Momentum Watch: Uncovering Catalysts and Driving Forces (SHPH, PEV, GRI, IDAI, STTK)

In the ever-changing market environment, discovering promising small-cap companies can unlock substantial growth opportunities. These emerging market contenders are driven by distinct catalysts and growth factors that could accelerate their success. Today, we spotlight five small-cap stocks, diving into the elements that fuel their potential and capture investor attention.

Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SHPH) - Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. shares closed last week’s trading session up 1% at $0.87. In November, the company announced the enrollment and initial dosing of the first patient at the UVA Cancer Center in its Phase 2 clinical trial of Ropidoxuridine for treating glioblastoma. UVA is one of six cancer centers participating in the trial. Previously, Shuttle Pharma began patient dosing at Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida. Ropidoxuridine (IPdR) is Shuttle Pharma's lead radiation sensitizer candidate, designed for use with radiation therapy (RT) to treat glioblastoma—a deadly brain cancer with no known cure. The company has received Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA, potentially granting marketing exclusivity upon initial FDA approval for this indication. Alongside UVA Cancer Center, the Phase 2 trial is ongoing at Georgetown University Medical Center, John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Institute, and Miami Cancer Institute. Last month, Shuttle Pharma announced a sponsored research agreement with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to support the preclinical development of Shuttle Diagnostics, Inc.’s ligand targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). This molecule is being explored as a theranostic agent, offering both diagnostic and therapeutic potential for cancer treatment. Additionally, this month, the company announced that CEOAnatoly Dritschilo, M.D., will participate in a webcasted fireside chat at the Lytham Partners 2025 Investor Healthcare Summit on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Dr. Dritschilo will discuss Shuttle Pharma’s 2025 plans, including updates on the Phase 2 clinical trial of Ropidoxuridine for IDH wild-type, methylation-negative glioblastoma. He is also expected to share developments within Shuttle Diagnostics, particularly progress on the PC-RAD test for predicting outcomes after radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer and further research into the PSMA-targeting theranostic ligand. As we await additional updates from the company, we will be watching for a potential resistance break of $0.95 with increased volume.

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Phoenix Motor Inc. (NASDAQ: PEV) - Phoenix Motor Inc. shares closed last week’s trading session at $0.29, down nearly 5%. In October, the company announced its development of four all-electric transit buses for the University of California San Diego, scheduled for delivery in early 2025. These 35-foot electric buses from PhoenixEV will support the university's efforts to decarbonize last-mile transportation, reducing particulate emissions on campus and in surrounding neighborhoods. The addition of these buses will bring UC San Diego’s fleet to 20% electric, aligning with its goal to achieve full decarbonization by 2045. “UC San Diego is a leader in sustainability, and we are happy to help them achieve their decarbonization goal,” said Denton Peng, CEO of PhoenixEV. “This project will mark the third University of California campus to deploy our zero-emission shuttles and transit buses.” Last month, Phoenix Motor invited investors to an exclusive webinar on January 21, 2025, at 4:15 p.m. ET, hosted by RedChip Companies. The event will feature CEODenton Peng, who will provide insights into Phoenix Motor’s leadership in zero-emission, all-electric commercial transportation solutions. Phoenix Motor’s vehicles have logged over 55 million all-electric miles, saving more than $30 million in fuel costs and cutting over 16 million pounds of carbon emissions—equivalent to the carbon sequestration of 8,100 acres of forest. Currently, Phoenix Motor offers a diverse range of medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles, including shuttle and school buses, utility trucks, transit buses, and more. As we await further updates from the company, we will be watching for a potential resistance break of $0.33 with increased trading volume.

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GRI Bio Inc. (NASDAQ: GRI) - GRI Bio Inc. shares closed last week’s trading session up 3%at $0.76. In November, the company announced positive preclinical data showing that its lead program, GRI-0621, reduces key inflammatory and fibrotic drivers in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Additionally, the company presented a poster titled “Involvement of Type 1 Invariant Natural Killer T Cells in Driving Lung Fibrosis,” which detailed flow cytometry and quantitative PCR analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from IPF patients and healthy controls to characterize NKT cells. A bleomycin model (3.0 IU/Kg administered intratracheally) was used—with or without daily doses of nintedanib or GRI-0621, a small molecule selective inhibitor of iNKT activity—during the fibrotic phase to investigate the role of iNKT cells in pulmonary fibrosis. GRI-0621, GRI Bio’s lead program, is a small molecule RAR-βɣ dual agonist designed to inhibit human iNKT cell activity. In early trials and prior studies with its oral formulation, GRI-0621 has demonstrated improvements in fibrosis across multiple disease models and has shown positive effects on liver function tests and other inflammation and injury markers in patients. The company is currently advancing GRI-0621 in a Phase 2a randomized, double-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled, parallel-design, two-arm study for treating IPF. Interim biomarker data from this trial is expected in the first quarter of 2025. In December, GRI Bio also announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) issued a decision to grant its patent application number 19,166,502, titled “Oxygenated Amino or Ammonium-Containing Sulfonic Acid, Phosphonic Acid, and Carboxylic Acid Derivatives and Their Medical Use.” The company anticipates the official patent issuance on January 16, 2025. This patent covers GRI-0803, GRI Bio’s novel activator of human type 2 NKT cells, currently in development for autoimmune diseases, initially targeting systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Activation of type 2 NKT cells leads to dendritic cell-mediated inhibition of iNKT cells. Preclinical studies have shown that GRI-0803 and GRI-0124, both type 2 NKT activators, effectively inhibit murine and human iNKT cells. As we await additional updates from the company, we will be monitoring for increased trading volume and a potential resistance break at $0.81.

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T Stamp Inc. (NASDAQ: IDAI) - T Stamp Inc. shares closed last week’s trading session at $5.15, down 12%. This month, the company announced it will provide an update ahead of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for January 29, 2025, outlining the progress made to position the company for success in 2025. During the AGM, CEO Gareth N. Genner will discuss existing partnerships and ongoing initiatives for the year ahead. The company believes it is well-positioned to capitalize on significant opportunities as global markets face challenges related to quantum computing, deepfakes, cybersecurity breaches, ransomware attacks, and national security threats. Shareholders are encouraged to attend the AGM to learn more about these plans. Additionally, the company announced a strategic transaction with Qenta Inc. ("Qenta"). Under this agreement, Qenta is spinning off its Goldstar KYC technology into a newly formed subsidiary, QID Technologies LLC ("QID"), with Trust Stamp acquiring a 10% ownership stake. Concurrently, Trust Stamp has granted QID a non-exclusive license for its AI-powered identity technologies in exchange for a $1 million license fee, to be paid in three installments throughout Q1 2025. CEOGareth N. Genner stated, "This strategic transaction combines Trust Stamp’s advanced AI-powered identity authentication and tokenization technology with Qenta’s global asset tokenization capabilities and the QOS permissioned blockchain. Together, they form a secure identity and asset ecosystem designed to withstand threats such as quantum computing, ransomware, and deepfake technologies. For Trust Stamp, this deal is immediately accretive, allowing us to reallocate existing resources to support this new revenue stream without incurring additional costs." The company also entered into a securities purchase agreement with a single institutional investor to sell 414,202 shares of common stock (or pre-funded warrants) in a registered direct offering, priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. In a concurrent private placement, Trust Stamp agreed to issue unregistered Series A Warrants to purchase up to 414,202 shares of common stock and Series B Warrants to purchase up to 207,101 shares. The combined effective offering price for each share (or pre-funded warrant) and accompanying Series A and Series B Warrants is $8.45. These private placement warrants are immediately exercisable, will expire five years from the initial exercise date, and have an exercise price of $8.45 per share. The combined gross proceeds from the registered direct offering and concurrent private placement are expected to be approximately $3.5 million before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses. The offering is anticipated to close on or around January 8, 2025, pending the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. As we await further updates from the company, we will be monitoring for increased trading volume and a potential resistance break at $5.30.

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Shattuck Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: STTK) - Shattuck Labs, Inc. shares closed last week’s trading session down 3% at $1.19. This month, the company provided a corporate update and highlighted key milestones expected in 2025. Taylor Schreiber, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Shattuck, stated, "We have made considerable progress in developing our potential first-in-class DR3 blocking antibody, SL-325. Based on findings from our preclinical non-human primate (NHP) studies, we remain highly optimistic that SL-325 will achieve a more complete blockade of the clinically validated DR3/TL1A signaling pathway. We are excited to present these data as an oral presentation at the upcoming European Crohn's and Colitis Organization Congress." The company anticipates initiating its Phase 1 clinical trial for SL-325 later this year and believes it is well-positioned to efficiently manage resources to fund operations through 2027. A preclinical data readout from the GLP toxicology study in NHPs for SL-325 is expected in the first quarter of 2025. Shattuck will also participate in the Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, California, from January 13–16, 2025. Dr. Schreiber will deliver the company’s corporate presentation and engage in one-on-one investor meetings on January 16, 2025, at 7:00 a.m. PT. Additionally, Shattuck’s research has been accepted for a poster presentation at the Crohn's and Colitis Congress, scheduled for February 6–8, 2025, in San Francisco, California, and for an oral presentation at the 20th European Crohn's and Colitis Organization Congress, taking place February 19–22, 2025, in Berlin, Germany. As we await further updates from the company, we will be monitoring for a potential resistance break at $1.25.

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