Norris sold 471,520 shares of common stock between June 13, 2025, and November 28, 2025, amounting to $2,046,282, with prices ranging from $1.50 to $2.91 per share. The largest sale occurred on October 24, 2025, with 75,001 shares sold.

Why Monitor Insider Activity

Tracking insider buying and selling can provide valuable insights for investors. When company executives, directors, or major shareholders purchase or sell stock, it often signals their confidence in the company’s future prospects. Insider buying may suggest that those with intimate knowledge of the company believe the stock is undervalued, while significant selling could indicate concerns about future performance. However, insiders sell for many reasons unrelated to company outlook, including diversification, tax planning, or personal financial needs. Rather than making investment decisions based solely on insider activity, investors should consider this information as just one factor within a comprehensive analysis of a company’s fundamentals, industry trends, and broader market conditions.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com - Unite Group plc (LON:UTG) stock rating was downgraded from Buy to Hold by Stifel on Thursday, with its price target slashed to 600p from 975p, citing concerns about student accommodation occupancy rates.

The downgrade follows Unite’s completion of the Empiric acquisition and revised occupancy assumptions for the 2026/27 academic year.

Stifel noted that sales rates for the upcoming academic year have been slower than in previous years, with guidance for Unite assets at 93%-96% occupancy and 2%-3% rental growth.

The research firm highlighted that the Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) sector has been negatively impacted by a decline in university applications from international students following visa rule changes, affordability challenges for domestic students, and early signs of a cultural shift toward students staying in family homes and attending local universities.

Unite’s share price has declined approximately 30% over the past year, while the EPRA UK Index rose 10% during the same period.

The company has reassessed its development ambitions, increased disposal targets to £350 million annually, and launched a £100 million share buyback program in response to the uncertain outlook.

Stifel analysts believe dividend growth will be limited over their forecast horizon, with their 600p target price assuming the shares trade at a 6.5% dividend yield, in line with other income-focused companies under their coverage.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.