Our purrfect pets ready to vacay ??

Our pets have been working overtime to keep us happy this year. For some pets that’s meant long hours of wfh Zoom (ZM) calls. ?? For others, it’s been supporting us through ruff days in the office as our personal pawlicy advisers. And we love ’em for it! According to pet company Chewy (CHWY), almost 80% of pet parents say that seeing their pet when they come home is the best part of the day. And with World Kindness Day this week, what better way to show our love than by taking our good boys and girls with us on a well-deserved break?

Chewy says that more than 60% of pet parents say they wish they could bring their pets with them everywhere ‘all of the time’ or ‘most of the time’. That’s purrfect news for Airbnb (ABNB), which has seen more than 3 million pets check into Airbnb since last November. The accommodation company’s website even has a whole category for pet friendly finds to help people plan.

Unlike humans, pets haven’t tried to cancel Airbnb yet. Despite complaints of sky-high cleaning fees, anecdotes of sharp declines in bookings, and suggestions the website headed for ‘Airbnbust’, Airbnb’s third quarter financial results paint a very different picture. ??? In fact, Airbnb says the three months to 30 September 2022 was the company’s ‘most profitable quarter ever’. They say more than 100 million nights and experiences were booked, and they took in net income of US$1.2 billion, up 46% year-on-year.

Airbnb cautioned that the strong US dollar could lower international average daily rates heading into the fourth quarter, however, which we flagged about US companies in October. ?? But as demand for travel continues to recover, Airbnb is staying pawsitive. ??

Dating gets ugly ??

It’s been an ugly week at Elon Musk’s ‘town square’, but Twitter’s not the only app getting ugly. Reverse catfishing’s been popping up on dating apps like a nervous breakout… or a bedroom selfie on BeReal. And dating apps themselves might be hoping people superswipe to get to know their personality, too. Since January this year, both Bumble (BMBL), and Tinder and Hinge owner, Match Group (MTCH), have drifted apart from shareholders, falling 32% and nearly 68% respectively. ??

Following third quarter earnings, however, Match may be hoping to swap the dog box for long walks on the beach. ??? The 20-year-old online dating pioneer with 16.5 million paying users, beat analysts’ revenue earnings estimates by 2.1% for the quarter, seeing shares jump 13% then settle back down to pre-earnings’ value. But it’s not all roses for Tinder. ?? Statista research released mid-year showed US singles may be switching to female-founded Bumble, which overtook Tinder as the most popular paid dating app in early 2022. And investors are still ghosting. Why? Analyst data suggests it could be Match’s profit margins dropping from 21% last year to 3.4% that’s spooking shareholders.

Also hoping to play cupid with investors is last year's IPO fresh face, Bumble. ?? While falling 40% from their loved-up July high, and 69% from their St Valentine’s high in 2021, some analysts expect their earnings per share (EPS) to increase 91.67% in the next year. But despite bumbling product delays and declining margins, Bumble still appears to be ‘squeezing more revenue’ from users than Match, which increased 13% in their second quarter.

Chinese-owned Grindr may also be swiping for their partner in crime. ?? US national security may yet be wedded to concerns about Grindr selling location-based data, but after the LGBTIQ+-friendly app merged with a SPAC this year, it appears they’re preparing to go public. Could things get reeeally ugly?

Pfizer’s triple-demic smackdown ??

Sometimes things just deserve to go viral, like the Backyard Squirrel Maze. They bring people together and are good for the soul. Others, like viruses that attack our bodies and cripple our economies, deserve to be pounded into submission like a second tier WWE (WWE) wrestler. ??

Pfizer (PFE) has helped the world put viruses on the ropes before. It’s almost exactly two years since Pfizer and BioNTech (BNTX) dropped the news of a vaccine 90% effective in preventing COVID-19. The vaccine not only helped to free us from our weird obsession with banana bread, but was a boon for Pfizer, helping the company to almost double revenue in one year. ??

Now Pfizer is hoping it can double down to fight a new triple threat of invisible foes. A new wave of Covid, plus surges in ’flu and the respiratory virus RSV means the US could be heading for triple-demic winter smackdown. That’s the last thing overwhelmed hospitals (and parents) need. But last week Pfizer announced a new top-tier fighter - an RSV vaccine given to mothers during pregnancy that is up to 81% effective at preventing severe cases of the illness. ??

And in an epic John Cena/Louis Pasteur tag-team, Pfizer is again teaming up with ally BioNTech. The pair are taking a shot at producing a combined Influenza and Covid-19 vaccine cocktail using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. ??

Separately, BioNTech is using the same mRNA technology to develop personalised cancer vaccines. Just like you customise your coffee order, personalised cancer vaccines could be made to order and would prompt a patient’s immune system to attack their cancer cells. MRNA specialists Moderna (MRNA) are also teaming up with heavy-hitters Merck (MRK) on a similar vaccine specifically targeting melanoma. John Cena (and Louis Pasteur) would be proud. ?? ??

We’re not financial advisors and Hatch news is for your information only. However dazzling our writing, none of it is a recommendation to invest in any of the companies or funds mentioned. If you want support before making any investment decisions, consider seeking financial advice from a licensed provider. We’ve done our best to ensure all information is current when we pushed ‘publish’ on this article. And of course, with investing, your money isn’t guaranteed to grow and there’s always a risk you might lose money.