March 29, 2024 7:53am

March and Q1/24 end tomorrow, Friday a market holiday with inflation numbers released at 8:30 a.m., ET

The Harvard Apparatus RT (OTCQB: HRGN) formerly Biostage (BSTG) Chronicles: Question, Is it a Ponzi Scheme? <see The Bottom Line> Q4 and FY23 earnings reporting - out on market holiday, Friday?

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The week in Review

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 +47.29 points or +0.12%, the S&P closed UP +5.56 points +0.11% while the Nasdaq closed DOWN -20.06 points or -0.12%

 

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 closed mixed in the last session of March and Q1/23 …

For Q2/23, the S&P 500 is up about 10%, It is on pace for its best Q1 gain since 2019, when it rallied 13.1%. The Dow is up 5.6% during the period, is tracking for its strongest Q1 performance since 2021 when it advanced 7.4%. The Nasdaq is up 9.1% in the quarter thus far

The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE), the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, is due on Good Friday, when the U.S. stock market will be closed.

Economic Data Docket: initial filings for unemployment insurance for the week that ended March 16 came in at 210,000, slightly lower than the 211,000 that economists surveyed by Dow Jones had predicted.

 

Thursday’s RegMed Investors’ (RMi) opening bell: “Occam’s Razor. Is a quarter’s end re-balancing in play beside inflation data?” …  https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13394

 

Advance/Decline (A/D) Line:

  • Friday is a market holiday
  • Thursday’s advance/decline line at the open was negative with 13 incliner, 21 decliners and 1 flat; ending with a negative close of 13 incliners, 19 decliners and 3 flat
  • Wednesday’s advance/decline line at the open was positive with 24 incliner, 10 decliners and 1 flat; ending with a positive close of 27 incliners, 7 decliners and 1 flat
  • Tuesday’s advance/decline line at the open was positive with 17 incliner, 13 decliners and 3 flats; ending with a negative close of 12 incliners, 22 decliners and 1 flat
  • Monday’s advance/decline line at the open was positive with 24 incliner, 9 decliners and 2 flats; ending with a barely positive close of 19 incliners, 16 decliners and 0 flat

 

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

Q1/24: March, 1 holiday, 8 positive and 12 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 down -0.41% and the XBI was up +0.01%
  • Wednesday, the IBB was up +1.41% and the XBI was up +2.42%
  • Tuesday, the IBB was down -0.10 % and the XBI was up +0.05%
  • Monday, the IBB was down -0.18% and the XBI was down -0.89%

The CBOE Volatility Index (VVIX: INDEX) tracked:

  • Thursday was up +0.26 point or +2.03% at 13.04
  • Wednesday was down -0.47 point or -3.55% at 12.
  • Tuesday was up +0.05 point or+0.38% at 13.24
  • Monday was up +0.13 point or +1% at 13.19

 

Thursday’s Closing Down (10 of 19):

  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY -$4.94 after Wednesday’s +$2.42),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -$2.00 after Wednesday’s -$0.81),
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS -$1.31 after Wednesday’s +$0.55 after Tuesday’s +$0.20 and Monday’s +$1.19),
  • Regenxbio (RGNX -$1.111 after Wednesday’s +$0.51 after Tuesday’s +$0.08 and Monday’s -$0.19)
  • Solid Biosciences (SLDB -$0.93 after Wednesday’s +$0.68),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM -$0.92 after Wednesday’s +$0.74 after Tuesday’s -$0.47),
  • Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM -$0.52),
  • Vericel (VCEL -$0.31 after Wednesday’s +$2.77 after Tuesday’s +$1.62 and Monday’s +$1.04),
  • Sage Therapeutics (SAGE -$0.30),
  • Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR -$0.25 after Wednesday’s -$0.46 after Tuesday’s +$0.76 and Monday’s +$0.25),

Flat (3):

  • Harvard Apparatus RT (HTGN $0.00 after Wednesday’s $0.00 after Tuesday’s +$0.06 and Monday’s -$0.056)
  • Fate Therapeutics (FATE)
  • Precigen (PGEN)

Thursday’s Closing Up (13 of 13):

  • Mesoblast (MESO +$1.52 after Wednesday’s -$0.44 and Tuesday’s +$1.73),
  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA +$0.49 after Wednesday’s +$0.76 and Tuesday’s -$0.57),
  • Generation Bio (GBIO +$0.37 and Wednesday’s +$0.53),
  • AxoGen (AXGN +$0.30),
  • Prime Medicine (PRME +$0.24),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$0.09),
  • Verve Therapeutics (VERV +$0.09),
  • MiMedx (MDXG +$0.09 after Wednesday’s -$0.01, Tuesday’s -$0.21 and Monday’s -$0.21),
  • Blueprint Medicine (BPMC +$5.12 after Tuesday’s +$1.46 and Monday’s +$1.18),
  • Sangamo therapeutics (SGMO +$0.0456),
  • Agenus (AGEN +$0.0236),
  • Caribou Biosciences (CRBU +$0.02),
  • Homology Medicine (CRBU +$0.02)

 

Q1/24 – March

Friday is a market holiday

Thursday closed negative with 13 incliners, 19 decliners and 3 flat

Wednesday closed positive with 27 incliners, 7 decliners and 1 flat

Tuesday closed negative with 12 incliners, 22 decliners and 1 flat

(3/25) Monday closed barely positive with 19 incliners, 16 decliners and 0 flats

Friday closed negative with 8 incliners, 27 decliners and 0 flats

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

Wednesday closed positive with 26 incliners, 7 decliners and 2 flats

Tuesday closed positive with 23 incliners, 12 decliners and 0 flat

(3/18) Monday closed negative with 8 incliners, 25 decliners and 2 flats

Friday closed positive with 23 incliners, 10 decliners and 2 flats

Thursday closed negative with 3 incliners, 30 decliners and 2 flats

Wednesday closed positive with 21 incliners, 13 decliners and 1 flat

Tuesday closed negative with 6 incliners, 27 decliners and 2 flats

(3/11) Monday closed negative with 7 incliners, 28 decliners and 0 flat

Friday closed negative with 16 incliners, 19 decliners and 0 flats

Thursday closed negative with 16 incliners, 17 decliners and 2 flats

Wednesday closed positive with 21 incliners, 14 decliners and 0 flat

Tuesday closed negative with 5 incliners, 29 decliners and 1 flat

(3/4) Monday closed negative with 6 incliners, 27 decliners and 2 flats

(3/1) Friday closed positive with 23 incliners, 10 decliners and 2 flats

 

The BOTTOM LINE:  March and Q1/23 is all but over as the market is closed on Good Friday

  • Data on Thursday showed the U.S. economy grew faster than previously estimated in the fourth quarter, partly due to strong consumer spending.
  • US Q4/22 growth revised up; weekly jobless claims fall
  • Overnight, Fed Governor Christopher Waller said recent disappointing inflation data affirms the case for the central bank to hold off on cutting its short-term interest rate target, but did not rule out trimming rates later in the year. <Reuters>

 

Reiterating, “It’s been a difficult month and 1st quarter of ups and downs, it’s a roller coaster of sentiment as earnings are released, a few offerings transpired – at depreciated pricing to get them “done” as I believe the sector has just been “treading water”!

As inflation flails the economy, the Fed, markets and our universe of cell and gene therapy sector; the “al clear” signal has NOT been given especially with a national election on the way and a seriously divided nation of voters.

 

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>
  • 29 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, 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:

  • Friday, a market holiday
  • Thursday: Mesoblast (MESO), Intellia therapeutics (NTLA) and Generation Bio (GBIO)
  • Wednesday: Blueprint Medicine (BPMC), Vericel (VCEL) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY)
  • Tuesday: Mesoblast (MESO), Vericel (VCEL) and Blueprint Medicine (BPMC)
  • Monday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Blueprint Medicine (BPMC) and Vericel (VCEL)

The worst three (3) in the session:  

  • Friday, a market holiday
  • Thursday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS)
  • Wednesday: CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP), Voyager therapeutics (VYGR) and Mesoblast (MESO)
  • Tuesday: Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) and BioLife Solutions (BLFS)
  • Monday: Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM), Sage Therapeutics (SAGE) 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!

  • Friday is a market holiday
  • Thursday closed flat with 150 shares traded
  • Wednesday closed flat with 1,600 shares traded
  • Tuesday closed up +$0.066 with 1,593 shares traded
  • Monday closed down -$0.056 with 1,225 shares traded
  • Friday closed down -$0.01 with 253 shares traded
  • 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
  • Friday closed down -$0.28 with 914 shares traded
  • Thursday closed flat with 7 shares traded
  • Wednesday closed up +$0.50 with 500 shares traded
  • Tuesday closed up +$0.0-9 with 851 shares traded
  • (3/4) Monday closed down -$0.69 with 10,409 shares traded (aver 3-mo= 2,765 shares)
  • (3/1) Friday closed up +$0.05 with 15,125 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 and where is the Q4 and FY23 earnings release - hiding ?

 

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.