March 29, 2021 7:55am

The past couple weeks have marked the cell and gene therapy sector with lop-sided trading, as we head into the final sessions of Q1, a short-term reverse is upon us …

News: The Biostage (BSTG) Chronicles … the questions continued … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/11835

Pre-open indications:  3 BUYs, 3 SELLs and 1 Maintain SELL

Mentioned: AGTC, BSTG, EDIT, VSTM, NTLA, PSTI, BLUE

If you’re looking for sector intel, ideas and opinions or Insight in a volatile climate, RMi defines the mitigating factors of share pricing! 

RMi’s daily report is a primer that may say little or a lot; yet it serves as insurance that all indications are being examined and evaluated.

Dow futures are DOWN -0.38% (-126 points), S&P futures are DOWN -0.31% (-12 points) and NASDAQ futures are -0.06% (-8 points)

 

Stock futures traded lower early Monday after a record high in the final minutes of Friday’s session.

European stocks were mostly higher, tracking positive sentiment seen at the start of the trading week,

Asia Pacific stocks were mostly higher from reports that the giant container ship blocking the Suez Canal, the Ever Given, has been refloated and is being secured.

 

Henry’omics:

Short week ...the stock market is closed for the “Good Friday” holiday, but the March jobs report will still release that morning.

The S&P 500 (+1.66%)) and the Dow (+1.39%) ended a seesaw week higher as investors are rebalancing their portfolios at the quarter's end; while, the Nasdaq (+1.24%) ended higher posting its second (2nd) weekly decline in a row.

Fears of rising inflation eased after data showed tame price pressures. The core personal consumption expenditure price index, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.1% month over month, matching expectations from economists. Year over year, the gauge climbed 1.4%, slightly lower than a 1.5% estimate. <CNBC>

 

Friday’s evening’s recap: “cell and gene therapy sector strength migrated to weakness after indexes surged in last hour session surge following another “told-you-so” … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/11834

  • The Nasdaq closed UP +161.05 points (+1.24%);
  • The IBB closed up +0.31% and XBI closed down -1.59%;
  • Sector volume was LOW with only 1 of the 12-upside having higher than the 3-month average volume with the volume of 3 of 20-downside having higher than the 3-month average volume;
  • The CBOE Volatility Index (VVIX: INDEX) was down -0.95 points or -4.80% at 18.86
  • Friday’s percentage (%) of the 12-upside was +0.25% (BLCM) to +5.56% (VSTM) while the 20-downside ranges from -0.13% (RGNX) to -8.73% or -$0.44 (PSTI);

March: 8 positive, 11 negative and 1 neutral closes <with two (2) sessions left in month and quarter>

February: 9 positive, 10 negative closes and 1 holiday

January: 10 positive, 9 negative closes and 1 holiday

 

Companies in my headlights – It’s your decision; I provide an idea and context:

The Biostage (BSTG) Chronicles … the questions continued

Maintaining Sell: Questions continue …

Biostage (BSTG) closed flat again at $1.50 with 10 shares traded after Thursday’s flat at $1.50 with 39 shares traded, Wednesday’s -$0.04 to $1.50 with 688 shares traded, Tuesday’s +$0.04 to $1.54 with 1,001 shares traded after Monday’s +$0.05 to $1.50 with 2001 shares traded (“pumping and promoting” again?).

Question#1: WHEN are the 10-K and 10-Q filings to be filed versus due?

Question#2: RSM US LLP, will their AUDIT “OPINION” be “CRAYONED” regarding the MANY operational issues, lack of strategy and focus especially when they “seem” to be “pumping and promoting “the daily share price with stimulated volume”?

Question#3; WHERE have all these enquiries emanated from – auditors should ask Shunfu Hu, VP of business development and operations as to the displacement or lost or conveniently disposed of past accrued liabilities?

MINORITY PUBLIC shareholders are waiting, watching and weighting responses to MAINTAIN their RIGHTS.

 

SELLs:

Applied Genetic Technologies (AGTC) closed down -$0.18 to $5.09 after Thursday’s -$0.20 to $5.27 with a negative -$0.04 or -0.79% pre-market indication.

Editas Medicine (EDIT) closed down -$1.70 to $40.48 after Thursday’s +$1.19 to $42.18 after Wednesday’s -$5.09 to $40.99, Tuesday’s -$2.40 to $46.08, Monday’s +$3.48 to $48.48 and last Friday’s $45.00 with a negative -$0.48 or -1.19% pre-market indication.

Verastem (VSTM) closed up +$0.13 to $2.47 after Thursday’s +$0.03 to $2.34, Wednesday’s -$0.06 to $2.31, Tuesday’s $2.37 and last Monday’s +$2.43 with a negative -$0.02 or -0.81% pre-market indication.

 

BUYs:

bluebird bio (BLUE) closed up +$0.37 to $29.98 after Thursday’s +$1.33 to $29.61, Wednesday’s -$1.02 to $28.28, Tuesday’s $29.30 and last Monday’s $31.07 with a positive +$2.599 or +8.64% pre-market indication.

Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) closed up +$1.27 to $64.73 after Thursday’s +$2.25 to $63.46 with a negative +$0.28 or +0.43% aftermarket indication.

Pluristem (PSTI) closed down -$0.44 to $4.66 after Thursday’s $5.04, Wednesday’s $4.86, Tuesday’s $5.25 and last Monday’s $5.41 with a positive +$0.08 or +1.74% pre-market indication.

 

The BOTTOM LINE: It is hard to keep up with a volatile sector, which makes it not a good time to buy.

Cell and gene therapy stocks reversed course and ended lower in the week ended March 26, re-framing the short-term opportunity after weakness.

As I stated on Friday, “It’s over the “shake-down” of share pricing by algorithms and electronic trading”. This month of bouncing stock pricing in our universe of cell and gene therapy sector “skewered my outlook, leaving a haphazard path traveled and to be traversed”!

Based on entry levels, investors should be more traders and stay largely in cash and should be thinking about short-term engagements.

I STILL am a “beware or the cautious man” whose focus has always been “warning analysis” … earnings’ season is NOT over … my advice, trim and skim any new highs if one can!”

Many talk of horizons; “as I have lately, my time horizon is from a Monday to a Thursday’s (this week) close.”

 

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.