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Al Zubair wins Merc 2 in Jordan International Rally
Al Zubair wins Merc 2 in Jordan International Rally

Times of Oman

time4 hours ago

  • General
  • Times of Oman

Al Zubair wins Merc 2 in Jordan International Rally

Muscat: Omani rally driver Abdullah Al Zubair topped the N group in Merc 2 in Jordan International rally which was a strong and more than impressive result, achieving fifth place in the overall rally standings in his Subaru Impreza, followed directly by his teammate Zakaria Al Amri. The rally, which consisted of 12 stages, between mountainous and near the Dead Sea, witnessed success in terms of organization and participation, as 22 cars participated in various categories. Champion Abdullah Al-Rawahy topped the morning stages on Friday in Til Hilali, Karamah, and Baptism, but he lost the title against Nasser Al Attiyah meanwhile Abdullah Al-Zubair and his navigator Taha Soomar continued to dominate the Merc 2 group despite the attempts of the rest of the competitors to catch him, especially his direct competitor Zakaria Al-Amri and his navigator Mohammed Al-Mazrui and other local competitors from Jordan and Lebanon. Nevertheless, Al-Amri still leads the category by 9 points over Al-Zubair, who aspires to win the title this year. Abdullah Al Zubair secured the lead in his group from the day one and took it easy on himself on the second day, slowing down after securing a significant lead over the competitor chasing him. Al Amri, meanwhile, had a great race but encountered some problems with his car on the day one, which he was able to recover on the following day and gain good times. The second day of the rally, which took place in Panorama, Suwayma and Wadi Nar, in the Merc 2 group witnessed competition between colleagues Abdullah Al-Zubair and Zakaria Al-Amri to seize the category title, but Al-Zubair presented a balanced and exceptional performance and implemented a clear strategy to maintain the difference between him and the rest, he was able to decide the matter in advance during the first day's competition, and his strong and fast time in the group gave him the lead in the Jordan International Rally category, and he secured 30 points in the category in the Middle East Rally Championship after concluding his fourth round in Jordan, towards competing for the lead. The winner of the first place in the in (N) category, Abdullah Al Zubair, with his navigator Taha Soomar, said that the rally was special in terms of the competition, which was fierce in many stages, but thank God I outperformed many of the competitors who had stronger cars and in a larger category than my category, and we succeeded in achieving the goal, which was to win first place in the category to reduce the lead in the group with my colleague Zakaria Al Amri, and I am happy with this, I also hope that private sector companies will support the competitors who achieve international successes in the name of the Sultanate, especially since these sports are very expensive. I thank everyone who stood behind us in this rally and championship, the supporters, Taha Soomar's my assistants, and the technical team for the great job, it is worth mentioning that many of those witnessed and drivers at the rally asked Al Zubair to participate next year with an R5 category car, as he was one of the fastest drivers in the rally. For his part, competitor Zakaria Al Amri said that the rally was difficult and arduous and he faced some problems in some stages, but he was able to overcome them and and recover and presented an ideal race despite the fierce competition, rough stages and hot weather. He added, 'Thank God, we are still at the top of the Merc 2 group and we will try to maintain this lead in the upcoming rallies and win the category. I thank my navigator Mohammed Al Mazrui for all the support, as well as the audience who came to support us in this rally in Jordan from Oman.'

Oppenheimer Predicts Up to ~550% Jump for These 2 ‘Strong Buy' Stocks
Oppenheimer Predicts Up to ~550% Jump for These 2 ‘Strong Buy' Stocks

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Oppenheimer Predicts Up to ~550% Jump for These 2 ‘Strong Buy' Stocks

After a rocky start to the spring, Wall Street came roaring back in May. President Trump's softened tariff stance reignited demand for risk assets, triggering the market's biggest monthly rally since November 2023. The S&P 500 rose ~6%, nudging back into positive territory for the year. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Encouraged by this rebound, John Stoltzfus, chief investment strategist at Oppenheimer, has taken the measure of the markets and holds a positive outlook for the near- to mid-term. 'The effects of the stock market rally from the lows seen on April 8 appear to us to augur positively for investors practicing diversification and patience notwithstanding near-term uncertainties… We remain overweight US equities and do not ascribe to the view that US exceptionalism is fading,' Stoltzfus noted. Against this backdrop, Oppenheimer analyst Jay Olson has picked out his winners for the months ahead, zeroing in on two stocks in particular – including one with the potential to jump ~550% by this time next year. We checked in with the TipRanks database to see how the rest of Wall Street views these names. The verdict? Both picks carry Strong Buy consensus ratings across the board, with substantial upside potential. Let's take a closer look at the details. Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR) One company Oppenheimer is especially bullish on is Voyager Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech developing treatments for serious neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and Friedreich's ataxia – both of which have limited therapeutic options. Voyager's lead clinical candidate is VY7523, a monoclonal antibody designed to target pathological tau (pTAU), a protein closely associated with the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Intended for early-stage intervention, the therapy has shown encouraging preclinical results. In mouse models, its murine surrogate demonstrated high selectivity for abnormal tau while sparing healthy tau and delivered strong efficacy in the P301S seeding model, a benchmark in Alzheimer's research. Voyager recently completed a Phase 1 single ascending dose (SAD) trial in healthy volunteers and has since launched a multiple ascending dose (MAD) trial in patients with early-stage AD. Topline SAD results were positive, showing that VY7523 was well tolerated across dose levels and achieved expected central nervous system exposure. Alongside its antibody-based approach, Voyager is also advancing a gene therapy pipeline powered by its proprietary TRACER capsid technology. These engineered capsids are designed to deliver therapeutic payloads directly to brain cells while minimizing off-target exposure in tissues such as the liver. Among these programs is VY1706, a tau-silencing gene therapy intended to suppress pTAU production in neurons for the treatment of Alzheimer's. At the 2025 AD/PD conference, Voyager presented encouraging non-human primate data showing that a single intravenous dose of VY1706 achieved dose-dependent, robust reductions in MAPT mRNA and tau protein across critical brain regions. An Investigational New Drug (IND) filing remains on track for 2026. The promise of Voyager's TRACER platform has attracted major pharmaceutical partners. Through deals with Neurocrine Biosciences, Novartis, and Alexion (a subsidiary of AstraZeneca), the company could earn up to $7.4 billion in milestone payments. The Neurocrine collaboration is already advancing gene therapy programs for Friedreich's ataxia and GBA1-related disorders, with IND filings expected in 2025 and clinical trials slated to begin in 2026. Voyager could receive up to $35 million in milestone payments tied to these near-term milestones. Currently trading at $2.74 per share, VYGR may be flying under the radar – but Oppenheimer's Jay Olson sees it as a compelling entry point. 'We remain enthusiastic about VYGR's unique platform and optionality, and believe VYGR is well-positioned to pursue tau-targeting with different approaches. VYGR's strong balance sheet with a cash runway into mid-2027 should offer stability… Additionally, we are encouraged by the positive preclinical data, external validation of the platform technology through multiple collaborations with industry leaders, a strong management team, and our optimistic long-term view on the gene therapy and CNS therapeutic area,' Olson said. To this end, Olson rates VYGR an Outperform (i.e., Buy), and his $18 price target implies room for a stunning 556% upside potential in the next 12 months. (To watch Olson's track record, click here) Olson's view is highly bullish, to be sure, but so is the general Street take here. VYGR shares have a Strong Buy consensus rating, based on 10 unanimously positive recommendations. The average price target stands at $15, pointing to potential upside of 447% from current levels. (See VYGR stock forecast) Tvardi Therapeutics (TVRD) The second name catching Oppenheimer's attention is Tvardi Therapeutics, another biopharmaceutical firm – but a newcomer to the public markets. The TVRD ticker began trading on the NASDAQ on April 16 of this year, following the completion of a merger between Tvardi Therapeutics and Cara Therapeutics. Following its public debut, Tvardi is now focused on developing breakthrough therapies for fibrosis-driven diseases. Its approach centers on targeting STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3), a key protein in the STAT family, known for its pivotal role in numerous cellular processes. At the center of Tvardi's clinical efforts is TTI-101, an oral small-molecule STAT3 inhibitor that selectively targets pY-STAT3 within the SH2 domain. Tvardi is advancing TTI-101 as a treatment for both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), two diseases marked by high unmet need and limited effective therapies. Early clinical results have been encouraging. In a first-in-human Phase 1 trial involving patients with advanced solid tumors, including HCC, TTI-101 was well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities. Pharmacodynamic data confirmed target engagement, with biopsies showing reduced levels of activated STAT3. Tvardi expects topline data from its ongoing Phase 1b/2 REVERT Liver Cancer clinical trial in HCC to be available in the first half of 2026. Meanwhile, building on insights from the same trial, Tvardi is also advancing the REVERT IPF Phase 2 study – a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating TTI-101, both as a monotherapy and in combination with nintedanib, in patients diagnosed with IPF within the past seven years. On May 27, 2025, the company announced that enrollment was complete, with topline results expected in the fourth quarter of this year. The potential of TTI-101, based on its earlier clinical trial results and optimistic forecasts for the current trials, has not gone unnoticed by Oppenheimer's Olson. The analyst is encouraged by the possible long-term returns, assuming success in both the trial and regulatory process. 'We see an underappreciated opportunity for lead asset TTI-101 as we forecast ~$1.2B peak risk-adjusted sales in 2040. Blinded Ph2a interim data suggest that TTI-101 could reverse IPF progression, thus supporting favorable differentiation from key competitors, with detailed Ph2a results expected in 2H25 serving as a potential valuable inflection point. In HCC, we believe TTI-101 offers a novel, mechanistically distinct approach, with interim Ph1b/2 data suggesting synergy in combination with SoC ahead of topline results in 1H26. We leverage our expertise in IPF and HCC to inform our analysis, and view TVRD as well-capitalized through key catalysts… Based on our DCF valuation of TVRD, we believe that its shares remain underappreciated,' Olson stated. With that backdrop, Olson rates TVRD an Outperform (i.e., Buy), alongside a $65 price target, suggesting a potential upside of 129% from current levels. Overall, this new stock has picked up 4 analyst reviews since it went public, and all are positive – making the Strong Buy consensus rating unanimous. TVRD is currently trading for $28.34, and its $50.75 average price target suggests that the shares have a 79% upside lying in wait for the year ahead. (See TVRD stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

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