January 13, 2022 5:02pm

Not much worked today, with sector blood spilt on the streets

The Biostage (BSTG) Chronicles: Question, Is the “pimp/pump and promote” in full swing with the shares appreciating +$0.02 with 700 shares traded to +$0.78 to +$0.93 to +$0.77 to +$0.28 with 31,551 shares traded <3-month average = 2,728 shares> after Wednesday’s 44,200 shares traded? Just another example of a “House of Cards” – just a game of “fake it because they can’t make it? Overhang of non-registered PPM shares is also a factor beyond the terminal and wronfull death suit which their insurance company refused to cover or reimburse which hinders indemnification of a partner and management’s personal liabilities?

Pre-open Indication results: 2 HITs, 5 MISS

If I have learned one thing as a former research analyst, venture and public markets investor then a journalist; it is that your life and your bank account are largely tied to your questioning of price movements and targets.

Who else is tracking a broad representative of cell and gene therapy equities – with facts supported by real numbers?

The Dow closed DOWN -176.70 points (-0.49%); the S&P closed DOWN -57.32 points (-1.42%) while the Nasdaq closed DOWN -381.58 points (-2.51%)

 

Henry’omics:

Indexes struggled on Thursday as any interest in cell and gene therapy sector stocks faded.

 

Note:  Supreme Court blocks Biden vaccine mandate for businesses, backs health-care worker rule

  • The ruling came after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s emergency measure started to take effect.
  • The mandate required that workers at businesses with 100 or more employees must get vaccinated or submit a negative Covid test weekly to enter the workplace. It also required unvaccinated workers to wear masks indoors at work.

 

Economic data Docket: another inflation report showed a historically high rise in prices but was not as bad as some economists feared. The December producer price index rose 0.2% month over month. That was below the 0.4% expected by economists. However, the measure was up 9.7% year over year, which is the highest on record going back to 2010.

  • That report follows Wednesday’s December consumer price index, a key inflation measure, which increased 7% year over year, according to the department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was the highest annual reading since 1982, but the report was largely in line with expectations.
  • initial jobless claims for the week ending Jan. 8 came in at 230,000, above the 200,000 projected by economists. However, continuing claims declined.

 

RegMed Investors’ (RMi) pre-open: “how now brown cow”? Literal translation, what's happening next? What's up?” … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/12256

 

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

  • Thursday opened positive at 18 up/15 downs, 1 flat and 1 acquired, flipped negative at the mid-day at 9/24, 1 flat and 1 acquired, ending with a negative close of 6/27, 1 flat and 1 acquired;

 

Pre-open indication results: 2 Hits < Mesoblast (MESO -$0.14), Fate Therapeutics (FATE -$2.85)> 5 MISS < Biostage (OTCQB: BSTG +$0.63), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -$3.46), Editas Medicine (EDIT -$1.63), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA -$8.61), Vericel (VCEL -$0.80)

 

Key Metrics:

  • XBI hit a 52-week low of 99.04
  • Solid BioSciences (SLDB) hit a 52-week low of $1.46
  • Editas Medicine (EDIT) hit a 52-week low of $23.07
  • Verastem Oncology (VSTM) hit a 52-week low of $1.78
  • Regenxbio (RGNX) hit a 52-week low of $26.51
  • Fate therapeutics (FATE) hit a 52-week low of $43.15

Thursday - Sector volume was HIGHER with 4 of the 6-upside having higher than the 3-month average volume with LOW volume of 10 of 27-downside having higher than the 3-month average volume;

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

  • Thursday the IBB closed down -2.73% and XBI closed down -2.49%

The CBOE Volatility Index (VVIX: INDEX) tracked:

  • Thursday was up +2.75 points or +15.61% at 20.34

 

Jumping with share pricing momentum (6 of 6):

  • ReNeuron (RENE.L +$1.00 after Wednesday’s -$2.20, Tuesday’s -$2.30 and Monday’s -$2.00),
  • Biostage (BSTG +$0.63 after Wednesday’s +$0.77 and Tuesday’s +$0.87 – the “pump” was in),
  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY +$0.46),
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS +$0.28 after Wednesday’s +$0.50 and Tuesday’s +$0.84),
  • Homology Medicine (FIXX +$0.05),
  • Pluristem (PSTI +$0.01 after Wednesday’s +$0.04, Tuesday’s -$0.13 after Monday’s +$0.36),

Hammered in today’s market (10 of 27):

  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA -$8.61 after Wednesday’s -$7.28, Tuesday’s +$1.01 and Monday’s -$1.51),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -$3.46 after Wednesday’s -$2.85, Tuesday’s+$3.62 after Monday’s +$1.43),
  • Fate Therapeutics (FATE -$2.85 after Wednesday’s -$2.49),
  • Editas Medicine (EDIT -$1,63 after Wednesday’s -$2.27),
  • Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT -$1.43 after Wednesday’s -$1.07, Tuesday’s +$1.06 and Monday’s +$0.54),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS -$1.33 after Wednesday’s +$0.32, Tuesday’s -$0.49 and Monday’s +$1.27),
  • Ultragenyx (RARE -$1.32 after Wednesday’s -$1.55, Tuesday’s -$0.13 and Monday’s -$0.69),
  • Vericel (VCEL -$0.80 after Wednesday’s -$2.33, Tuesday’s -$0.36 and Monday’s +$2.46),
  • Chinook Therapeutics (KDNY -$0.48),
  • Cellectis SA (CLLS -$0.43),

Closing:

  • 1 – Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM) and 1- Stemline Therapeutics (STML) – acquired

 

January, Q1/2022:

  • Thursday closed negative with 6 incliners, 27 decliners, 1 flat and 1 acquired

 

The BOTTOM LINE: Back and forth rolls the sector.

Trust, conviction is lacking as Q4 and end-of-year earnings are about to be made aware of.

As I stated this a.m., “After being oversold, when will the overbought syndrome materialize – a kill-joy statement but, soon to be true as it is happening already.”

There are clear losers – Intellia therapeutics (NTLA) - again, CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP), Fate therapeutics (FATE), Editas medicine (EDIT) and winners – ReNeuron (RENE.L), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS), as we “lean” closer to the weekend.

Algorithms, hedge funds and traders continue to punish the cell and gene therapy stocks as valuations “creeped” up.

  • Early January 2022 can deliver some gains but also generate algorithmic based losses.

Reiterating from last year, 2021, “the stem, cell and gene therapy sector is still seen as vulnerable to extreme low volume moves in either direction, as share pricing risk stimulates their susceptibility!”

WHY do I keep analyzing Biostage (BSTG): When one sees an inextricable wrong and morally repulsive scenario; it takes courage, resolve and patience to stay the course of asking the questions without response!

Who is defining the metrics for investors and keeping you notified of the sector and market fluctuations?  What I provide is a trusted source of share pricing intelligence – it’s more than opinion, I deal in the facts and numbers that back them up.

 

 

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.