diversify – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com Latest Crypto News Thu, 17 Jul 2025 12:52:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.8 https://i0.wp.com/earlybirdsinvest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cropped-New-Project-2024-12-17T235703.455.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 diversify – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com 32 32 240146708 Merck Just Announced a $10 Billion Deal That Will Help Diversify Its Business https://earlybirdsinvest.com/merck-just-announced-a-10-billion-deal-that-will-help-diversify-its-business/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/merck-just-announced-a-10-billion-deal-that-will-help-diversify-its-business/#respond Thu, 17 Jul 2025 12:52:53 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/merck-just-announced-a-10-billion-deal-that-will-help-diversify-its-business/

One of the biggest concerns with healthcare giant Merck (MRK 1.23%) is its dependence on top-selling cancer drug Keytruda. While it has been a beast for the business over the years, generating billions in revenue, investors are always concerned about what else is ahead for the business in the long run and how strong the company’s growth prospects will be, especially as patents run out.

Recently, Merck announced an important acquisition, which may alleviate some of those concerns around its future growth. For the price of $10 billion, it’s acquiring Verona Pharma (VRNA -0.01%). Here’s what that might mean for Merck’s operations, and whether it makes the stock a no-brainer buy right now.

Doctor giving a patient medication.

Image source: Getty Images.

What Merck gets with the Verona Pharma deal

For $10 billion, Merck is acquiring a promising healthcare company which is in the early stages of its growth. Key to its potential is Ohtuvayre, a blockbuster drug that regulators approved last year as a treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Analysts estimate that it could generate $1 billion in annual revenue by 2029.

Verona has already been generating strong results of late. Sales through the first three months of the year for Ohtuvayre totaled $71.3 million, which was nearly double what it generated in the previous period. The product’s growth has been exciting, and that’s ultimately the big hope for Merck — that Ohtuvayre becomes a key pillar for its overall growth.

Verona’s CEO, David Zaccardelli, believes that with the help of Merck, Ohtuvayre could take off. He said: “We believe Merck’s commercial footprint and industry-leading clinical capabilities will help accelerate the potential of Ohtuvayre to reach more patients living with COPD.”

There is hope that Ohtuvayre may be a possible treatment option for other indications as well, with Verona involved in multiple other trials for the drug, including as a treatment for cystic fibrosis and asthma.

Merck expects the deal to close before the end of the year.

Merck could use another growth catalyst

A key problem for Merck is that its business simply hasn’t been generating strong growth in recent years. In its most recent quarter (ended in March), sales were down by nearly 2% year over year.

MRK Operating Revenue (Quarterly YoY Growth) Chart

MRK Operating Revenue (Quarterly YoY Growth) data by YCharts.

The good news is that with Winrevair, which is approved for pulmonary arterial hypertension, still in its early stages and now with potentially Ohtuvayre in the mix, Merck’s top line may receive a boost on multiple fronts in the near future. A new injectable version of Keytruda may soon become available as well (Keytruda is currently administered intravenously).

While Merck may not have been an exciting growth stock to own of late, its future does appear to be getting brighter, especially as it diversifies its operations.

Has Merck become a no-brainer buy?

Merck’s business is stronger with the acquisition of Verona, and with the stock trading at only 12 times its trailing earnings, it’s one of the best healthcare stocks you can buy right now. Not only is it cheap, but with underrated growth prospects and a dividend that yields more than 4%, it may be a steal of a deal.

The stock was arguably a good buy even before the Verona acquisition news, and it’s an even better-looking buy right now. Although shares of Merck are down 16% this year and there are headwinds facing drugmakers today due to tariffs and trade wars, if you’re in it for the long haul, buying and holding Merck stock could pay off significantly in the years ahead.

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/merck-just-announced-a-10-billion-deal-that-will-help-diversify-its-business/feed/ 0 48142 80% of Americans Want to Diversify US Gold Reserves Into Bitcoin: Survey https://earlybirdsinvest.com/80-of-americans-want-to-diversify-us-gold-reserves-into-bitcoin-survey/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/80-of-americans-want-to-diversify-us-gold-reserves-into-bitcoin-survey/#respond Tue, 20 May 2025 07:27:07 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/80-of-americans-want-to-diversify-us-gold-reserves-into-bitcoin-survey/

A recent survey by the Nakamoto Project, a nonprofit Bitcoin education and advocacy group, has revealed that four out of five Americans want some US gold reserves converted to BTC.

The survey of 3,345 respondents asked: “Assuming the United States was thinking of converting some of their gold reserve into Bitcoin, what percentage would you advise they convert?”

The majority of respondents wanted between 1% and 30% converted, it revealed.

Lots of Skepticism

Project co-founder Troy Cross said many were skeptical of the findings, suggesting that only Bitcoiners were surveyed.

“We were also surprised too. But the results are the results. When given a slider and asked to advise the US government on the right proportion of Bitcoin and gold, subjects were very reluctant to put that slider on 0% Bitcoin and 100% gold. Instead, they settled around 10% Bitcoin,” he explained.

The recommended proportions of BTC dropped significantly with age, which was not surprising given the inverse relationship the organization found in a previous survey between age and Bitcoin ownership.

Satoshi Action Fund co-founder Dennis Porter said he didn’t believe it at first, adding that:

“Americans just don’t care about gold that much, and most people are inclined towards diversification when given the choice.”

The survey, which ran between February and mid-March, was conducted online, and participants were paid. However, the survey and data collection company Qualtrics was asked to match the US Census distribution in terms of age, gender, race, income, education, and geography as closely as possible, he added.

The study also revealed that around 66% of respondents were neutral-to-positive about Donald Trump’s strategic Bitcoin reserve.

Room for Diversification

The United States holds the world’s largest stockpile of gold reserves, with 8,133 tons worth more than $830 billion at current market prices.

Uncle Sam also holds around 207,189 BTC worth around $22 billion, less than 3% of its gold reserves, according to BiTBO, so there is plenty of room for diversification.

White House adviser Bo Hines has floated a new strategy that the Treasury might start buying Bitcoin using profits from its gold reserves. This plan, if enacted, could lead to the purchase of up to 1 million BTC over five years.

He referenced Senator Lummis’ Bitcoin Act of 2025, stating in March, “If we actually realize the gains on these [gold certificate holdings], that would be a budget-neutral way to acquire more Bitcoin.”

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested matching the country’s gold reserves with Bitcoin in July.

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]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/80-of-americans-want-to-diversify-us-gold-reserves-into-bitcoin-survey/feed/ 0 37243 Magic Eden acquires Slingshot to expand into on-chain trading, diversify beyond NFTs https://earlybirdsinvest.com/magic-eden-acquires-slingshot-to-expand-into-on-chain-trading-diversify-beyond-nfts/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/magic-eden-acquires-slingshot-to-expand-into-on-chain-trading-diversify-beyond-nfts/#respond Thu, 10 Apr 2025 02:50:36 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/magic-eden-acquires-slingshot-to-expand-into-on-chain-trading-diversify-beyond-nfts/

Magic Eden is acquiring crypto trading app Slingshot to expand beyond NFTs and challenge centralized exchanges (CEX) with a fully on-chain trading experience, according to an April 9 press release.

The acquisition marks a shift for Magic Eden, which built its name as a leading digital asset and NFT marketplace. Now, the company is aiming to become what it calls “the most extensive and all-encompassing trading platform in crypto.”

Slingshot has attracted nearly 1 million users with its mobile-first interface, which simplifies cross-chain trading. The app eliminates the need for bridging, typically a cumbersome and risky process, by enabling token swaps across more than 10 blockchains with instant listings.

Magic Eden CEO and co-founder Jack Lu said:

“This acquisition is a major step forward in advancing the Magic Eden vision, which is to provide users worldwide with a seamless and safe way to buy and sell crypto and digital assets across all chains.”

The deal comes as the crypto industry, now valued at $2.5 trillion, continues to shift toward decentralized infrastructure, spurred by growing concerns over transparency, security, and user control.

While centralized exchanges have dominated the space, critics argue they contradict the core principles of crypto and often create single points of failure.

Slingshot has gained traction in recent weeks because it is among the only platforms to list every token across multiple chains in real-time. It also aims to appeal to newcomers by allowing signups with just an email and supporting payments through Apple Pay, Venmo, PayPal, and credit or debit cards.

The companies plan to integrate Slingshot’s tools into Magic Eden’s platform, which will support over 5 million tokens and offer upcoming access to Bitcoin-native tokens. The combined effort signals a growing push within the industry to offer alternatives to centralized giants by giving users more control over their assets without sacrificing convenience or speed.

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