January 28, 2021 5:24pm

News: Applied Genetic Technologies (AGTC) prices 16.741 M share offering and warrants at $4.45; Bellicum Pharmaceuticals (BLCM) the U.S. FDA has lifted the clinical hold on patient enrollment and dosing in an ongoing P1/2 dose-escalation clinical trial evaluating BPX-601 and rimiducid in patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic or prostate cancer.

Pre-open indication results: 10 HITs and 2 MISS – again it’s good to be right!

Subscription is coming, it’s not conscription but, an offer to join our collective of like-minded investor profiting! Numbers based facts speak better then opinion as I see answers in numbers

Sector earnings LPS (loss-per-share) season is about to begin? 


The Dow closed UP +300.19 points (+0.99%); the S&P closed UP +36.61 points (+0.98%) while the Nasdaq closed UP +66.56 points (+0.50%)

 

Henry’omics:

Indexes jumped on Thursday, roaring back from a sharp sell-off that saw the S&P 500 and the Dow suffer their worst drop in three months.

Funds considers liquidity issues as they make markets after these wild trading “games” as many vent that “Wall Street” is losing control … it’s a messaging problem – not condoning but, it’ seems to be about embracing individual risk and turning the table in a populist investing movement.

Investors do NOT want to be protected from themselves, regulators need to control who is the arbiter of where one can investor their own money?

Speculation on a stock symbol is a rebellion issue … it’s not a pump and dump; there is a lot or more of animosity against Wall Street firms or talking down to retail investors – they have power … now in this COVID-19 environment!

Trading volume exploded amid the retail buying spree in the previous session with 23.7 billion shares changing hands, marking the heaviest trading day since at least 2007. On Wednesday, U.S. equity option volumes hit a record 24.5 billion shares and 57.1 million contracts. <Piper Sandler>

Retail investors have a different mindset that hasn’t been “PLAYED” to for more than a length of time!

 

Pre-open indication results: 10 HITs <BUYS: AxoGen (AXGN +$0.71), Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS +$1.50), Vericel (VCEL +$0.95); SELL into Strength: Applied Genetic Technologies (AGTC -$0.50), Homology Medicine (FIXX -$0.03), Ultragenyx (RARE +$4.44), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY -$0.65), Cellectis SA (CLLS +$0.46), Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT -$2.46), Precigen (PGEN -$0.85) and 2 MISS < Bellicum Pharmaceuticals (BLCM -$0.04), Biostage (BSTG +$0.06 with 15,497 shares traded - market manipulation?)>

 

Data Docket: The ranks of the unemployed swelled yet again in the latest week.

  • The Department of Labor released its weekly: Initial jobless claims, week ended Jan. 23: 847,000 vs. 875,000 expected, and an upwardly revised 914,000 in prior week. Continuing claims, week ended Jan. 16: 4.771 million vs. 5.088 million expected, and a downwardly revised 4.794 million in the prior week.
  • Also, gross domestic product increased at a 4.0% pace in the fourth quarter, slightly below the 4.3% expectation from economists.

 

Sentiment and COVID-19 infections:

The bounce-back effect took place … lifting share pricing as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health plans to study how effective existing Covid-19 vaccines are against new variants.

Infection cases <Million>: never to forget …

  • Thursday 25.60 M cases,
  • Thursday’s death rate totaled 428,322 <Johns Hopkins University>

 

RegMed Investors’ (RMi) pre-open: why the “bail”, the tail risks have gotten just too skewed. I seek advantage in forecasting share pricing declines and incline bounces by refining my indications and warning analysis” https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/11742

 

RegMed/Stem/Cell and Gene therapy’s 35 covered equities’ Advance/Decline (A/D) lines: progressions and regressions …

  • Thursday opened positive at 24/8 and 3 flats, stayed positive at the mid-day to18/16 and 1 flat, closing positive at 18/15, 1 flat and 1 acquired;
  • Wednesday at the mid-day was negative at 7/25 and 3 flats, closing negative at 4/26, 1 flat and 1 acquired;
  • Tuesday opened negative at 13/21 and 1 flat, stayed negative at the mid-day to 7/26 and 2 flats, closing negative at 3/31 and 1 acquired;
  • Monday opened positive at 22/10 and 3 flats, flipped neutral at 16/16 and 3 flats, strayed negative at the mid-day to 14/20 and 1 flat, flipped again positive at 22/12 and 1 flat closing positive at 21/13 and 1 acquired;

 

Key metrics:

  • Sector volume was LOW with 4 of the 18-upside having higher than the 3-month average volume with the increased volume of 6 of 15-downside having higher than the 3-month average volume;
  • Thursday’s percentage (%) of the 18-upside were +0.42% (PSTI) to +10.98% (NTLA) while the 15-downside ranges from -0.24% (FIXX) to-11.24% (AGTC);

 

There are clear winners — and losers — heading into the first month of 2021.

Jumping with share pricing momentum:

  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA), Ultragenyx (RARE), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP), Fate Therapeutics (FATE), Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) to name 5 of the 18 inclining of the 35 covered

Hammered in today’s market:

  • ReNeuron (RENE.L), Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT), bluebird bio (BLUE, Sage Therapeutics (SAGE), Precigen (PGEN) to name 5 of the 15 declining of the 35 covered

 

Thursday’s (10 of 18) incliners:

  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA +$5.86 after Wednesday’s -$6.14, Tuesday’s -$7.15 and Monday’s -$2.96);
  • Ultragenyx (RARE +$4.44 after Wednesday’s -$6.79);
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$3.47 after Wednesday’s -$5.58, Tuesday’s -$11.71 and Monday’s -$7.25);
  • Fate Therapeutics (FATE +$3.39);
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS +$1.50 after Wednesday’s -$3.33);
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$1.24 after Wednesday’s -$2.52);
  • Vericel (VCEL +$0.95);
  • AxoGen (AXGN +$0.710;
  • Editas Medicine (EDIT +$0.63);
  • Cellectis SA (CLLS +$0.46 after Wednesday’s -$2.32);

Thursday’s (10 of 15) decliners:

  • ReNeuron (RENE.L -$4.00 after Wednesday’s -$4.50, Tuesday’s -$5.00 and Monday’s -$2.00);
  • Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT -$2.46 after Wednesday’s +$3.31);
  • bluebird bio (BLUE -$1,77 after Wednesday’s +$0.70);
  • Sage Therapeutics (SAGE -$1,26 after Wednesday’s -$2.95, Tuesday’s -$3.50 and Tuesday’s -$6.98 and Monday’s +$1.91);
  • Precigen (PGEN -$0.85 after Wednesday’s +$1.14);
  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY -$0.65 after Wednesday’s -$14.63, Tuesday’s -$5.67 and Monday’s +$3.31);
  • Chinook therapeutics (KDNY -$0.54);
  • Applied Genetic Technologies (AGTC -$0.50);
  • uniQure NV (QURE -$0.42 after Wednesday’s -$1.95);
  • Athersys (ATHX -$0.10);

Closing flat 1 Regenxbio (RGNX) and 1 -Stemline Therapeutics (STML – acquired)

 

Stats:

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

  • Thursday, the IBB closed up +0.35% and XBI closed down -0.43%
  • Wednesday, the IBB closed down -3.02% and XBI closed down -1.35%
  • Tuesday, the IBB closed down -1.74% and XBI closed down -1.76%
  • Monday, the IBB closed up +1.86% and XBI closed up +3%

The CBOE Volatility Index (VVIX: INDEX) tracked:

  • Thursday was down -7.00 points or – 18.81% at 30.21
  • Wednesday was up +14.19 points or +61.64% at 37.21
  • Tuesday was down -0.17 points or -0.73% at 23.02
  • Monday was up +1.28 points or +5.84% at 23.19

Upside volume:

  • Thursday: 4 out of the 18-upside had higher than the 3-month average volume;
  • Wednesday: 4 out of the 4-upside had higher than the 3-month average volume;
  • Tuesday: 9 out of the 31-upside had higher than the 3-month average volume;
  • Monday: 6 out of the 21-upside had higher than the 3-month average volume;

Downside volume:

  • Thursday: 6 out of the 15-downside had higher than the 3-month average volume;
  • Wednesday: 15 out of the 26-downside had higher than the 3-month average volume;
  • Tuesday: 1 out of the 3-downside had higher than the 3-month average volume;
  • Monday: 7 out of the 13-downside had higher than the 3-month average volume;

Percentage (%) movement/range statistics: a 360 degrees comparison of % and pricing

  • Thursday’s percentage (%) of the 18-upside were +0.42% (PSTI) to +10.98% (NTLA) while the 15-downside ranges from -0.24% (FIXX) to-11.24% (AGTC);
  • Wednesday’s percentage (%) of the 4-upside were +1.52% (BLUE) to +14.07% (PGEN) while the 26-downside ranges from -2.55% (VSTM) to-14.63% (ALNY);
  • Tuesday’s percentage (%) of the 3-upside were +1.37% (BLCM) to +18.42% (BSTG) while the 31-downside ranges from -0.11% (MESO) to-10.01% (NTLA);
  • Monday’s percentage (%) of the 21-upside were +0.10% (CLLS) to +10.82% (ATHX) while the 13-downside ranges from -0.44% (EDIT) to -4.18% (CLBS);

 

January, the 1st month of Q1 …

Thursday closed positive with 18 advancers, 15 decliners, 1 flat and 1 acquired

Wednesday closed negative with 4 advancers, 26 decliners, 1 flat and 1 acquired

Tuesday closed negative with 3 advancers, 31 decliners and 1 acquired

Monday (1/25) closed positive with 21 advancers, 13 decliners and 1 acquired

Friday closed negative with 21 advancers, 13 decliners and 1 acquired

Wednesday closed negative with 18 advancers, 16 decliners and 1 acquired

Tuesday closed positive with 18 advancers, 14 decliners, 2 flats and 1 acquired

Monday (1/18) was a holiday

Friday closed negative with 10 advancers, 24 decliners and 1 acquired

Thursday closed positive with 27 advancers, 7 decliners and 1 acquired

Wednesday closed positive with 10 advancers, 21 decliners and 4 flats

Tuesday closed positive with 21 advancers, 13 decliners and 1 flat

Monday (1/11) closed negative with 13 advancers, 20 decliners and 2 flats

Friday closed negative with 16 advancers, 18 decliners and 1 flat

Thursday closed positive with 31 advancers, 2 decliners and 2 flats

Wednesday closed positive with 22 advancers, 12 decliners and 1 flat

Tuesday closed positive with 19 advancers, 14 decliners and 2 flats

Monday (1/4) closed positive with 26 advancers, 7 decliners and 2 flats

 

The Bottom Line: An uplift after a deep swing downward … my view, “investors want to profit” and tired of the old traditional investing waves and want the emotion, buying on weakness and selling into highs back in the equation – watch indications!

Signs of a bubble continues to concern me, record highs followed by lows and then redeemed to the upside.

There is STILL a short-term tone in the sector – “our’ universe of RegMed, stem, cell and gene therapy equities.

Forewarned … earnings LPS (loss-per-share) season is coming quickly – my advice, trim and skim!!

 

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.