March 31, 2021 8:01am

Last session coming for month and Q1 in a shortened week with markets closed on Friday

Pre-open indications:  3 BUYs, 7 SELLs and 1 Maintain SELL

News: Athersys (ATHX, pre-market +$0.08) and its partner HEALIOS K.K. (Healios) have completed enrollment in the ONE-BRIDGE study in Japan evaluating MultiStem® (invimestrocel) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by pneumonia.

Mentioned: AGTC, ATHX, BLCM, BLUE, BSTG, CRSP, IONS, MESO, NTLA, KDNY, VCEL

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 -0.12% (-40 points), S&P futures are UP +0.06% (+3 points) and NASDAQ futures are UP +0.54% (+70 points)

 

U.S. stock futures were nixed early Wednesday after the Dow slipped from its record level,

European stocks also traded mixed with the pan-European Stoxx 600 hovered marginally above the flatline,

Asia-Pacific stocks declined as official data showed China’s factory activity growing in March as Australia bucked the trend.

 

Data Docket: Private payroll data from ADP will be released at 9:15 a.m. Economists expect 525,000 private jobs were added in March, well above the 171,000 added in February.

  • Investors are awaiting details on President Biden’s infrastructure $2 trillion plan to increase taxes (+28%) on Americans. The spending package could cost more than of $3 trillion.

 

Henry’omics:

Tuesday’s evening’s recap: “market dumps, sector jumps. Just another rotation, rebalance, cycle, circumvolution, a plain old shift or a recognition for being oversold” … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/11839    

  • The Nasdaq closed DOWN -14.25 points (-0.11%);
  • The IBB closed down -0.39% and XBI closed up +0.58%;
  • Sector volume had LOW with 6 of the 24-upside having higher than the 3-month average volume with the volume of 0 of 9-downside having higher than the 3-month average volume;
  • The CBOE Volatility Index (VVIX: INDEX) was down -1.13 points or -5.45% at 19.61;
  • Tuesday’s percentage (%) of the 24-upside were +0.21% (ADVM) to +10.61% (NTLA) while the 9-downside ranges from -0.12% (RGNX) to -8.33% (BSTG);

March: 9 positive, 12 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 down -$0.125 to $1.375 with 758 shares traded after Monday’s flat at $1.50 with 25 shares traded, Friday’s flat with 10 shares traded, Thursday’s flat at $1.50 with 39 shares traded and last Wednesday’s -$0.04 to $1.50 with 688 shares traded.

Question#1: WILL BSTG’s management and BOD along with its auditor RSM US LLP explain – WHY and WHEN the 8-K and 10-Q filings to be filed versus due- which is?

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

 

BUY from SELL:

Applied Genetic Technologies (AGTC) closed up +$0.12 to $4.89 after Monday’s $4.76 and last Friday’s $5.09 with a positive +$0.11 or +2.25% pre-market indication.

Bellicum Pharmaceuticals (BLCM) closed down -$0.23 to $3.38 after Monday’s $3.61 and Friday’s $3.96 with a positive +$0.08 or +2.37% pre-market indication post  https://ir.bellicum.com/news-releases/news-release-details/bellicum-reports-fourth-quarter-2020-financial-results-and ... HOLD being lifted on P1/2 dose-escalation trial evaluating BPX-601 and rimiducid in patients with previously treated metastatic prostate or pancreatic cancer.

bluebird bio (BLUE) closed up +$0.96 to $30.94 and has a positive +$0.38 or +1.38% pre-market indication.

 

Falling Knife:

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) closed down -$0.25 to $44.71 after Monday’s $44.96 and Friday’s $42.95 and a negative -$0.89 or -1.99% aftermarket indication.

 

Sell into Strength:

Athersys (ATHX) closed up +$0.03 to $1.64 with a positive +$0.08 or +4.88% pre-market indication on news of its partner HEALIOS K.K. (Healios) completing enrollment in the ONE-BRIDGE study in Japan evaluating MultiStem® (invimestrocel) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by pneumonia.

CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) closed up +$4.48 to $115.20 after Monday’s $110.72 and Friday’s $111.24 with a positive +$1.30 or +1.13% pre-market indication.

Chinook Therapeutics (KDNY) closed up +$1.09 after Monday’s $15.65 and last Friday’s $16.73 with a positive +$0.06 or +0.36% pre-market.

Mesoblast (MESO) closed -$0.29 to $8.26 after Monday’s $8.55 and Friday’s $8.67 with a positive +$0.55 or +6.66% aftermarket indication post last night’s operational and quarterly earnings’ release … http://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/03/30/2202019/0/en/Mesoblast-Operational-Highlights-and-Upcoming-Milestones.html

Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) closed up +$6.93 to $72.24 after Monday’s +$0.58 to $65.31, Friday’s +$1.27 to $64.73, Thursday’s +$2.25 to $63.46 with a positive +$0.61 or +0.84% pre-market indication.

Vericel (VCEL) closed up +$1.59 to $52.64 after Monday’s $51.05 and Friday’s $51.64 with a positive +$2.36 or +4.48% aftermarket indication.

 

The BOTTOM LINE: It is hard to keep up with a volatile sector, which makes it not a good time to buy; however, it’s hard to overlook the oversold, a few “falling knives” and always the sells.

Investing in cell and gene therapy equities is risky business; appreciation hinges mostly on two criteria; promising data from clinical trials or ultimately, regulatory approval.

The past couple weeks have been marked by choppy trading, especially heading into some of the final sessions of Q1.

Yet as, the cell and gene therapy stocks reverse course thus ending lower; short-term opportunities can be found after weakness.

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 this week’s Thursday’s 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.