May 5, 2023 4:59pm

Will wonders ever cease as the cell and gene therapy sector with three (3) positive sector closings in a row jumping in tandem with the Dow, S&P and Nasdaq?

Pre-Open Indications: 3 Hit and 2 Miss

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The week in review - TGIF

If I have learned one thing as a former research analyst in a venture and public fund, operating executive, adjunct (MBA) business school professor now a journalist; it is that your life and your portfolio are largely tied to your knowledge of price movements and questioning pricing targets.

 

The Dow closed UP +546.64 points (+1.65%), the S&P closed UP +75.03 points (+1.85%) while the Nasdaq closed UP +269.01 points (+2.25%)

 

Henry’omics:

It was a do-me a “solid” week for the cell and gene therapy sector and stock market …

We need to more than consider the economic environment - rising rates and inflation to comprehend the micro re “our” universe of cell and gene therapy companies.

Indexes rallied on Friday as investors digested the Labor Department's closely watched April jobs report, which showed the U.S. labor market remains strong but that growth is moderating. That gave investors hope that the Fed may pause its interest rate hikes at its meeting next month.

Economic Data Docket: Nonfarm payrolls increased 253,000 for April, beating Wall Street estimates for growth of 180,000The unemployment rate was 3.4% against an estimate for 3.6% and tied for the lowest level since 1969. Average hourly earnings rose 0.5% for the month and increased 4.4% from a year ago, both higher than expected.

  • Professional and business services led the job gains with an increase of 43,000. That was followed by health care (40,000), leisure and hospitality (31,000), and social assistance (25,000)

 

Friday (5/5) … RegMed Investors’ (RMi) pre-open: “downside risk remains. Uncle Algorithms has saved the week so far, so is the cell and gene therapy sector in which hand – the weak or the strong?” …  https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/12946

 

Pre-Open Indications: 3 Hit < Agenus (AGEN +$0.04), BioLife Solution (BLFS +1.44), Ionis -Pharmaceuticals (IONS +$0.22)> and 2 Miss < Verve Therapeutics (VERV +$0.07), Vericel (VCEL +$0.38)>  

 

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

  • Friday’s advance/decline line opened positive at 15 up/ 18 down and 2 flats, stayed positive with 27 up/ 6 down and 2 flats at the mid-day, ending with a positive close of 28/7 and 0 flat
  • Thursday’s advance/decline line opened negative at 15 up/ 18 down and 2 flats, stayed positive with 26 up/ 8 down and 1 flat at the mid-day, ending with a positive close of 29/6 and 0 flat
  • Wednesday’s advance/decline line opened positive at 29 up/ 4 down and 2 flats, stayed positive with 31 up/ 3 down and 1 flat at the mid-day, ending with a positive close of 31/3 and 1 flat
  • Tuesday’s advance/decline line opened negative at 6 up/ 28 down and 1 flat, stayed negative with 5 up/ 29 down and 1 flat at the mid-day, ending with a negative close of 5/30 and 1 flat
  • Monday’s advance/decline line opened positive at 28 up/ 5 down and 2 flats, stayed positive with 29 up/ 4 down and 2 flats at the mid-day, ending with a positive close of 26/7 and 2 flats

 

Key Metrics:

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

  • Friday, the IBB was up +1.24% and the XBI was up +1.67%
  • Thursday, the IBB was down- 0.29% and the XBI was up +0.93%
  • Wednesday, the IBB was up +0.67% and the XBI was up +4.36%
  • Tuesday, the IBB was down -1.32% and the XBI was down -2.88%
  • Monday, the IBB was up +0.79% and the XBI was up +2.42%

The CBOE Volatility Index (VVIX: INDEX) tracked:

  • Friday was down -2.86 points or -14.24% at 17.23
  • Thursday was up +1.75 points or +9.54% at 20.09
  • Wednesday was up +0.56 points or +3.15% at 18.34
  • Tuesday was up +1.69 points or +10.51% at 17.77
  • Monday was up +0.29 points or +1.84% at 16.07

 

Closing Down (7 of 7)

  • Regenxbio (RGNX -$1.03 after Thursday’s -$0.32, Wednesday’s +$0.74, Tuesday’s -$0.61 and Monday’s +$0.74),
  • Prime Medicine (PRME -$0.80 after Thursday’s +$0.74),
  • Fate Therapeutics (FATE -$0.49 after Thursday’s -$0.15),
  • Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI -$0.21),
  • Sangamo Therapeutics (SGMO -$0.02),
  • Verastem (VSTM -$0.07),

Closing Up (10 of 28):

  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY +$6.66 after Thursday’s +$5.89),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$2.67 after Thursday’s +$3.93 after Wednesday’s +$1.14 and Tuesday’s -$1.03),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$1.44)
  • Ultragenyx (RARE +$1.41 after Thursday’s +$2.48, Wednesday’s +$0.82, Tuesday’s -$1.52 and Monday’s +$0.36),
  • Editas Medicine (EDIT +$1.05),
  • Sage Therapeutics (SAGE +$0.95 after Thursday’s +$0.65, Wednesday’s +$1.91, Tuesday’s -$3.09 and Monday’s -$0.43),
  • Chinook Therapeutics (KDNY +$0.71),
  • AxoGen (AXGN +$0.41),
  • Vericel (VCEL +$0.38 after Thursday’s +$0.54, Wednesday’s +$0.79, Tuesday’s -$0.89 and Monday’s +$0.71),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM +$0.37 after Thursday’s +$1.63 and Wednesday’s +$1.48),

 

Q2/23 – May

  • Friday closed positive with 28 incliners, 7 decliners and 0 flat
  • Thursday closed positive with 29 incliners, 6 decliners and 0 flat
  • Wednesday closed positive with 31 incliners, 3 decliners and 1 flat
  • Tuesday closed negative with 4 incliner, 30 decliners and 1 flat
  • Monday closed positive with 26 incliner, 7 decliners and 2 flats

 

The BOTTOM LINE: I try to keep it simple … and short!

I follow the dictum, quoting Churchill that “short words are best, and the old words when short are best of all.”

I wouldn’t be buying into this rally … I would be selling into this upside!

I MAINTAIN my recommendation, it’s Friday after my Monday night’s post, “Skim if you can trim, buy if it will fly and sell if compelled!”

 Have you asked yourself, do you know why you own certain equity? What’s been communicated re a company’s status at any given time to shareholders other than quarterly reports or a once-upon-a-time press release!

There are clear winners — and losers — at the start of May.

The top three performing are:

·         Friday – Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) -again, CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) – again and BioLife Solutions (BLFS)

·         Thursday - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) – again and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)

·         Wednesday - Sage Therapeutics (SAGE), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) and MiMedx (MDXG)

·         Tuesday – Mesoblast (MESO), uniQure NV (QURE) and Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI)

·         Monday’s: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Vericel (VCEL) and Regenxbio (RGNX).

While The worst three (3):

·         Friday - Regenxbio (RGNX), Prime Medicine (PRME) and Fate Therapeutics (FATE)

·         Thursday – Regenxbio (RGNX), Fate Therapeutics (FATE) and Biostage (OTCQB: BSTG)

·         Wednesday – Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS), bluebird bio (BLUE) and Sangamo Therapeutics (SGMO)

·         Tuesday - Sage Therapeutics (SAGE) – again, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) and Ultragenyx (RARE)

·         Monday’s: Sage Therapeutics (SAGE), Chinook Therapeutics (KDNY). Avrobio (AVRO),

Percentage moves:

·         Upside: +0.17% to +12.04% (28)

·         Downside: -0.43% to -7.94% (7)

 

Earnings:

RegMed Investors (RMi) Research Note: Q1/23 earnings reporting dates, net losses, cash positions and runway outcomes … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/12923   - added 4 today

 

WHY (?) do I keep posting, so investors can get a daily update of the sector's share pricing and some individual companies TRUTHS while electronic trading chews on our portfolio edges.

I am definitely considered a contrarian depending on the session – one has to be a watcher of the ups and downs as well as measurer of sentiment. I am also a NO trust investor but, a validate and verify journalist/analyst.

 

The NO spin zone! U.S. public shareholders deserve accountability …

 

De-Listing Update:

Avrobio (AVRO) – Friday closed up +$0.04 to $0.70 after Thursday closed down -$0.0093 to $0.655 after Wednesday closed up +$0.01 to $0.66 after Tuesday’s Tuesday closed down-$0.168 to $0.65 after Monday closed down -$0.01596 to $0.83 after CEO Geoff MacKay resigned; still under Nasdaq minimum rule of $1.00; after twenty-four (24) sessions

·         Will AVRO do a reverse split to up-end delisting to “SCREW” shareholders yet, AGAIN?

Verastem Oncology (VSTM) closed down -$0.0171 after Thursday’s +$0.0061, Wednesday’s +$0.005 to $0.44, Tuesday’s -$0.0070 and Monday’s -$0.075; two hundred and one (201) sessions under the Nasdaq $1.00 minimum pricing

 

Biostage (OTCQB: BSTG) …

·         Friday closed down +$0.01 with 215 share traded after Thursday closed down -$0.05 with 650 shares traded after Wednesday closed FLAT with 26 shares traded after Tuesday closed FLAT with 0 shares traded Monday closed FLAT with 0 shares traded and last Friday closed FLAT with 0 shares traded, Thursday closed flat with 0 shares traded and last Wednesday closed flat with 27 shares <3-month average =1,574 shares>

·         Question: Review the number of shares traded … is OTCQB: BSTG a Ponzi scheme (with their pump/promote buy and sell agenda) as shares are bought to replace those sold?

·         CEO Jerry, you should listen to Biostage’s critics to focus to the future, their insight could help you … over the sentiment speedbumps!

 

My question that resounds, that should be asked is how many companies are at the end of sentiments …  leash?

 

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.