May 2, 2024 10:32pm

The cell and gene therapy sector stayed-up on Thursday, 1 net income of 4 Q1/24 releases

A 360-degree review of the who, why, when and what happened in the sector as the market and economics surround your portfolio’s defense or offence.

Welcome back to the casino, where risk is left at the front door entrance!

Never leave an investor uninformed! A trusted source of factual reporting!

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 about – facts in evidence! 

 

Thursday: The Dow closed UP+322.37 points or +0.85%, the S&P closed UP +45.81 points or +0.91% while the Nasdaq closed UP +235.48 points or +1.51%

 

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 rose on Thursday night as investors prepared for Friday’s April jobs report.

With more than half of the trading week in the rearview mirror, the three major averages are on track to see losses.

Despite Thursday’s bounce, the major averages remain on pace to end the week in negative territory; the S&P 500 is off by -0.7% week to date, while the Nasdaq is down -0.6% and the Dow is down 0.04%.

Economic Data Docket: Thursday included muted jobless claims, a drop in planned layoffs, a surge in quarterly labor costs and a sharp deceleration in productivity.

  • Payrolls data due tomorrow, while other data indicated worker productivity was subdued in Q1.

 

Thursday’s RegMed Investors’ (RMi) opening bell: “Don't get excited as May evolves. During “earning’s” season, traders vote by buying and selling shares; in the short run trades are dictated by meeting “street” expectation including LPS (loss-per-share) as compared to few if ever net income.” …  https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13444

 

RegMed Investors (RMi) - Q1/24 Cell and Gene Therapy Earnings Scorecard Results … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/11628

 

Advance/Decline (A/D) Line:

  • Thursday’s advance/decline line at the open was positive with 18 incliner, 16 decliners and 1 flat; ending with a positive close of 25 incliners, 9 decliners and 1 flat

 

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

Q2/24: 2 positive closes

  • April; 16 negative and 6 positive closes

 

Key Metrics:

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

  • Thursday, the IBB was up +0.90% and the XBI was up +1.16%

The CBOE Volatility Index (VVIX: INDEX) tracked:

  • Thursday was down -0.71 point or -4.61% at 14.68

 

Thursday’s Closing Down (9 of 9):

  • Agenus (AGEN -$0.74 after Wednesday’s +$1.14 after Tuesday’s -$0.64 and Monday’s +$1.07),
  • AxoGen (AXGN -$0.68),
  • Sage Therapeutics (SAGE -$0.18 after Wednesday’s -$0.66),
  • Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE -$0.10 after Wednesday’s +$0.76, Tuesday’s -$1.48 and Monday’s -$0.22)
  • Caribou Biosciences (CRBU -$0.05),
  • Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI -$0.0362),
  • Sangamo Therapeutics (SGMO -$0.0218),
  • bluebird bio (BLUE -$0.006),
  • Bellicum Pharmaceuticals (BLCM -$0.0054 after Wednesday’s -$0.0054),

Flat (1):

  • Precigen (PGEN)

Thursday’s Closing Up (10 of 25):

  • Blueprint Medicine (BPMC +$12.14 after Wednesday’s +$3.64 and Tuesday’s -$1.76),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$1.26 after Wednesday’s +$0.82, Tuesday’s -$1.84 and Monday’s +$0.92),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM +$0.98),
  • Vericel (VCEL +$0.80 after Wednesday’s +$1.21, Tuesday’s -$0.80 and Monday’s +$0.62),
  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA +$0.77 after Wednesday’s +$1.10),
  • Solid Biosciences (SLDB +$0.69),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$0.68 after Wednesday’s -$0.06),
  • Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ +$0.60 after Wednesday’s -$0.06, Tuesday’s -$0.63 and Monday’s +$0.78) <was Graphite Bio (GRPH)>,
  • Regenxbio (RGNX +$0.44 after Wednesday’s +$0.85, Tuesday’s -$0.70 after Monday’s -$0.14
  • Cellectis SA (CLLS +$0.42 after Wednesday’s -$0.024),

 

Q2/24 – May

  • Thursday closed positive with 25 incliners, 9 decliners and 1 flat
  • Wednesday closed positive with 28 incliners, 6 decliners and 1 flat

 

The BOTTOM LINE: April’s over; and the next few months are sure to be bumpy.

  • Are we as investors, "kind of stuck in the middle between FOMO, fear of missing out, and FOLA, that fear of losing it all,"
  • The cell and gene therapy sector was positive on Thursday, Wednesday after being hammered on Tuesday, bounding on Monday after Friday’s rebound

The old saying, "Sell in May and go away" is not just folklore — stock market history supports it.

  • History shows stock market performance tends to sag from May to October compared with the November-April period. Still, investors can expect low single-digit gains over the next six months.
  • But the results have been less dramatic in the last 10 years, with the November-April period gaining 5.5% vs. a 4% increase the other six months. And the gap has widened slightly over the last five years, to 6% vs. 4%, according to Dow Jones Market Data. <IBD>

Q1/24 Reporting Season, it’s all about LPS (loss-per-share), cash positions and runways:

  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) and Agenus (AGEN) on Tuesday, 5/7
  • Editas Medicine (EDIT), Vericel (VCEL)and Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ) on Wednesday, 5/8
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA), Sangamo Therapeutics (SGMO) on Thursday, 5/9

Earnings today: https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/11628

  • ALNY:  Q1 loss, tops revenue estimate
  • AXGN: Q1 loss, lags revenue estimates
  • BPMC: Q1 net incomes, surpasses revenue estimates

Earnings next week - whispers;

  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS) to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on lower revenues. BLFS is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.26 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +18.8%. Revenues are expected to be $29.3 million, down 22.3% from the year-ago quarter.
  • Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM) to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on lower revenues
  • Beam Therapeutics Inc. (BEAM) is expected to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues

 

Reiterating:  Is Agenus (AGEN preparing for an offering … $300 common stock <134,512,851 shares>, preferred stock, warrants and debt securities … Shelf Filing … Post Effective Amendment … reasoning for the “Share Reverse”?

Agenus (AGEN) shares dropped Thursday -$0.74 after Wednesday’s +$1.14 after Tuesday’s dive -$0.64 after jumping Monday +$1.07 after Friday’s +$3.39, Thursday’s +$0.88, Wednesday +$0.96, Tuesday’s +$0.39, Monday’s $5.70 and last Friday’s $5.31 +$0.

  • 4/12, a stock reverse of 1/20 split
  • AGEN has regained compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement set forth in NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). Accordingly, AGEN now satisfies all requirements for continued listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market and the matter is now closed.
  • Notice how AGEN is pushing its earnings release much earlier than is has in past!

https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0001098972/2aeed437-11b5-4133-be70-d8c22ec43843.pdf

  • A sales agreement prospectus supplement that covers the potential offering, issuance and sale from time to time of up to 134,512,851 shares of Agenus’ common stock pursuant to a sales agreement with B. Riley Securities, Inc. (formerly B. Riley FBR, Inc.).

 

The top three (3) performing in the session:  

  • Thursday: Blueprint Medicine (BPMC), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Beam therapeutics (BEAM)
  • Wednesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Blueprint Medicine (BPMC) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS)
  • Tuesday: Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM), Solid Biosciences (SLDB) and uniQure NV (QURE)
  • Monday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Agenus (AGEN) and Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA)

The worst three (3) in the session:

  • Thursday: Agenus (AGEN), AxoGen (AXGN) and Sage Therapeutics (SAGE)
  • Wednesday: Sage Therapeutics (SAGE), BioLife Solutions (BLFS) and Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ)
  • Tuesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Blueprint Medicine (BPMC), and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)
  • Monday: Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE), Solid Biosciences (SLDB) and Regenxbio (RGNX)

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.