March 21, 2024 4:44pm

Tuesday and Wednesday’s trend dumped a non-friend

Earnings: Compass Therapeutics (CMPX) <see The Bottom Line>

The Harvard Apparatus RT (OTCQB HRGN) formerly Biostage (BSTG) Chronicles: Question, Is it a Ponzi Scheme?

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The present and future value of RegMed Investors (RMi) NEWS sheds light on the stem, cell and gene therapy sector’s risks to share pricing and the sector’s upside acrobatics and potential downslides.

I write this blog/newsletter to inform investors with facts and supporting numbers focused on what they need to hear that others will not say or write about – facts in evidence! 

 

Thursday: The Dow closed UP +269.24 points or +0.68%, the S&P closed UP +16.91 points +0.32% while the Nasdaq closed UP +32.43 points or +0.20%

 

Henry’omics:

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 climbed Thursday added to the previous session’s gains that led to new records.

Those gains came as the Federal Reserve reiterated expectations for three interest rate cuts this year and kept borrowing costs unchanged at the conclusion of its two-day policy meeting. <CNBC>

Economic Data Docket:  jobs and housing data

  • Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 210,000 for the week ended March 16, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 215,000 claims in the latest week.
  • Unadjusted claims decreased 12,730 to 189,992 last week. Applications in California plunged by 5,369, while filings in Oregon fell 2,580. They more than offset notable increases in Michigan and Missouri.
  • Sales of existing homes surged 9.5% in February from January to 4.38 million units, on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors.
  • Inventory rose 5.9% year over year to 1.07 million homes for sale at the end of February.
  • Higher demand continued to push the median price higher, up 5.7% from the year before to $384,500.

 

Thursday’s RegMed Investors’ (RMi) opening bell: “Not for nothing. Emphasizing that there is a reason, what's about to happen has a purpose or a reason.” …  https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13383

 

Advance/Decline (A/D) Line:

  • Thursday’s advance/decline line at the open was negative with 16 incliner, 18 decliners and 1 flat; ending with a negative close of 14 incliners, 20 decliners and 1 flat

 

Ebb and flow of MY covered sector cell and gene therapy session daily “endings”:

Q1/24: March, 6 positive and 9 negative closes

  • February, 1 holiday, 9 negative and 11 positive closes
  • January: 2 holiday, 12 negative and 8 positive closes

 

Key Metrics:

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

  • Thursday, the IBB was up +0.64% and the XBI was up +0.03%

The CBOE Volatility Index (VVIX: INDEX) tracked:

  • Thursday was down -0.12 point or -0.92% at 12.92

 

Thursday’s Closing Down (10 of 20):

  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY -$1.37 after Wednesday’s -$0.18, Tuesday’s +$0.76 and Monday’s -$1.68)
  • Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR -$0.95 after Wednesday’s +$0.29 and Tuesday’s +$0.97),
  • Solid Biosciences (SLDB -$0.65 after Wednesday’s -$1.48, Tuesday’s +$1.39 and Monday’s +$0.28),
  • Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM -$0.45 after Wednesday’s -$0.13, Tuesday’s -$0.12 and Monday’s +$0.07),
  • Caribou Biosciences (CRBU -$0.23),
  • Verve Therapeutics (VERV -$0.17),
  • Intellia therapeutics (NTLA -$0.13),
  • Editas Medicine (EDIT -$0.09),
  • Graphite Bio (GPPH -$0.09 after Wednesday’s +$0.20 after Tuesday’s -$0.16)
  • AxoGen (AXGN -$0.07),

Flat (1):

  • Fate Therapeutics (FATE $0.00 after Wednesday’s +$0.43, Tuesday’s -$0.04 after Monday’s -$0.45),

Thursday’s Closing Up (10 of 14):

  • Blueprint Medicine (BPMC +$1.79 after Wednesday’s +$0.29, Tuesday’s +$1.15 and Monday’s -$3.88)
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$1.56 after Wednesday’s +$0.98, Tuesday’s +$0.49 and Monday’s -$1.48),
  • Vericel (VCEL +$0.94),
  • Harvard Apparatus RG (OTCQB: HRGN +$0.82 after Wednesday’s -$0.97 after Tuesday’s +$0.05 and Monday’s $0.00),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$0.35 after Wednesday’s +$0.27 and Tuesday’s +$0.64),
  • Sage Therapeutics (SAGE +$0.29 after Wednesday’s +$0.40, Tuesday’s -$0.09 and Monday’s -$0.60),
  • Sangamo Therapeutics (SGMO +$0.1542),
  • Compass Therapeutics (CMPX +$0.12 after Wednesday’s -$0.02 and Tuesday’s -$0.11),
  • Generation Bio (GBIO +$0.12 after Wednesday’s +$0.25)
  • Precigen (PGEN +$0.09 after Wednesday’s $0.00)

 

Q1/24 – March

  • Thursday closed negative with 14 incliners, 20 decliners and 1 flat

 

The BOTTOM LINE: Indexes had closed higher on Wednesday after U.S. central bankers kept borrowing costs unchanged and indicated they still expect to ease interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point by the end of 2024.

But … I also write whether the Fed is being overly optimistic about inflation and rate cuts.

As the cell and gene therapy sector got stomped through-out the session post a negative open and a barely positive mid-day.

The cell and gene therapy sector closed Thursday negative … after

  • Wednesday and Tuesday closed positive
  • Monday’s negative close
  • Following last Friday’s positive as “covering” Triple -witching occurred after
  • Thursday’s negative close,
  • The previous Wednesday positive close, which I believed was aided by algorithms and electronic trading

 

Earnings, net losses, and per-share losses, runways and guidance have begun Q4 and FY23 which WILL be crucial to continue downside force in the sector as history has taught us i.e., investors.

  • I have seen 4 net income for the Q4 and FY23 - MiMedx (MDXG) and Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR) followed by Q4 CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Beam Therapeutics (BEAM) <but each had a FY23 loss>
  • 28 have reported … RegMed Investors (RMi) - Q4/23 & FY23 Cell and Gene Therapy Earnings Scorecard Results
  • https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/11628

Still not finished with Q4 and FY23 earnings releases, remaining:

  • BLCM, OTCQB: HRGN, BLUE, BCLI, CLLS, GRPH, FIXX, IONS,

 

“I ALSO reiterate, “Don't chase the cell and gene therapy sector, especially with the Nasdaq extended.” Short and non-sweet: SELL into STRENGTH – accumulate some “powder” i.e., cash!

 

The top three (3) performing in the session:

  • Thursday: Blueprint Medicine (BPMC), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Vericel (VCEL)
  • Wednesday: CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP), Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) and Fate Therapeutics (FATE)
  • Tuesday: Blueprint Medicine (BPMC), Solid BioSciences (SLDB) and Vericel (VCEL)
  • Monday:  Solid BioSciences (SLDB), Regenxbio (RGNX) and Sangamo Therapeutics (SGMO)

The worst three (3) in the session:  

  • Thursday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Voyager therapeutics (VYGR) and Solid BioSciences (SLDB),
  • Wednesday: Solid BioSciences (SLDB), Harvard Apparatus RT (OTCQB: HGGN) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY)
  • Tuesday: Verve Therapeutics (VERV), Graphite Bio (GRPH) and Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM) 
  • Monday: Blueprint Medicine (BPMC), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) 

 

BEWARE… How MANY TIMES AM I RIGHT … MORE than MOST!!

The Harvard Apparatus RT (OTC QB HRGN) formerly Biostage (BSTG) Chronicles: shows how the “pimp/pump and promote” share pricing works with WHAT news for so long …my treatise is VALIDATED!

  • Thursday closed up +$0.82 with 8,284 shares traded <3-mo aver = 3,721 shares>
  • Wednesday closed down -$0.97 with 8,835 shares traded
  • Tuesday closed up +$0.05 with 7000 shares traded
  • (3/18) Monday closed flat $0.00 with 624 shares traded
  • Friday closed down -$0.20 with 755 shares traded
  • Thursday closed flat with 0 shares traded
  • Wednesday closed up +$0.20 with 31,253 shares traded
  • Tuesday closed down -$0.15 with 2,232 shares traded <aver 3-m=2,955 shares>
  • (3/11) Monday closed down -$0.12 was -$0.23 and -$0.28) with 6,020 shares traded

Did you notice how it barely trades unless volume is being “pumped.”  This question needs to be answered as HRGN is desperate to finance by any means as past Chinese private placement investors must be feeling … WHAT … TAKEN to the cleaners?

Question, Is it a Ponzi Scheme?

 

Welcome to my world of defining the “grey’ in our universe!

  • Right up front, “I also hate to be so negative or contrarian but, this is a NO spin zone and facts are its product; I can always be WRONG but … I am mostly EARLY!”

 

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.