February 10, 2022 5:45pm

As indexes fell under pressure from inflation and rising benchmark bond yields

Pre-open Indications: 6 Hits, 2 Miss and 1 Pumped/Promoted

If I have learned one thing as a former research analyst, venture and public fund investor now a journalist; it is that your life and your bank account are largely tied to your knowledge of price movements and questioning pricing targets.

Who else is tracking a broad grouping of cell and gene therapy equities – with facts supported by real numbers?

The Dow closed DOWN -526.47 points (-1.47 %); the S&P closed DOWN -83.10 points (-1.81%) while the Nasdaq closed DOWN -304.73 points (-2.10%)

 

Henry’omics:

Indexes churned lower on Thursday after a key inflation report showed a faster-than-expected rise in prices and boosted the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield above a key level.

Yet, the cell and gene therapy sector rose from the opening ashes to reign positive from the mid-day to the close.

Thursday’s consumer price index report showed a year-over-year rise of 7.5%, hotter than expected and the largest gain since 1982. In other economic news, weekly jobless claims came in at 223,000, slightly below expectations.

 

RegMed Investors’ (RMi) pre-open: “sector earnings and inflation data releases are on tap. A potential toxic combination as Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) Q4 and FY21 report earnings with indications.” … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/12295  

 

RegMed/Stem/Cell and Gene therapy’s 35 covered equities’ Advance/Decline (A/D) lines: what happened …

  • Thursday opened negative at 10 up/21 downs, 2 flats and 1 acquired, flipped positive at the mid-day at 20/12, 2 flats and 1 acquired, ending with a severe negative close of 5/28, 1 flat and 1 acquired;

 

Pre-open indications: 6 Hits < bluebird bio (BLUE -$0.45), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -$3.14), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA -$3.04), Editas Medicine (EDIT -$1.21), Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS -$0.48), Sage Therapeutics (SAGE -$2.32)> 2 MISS <Applied Genetic Technologies (AGTC +$0.19), Fate Therapeutics (FATE +$1.04)> 1 Pump/Promote

 

The Biostage (BSTG) Chronicles: shows how the “pimp/pump and promote” works with the shares trading up +$0.60 with 2,841 shares traded after Wednesday’s down -$0.61 (was as low as -$1.09) with 4,030 shares traded after Tuesday’s +$0.05 with 1,293 shares traded after Monday’s +$0.55 with 2,311 shares traded, Friday’s +$0.22 with 305 shares traded, Thursday’s flat ($0.00) with 3 shares traded, Wednesday’s down -$0.53 with 502 shares traded, Tuesday’s +$0.40 with 1,088 shares after Monday’s 11 shares traded after Friday’s +$0.05 with 3,225 shares traded after Thursday’s +$0.24 with 10,073 - double the mornings 5,030 shares traded after last Wednesday’s diving to -$0.00 with 7,796 shares trading after appreciating +$0.35 (after dropping mid-day -$0.07 – such sarcasm after miraculous jump) and the previous Tuesday’s +$0.31 with 2,794 shares traded.

 

Key Metrics:

  • Thursday - Sector volume was LOW with 3 of the 5-upside having higher than the 3-month average volume with LOW volume of 12 of 28-downside having higher than the 3-month average volume

The iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology (IBB) and the SPDR S&P ETF (XBI) indicators:

  • Thursday the IBB closed down -2.44% and XBI closed down -2.98%

The CBOE Volatility Index (VVIX: INDEX) tracked:

  • Thursday was up +3.95 points or +19.79% at 23.91

 

Jumping with share pricing momentum (5 of 5):

  • Biostage (BSTG +$0.60 after Wednesday’s -$0.61 and Tuesday’s +$0.05),
  • Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT +$0.40 after Wednesday’s +$1.41),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$0.36 after Wednesday’s +$1.36),
  • Applied Genetic Technologies (AGTC +$0.19),
  • Athersys (ATHX +$0.0075),

Hammered in today’s market (10 of 28):

  • Ultragenyx (RARE -$4.35),
  • CRISPR Therapeutic (CRSP -$3.14),
  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA -$4.04),
  • Fate Therapeutics (FATE -$2.84),
  • Sage Therapeutics (SAGE -$2.32),
  • Regenxbio (RGNX -$1.93),
  • Editas Medicine (EDIT -$1.21),
  • Vericel (VCEL -$1.06),
  • uniQure NV (QURE -$0.99),
  • Chinook Therapeutics (KDNY -$0.75),

Closing Flat:

  • 1- Brainstorm cell Therapeutics (BCLI) and 1 -Stemline Therapeutics (STML) – acquired

 

February, Q1/2022:

  • Thursday closed negative with 5 incliner, 28 decliners, 1 flat and 1 acquired
  • Wednesday closed positive with 31 incliner, 3 decliners and 1 acquired
  • Tuesday closed negative with 14 incliners, 19 decliners, 1 flat and 1 acquired
  • Monday (2/7) closed positive with 29 incliners, 4 decliners, 1 flat and 1 acquired

 

The BOTTOM LINE: The sector feels the pain after the gain again as share pricings bolted to the down side as I had stated “the algorithms are warming-up to pitch”.

The race to the weekend …

Thursday’s “hurdlers” were Biostage (BSTG) although pumped volume and promoted share pricing, Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT), BioLife Solutions (BLFS) and Applied Genetic Technologies (AGTC) while more that a few tripped on the track: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Ultragenyx (RARE), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Sage Therapeutics (SAGE).

Wednesday’s “jumpers” were Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) and ReNeuron (RENE.L) with Biostage (BSTG) diving following …

Tuesday’s ReNeuron (RENE.L) race to the upside after feeling the grit of laying in the dirt of the downside while trading up again were Sage Therapeutics (SAGE and Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) while the few down-trodden were Intellia therapeutics (NTLA) after

Monday’s up and Editas Medicine (EDIT) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP), along with losers BioLife Solutions (BLFS) and Precigen (PGEN).

Investors will be watching earnings reports this week; Q4 and end-of-year earnings are about to be made aware of” more than even I thought.          

  • Applied Genetic Technologies (AGTC) on Monday, 2/14
  • AxoGen AXGN) –Tuesday, 2/22
  • Vericel (VCEL) –Thursday, 2/24,

Algorithms, hedge funds and traders continue to punish and … then push the cell and gene therapy stocks as valuations “creep” up.

WHY do I keep analyzing Biostage (BSTG): I WAS there to experience the lack of investor prerogatives and saw the decay of transparency and more; it takes courage, resolve and patience to stay the course of asking the questions without response!

Who is defining the metrics for investors and keeping you notified of the sector and market fluctuations?  What I provide is a trusted source of share pricing intelligence – it’s more than opinion, I deal in the facts and numbers that back them up.

 

 

Opinions expressed are those of the author and are subject to change, and not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results, nor investment advice.

Whether information or intelligence is good, bad or somewhere in between; I put into context what is relevant and useful for investors.  All investments are subject to risks. Investors should consider investment objectives.

Henry McCusker, the editor and publisher of RegMed Investors does not hold or have positions in securities referred to in this publication.

Regulation Analyst Certification (Reg AC): The research analyst primarily responsible for the content of this report certifies the following under Reg AC: I hereby certify that all views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views about the subject company or companies and its or their securities. I also certify that no part of my compensation was, is or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed in this report.