January 10, 2018 5:47pm

The sector opened down, stayed down and closed barely positive

When you start off the week and year the way we did, it's because of waning sentiment and its 2017 share pricing roots

 

While the NASDAQ (-0.2%) and XLV (-0.17%) were down although the IBB (+0.45%), XBI (+1.26%) and IWM (+0.01%) were up

 

After all the S.F. conferences's hype – “puff the magic dragon”, the hardships of the sector growing older with nominal share pricing results for most and then there are the issues of platforms

 

Pre-open indications: 6 hits and 1 miss (by pennies)

Out and about: The Biostage (BSTG -$0.09) chronicles …

Wednesday’s results have implications to Thursday’s sector activity as a daily report may say little or a lot and it serves as insurance that all indications are being examined and evaluated!

 

Henry’omics:

From the pre-open’s newsletter, “what matters? Share pricing performance while sentiment and opinion shape the prospects in the short term. In the short run, the market is like a voting machine - tallying up which firms are popular and unpopular. But in the long run, the market is like a weighing machine - assessing the substance of a company <Benjamin Graham>. The return on capital invested is overshadowed by reliance on capital market access, dilution and depreciation weighted by G&A spending as compared to share pricing!  The real issue is preponderance of the bouncing share price.”

As I had stated, “Where is all the news that should be emanating from the conference? Says it all, doesn’t it!”

A slow and bare upside (as the session ended) can be a double-edged sword for RegMed and cell therapy stocks. When the gain comes from a low volume; it signals that traders are becoming more confident about those considered oversold.

But, for how long …

Which fans a risk-on mood — an appetite for riskier investments?

 

The advance/decline line scenario of 40 SCGT & RT covered companies:   

·         The open was negative with an A/DL of 10/29 and 1 flat ;

·         The mid-day was negative with an A/DL of 17/23 and 0 flat;

·         The close was positive with an A/DL of 20/18 and 2 flat;

 

 

MY working trend lines or indications:

… The greatest volume to the downside:  MDXG, XON, CYTX, IMUC and JUNO

… Upside volume was weighted to:  NWBO, RENE.L, VCEL, SGMO and VTGN

… Biggest $ downside: MDXG (-$0.83), AXGN (-$0.70), CLLS (-$0.58), KOOL (-$0.50) and OSIR (-$0.34)

… Largest $ upside:  BLUE (+$2.45), (RGNX +$1.65), ONCE (+$1.37), SGMO (+$0.50) and VCEL (+$0.40)

… Flat: CAPR and AST

 

Pre-open indications:

  1. Applied Genetic Technologies (AGTC) closed up +$0.10 – miss;
  2. bluebird bio (BLUE) closed up +$2.45 –hit;
  3. Capricor (CAPR) closed flat $0.00 – hit;
  4. Cesca Therapeutics (KOOL) closed down -$0.50 – hit;
  5. Intrexon (XON) closed down -$0.28 – hit;
  6. Osiris Therapeutics (OSIR) closed down -$0.34 – hit;
  7. Verastem (VSTM) closed up +$0.02 – hit;

 

 

Out and about:

Biostage (BSTGD) This management team WIPED OUT 20 M of holder’s shares and investment!

Opened at $1.88 (previous closed $2.00) closed -$0.09 or -4.50% in a day’s range of $1.81 to $1.94 with low 6,693 shares traded; the share price had been down as much as -$0.32.  This follows the projected $1.32 post the 1-to-20 reverse split – a $4 M in-flow just followed a $30 M investment loss incurring a $47 M deficit!

NO scientists, a CEO, CFO and 2 accountants don’t make a company who couldn’t pay their rent or communicate their issues to past “fleeced” shareholders …

I am NOT “eating” my negative declaration, my OPINION is still “COVER UP of male and female harassment and corporate MISDEEDS “by members of management team!

What did happen to (reasons) and the story “around” the IND NOT being filed and the cmo and president leaving the company?

 

 

Daily analytics:

The S&P 500 and NASDAQ logged their first decline in 2018 as traders kept an eye on U.S. bonds following an accelerated rise in the yield on the 10-year Treasury note, prompted by a report that China is considering halting purchases of U.S. debt.

·         The S&P 500 index SPX, -0.11% lost 3.06 points, or 0.1%, to 2,748.23.

·         The NASDAQ slid 10.01 points, or 0.1%, to 7,153.57.

·         The Dow shed 16.67 points to 25,369.13.

 

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, Wednesday traded at 9.82, down -2.58% …

  • Tuesday traded at 10.08, up +5.88% after Monday traded at 9.52, up +3.25%, Friday traded at 9.22, flat at 0.00%, Thursday traded at 9.22, up +0.77% and last Wednesday traded at 9.15, down -6.35% …

 

Welcome to another day of the sector’s roller coaster …

… The iShares Russell 2000 (IWM) indicated:

·         Wednesday was up +0.01%

·         Tuesday was down -0.14%

·         Monday was up +0.17%

·         Friday was up +0.21%

·         Thursday was up +0.24%

·         Last Wednesday was up +0.12%

 

… The iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology (IBB) indicated:

·         Wednesday was up +0.45%

·         Tuesday was up +1.88%

·         Monday was down -1.33%

·         Friday was down -0.13%

·         Thursday was down -0.82%

·         Last Wednesday was up +1.41%

 

 

The count - decliners versus gainers:

……. look at the differences in decliners:

·         Wednesday’s decliners ranged from -0.17% <BLFS -$0.01> to -13.23% <KOOL -$0.50 > in 18 equities;

·         Tuesday’s decliners ranged from -0.28% <JUNO -$0.14> to -5.84% < BLCM -$0.55> in 18 equities;

·         Monday’s decliners ranged from -0.11%% <BLCM -$0.01> to -27.19% <CYTX -$0.13> in 26 equities;

·         Friday’s decliners ranged from -0.28% <BCLI -$0.01> to -20.88% <RGNX -$7.35> in 20 equities;

·         Thursday’s decliners ranged from -0.70% <PSTI -$0.01> to -8.45% <XON -$1.19> in 19 equities;

·         Last Wednesday’s decliners ranged from -0.62% <MDXG -$0.08> to -5.42% <CUR -$0.11> in 15 equities;

Versus

… Look at the percentage’s (%) and spreads …

·         Wednesday’s gainers ranged from +0.11% <BLCM +$0.01> to +10.12% <NWBO +$0.031> in 20 equities;

·         Tuesday’s gainers ranged from +0.68% <VSTM +$0.02> to +12.84% <KOOL +$0.43> in 22 equities;

·         Monday’s gainers ranged from +0.08% <ONCE +$0.04> to +9.16% <BTX +$0.23> in 13 equities;

·         Friday’s gainers ranged from +0.61% <JUNO +$0.29> to +73.75% <CYTX +$0.20> in 18 equities;

·         Thursday’s gainers ranged from +0.45% <QURE +$0.09> to +13.95% <AST +$0.30> in 21 equities;

·         Last Wednesday’s gainers ranged from +0.32% <KOOL +$0.01> to +17.81% <ADVM +$0.65> in 23 equities

 

 

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.