July 11, 2023 4:57pm

Many investors and traders are split on forecast ahead of inflation data

Pre-open Indications: 3 Hits and 4 Miss

Subscription is coming, it is not conscription but, an offer to join our collective of like-minded investors!  Join me … in the NO spin zone.

Never leave an investor uninformed! 

If I have learned one thing as a former research analyst in a venture and public fund, operating executive, adjunct (MBA) business school professor now a journalist; it is that your life and your portfolio are largely tied to your knowledge of price movements and questioning pricing targets.

 

The Dow closed UP +317.02 points (+0.93%), the S&P closed UP +29.73 points (+0.67%) while the Nasdaq closed UP +75.22 points (+0.55%)

 

Henry’omics:

We need to more than consider the economic environment - rising rates and inflation to comprehend the micro re “our” universe of cell and gene therapy companies …

Indexes rose Tuesday, a day after the major averages snapped a three-session decline, as traders await key inflation data slated for release later in the week.

An interesting quote, “While there is increasing evidence of near-term disinflationary trends, questions remain as to whether inflation will persist at uncomfortably high levels in the medium term." <Deutsche Bank strategist Jim Reid>

Economic Data Docket: The National Federation of Independent Business' Small Business Optimism Index rose to 91.0 in June from 89.4 in May.

 

Tuesday (7/11) … RegMed Investors’ (RMi) pre-open: “defining the risk topography. Sector equities seem skittish while some could remain range bound.” … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13038   

 

Pre-open Indications: 3 Hits < Agenus (AGEN +$0.04), BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$1.67), bluebird bio (BLUE $0.00)> and 4 Miss < Sage Therapeutics (SAGE +$1.66), Generation BIO (GBIO +$1.01), Beam Therapeutics (BEAM -$0.06), Blueprint Medicine (BPMC -$0.82)

 

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

  • Tuesday’s advance/decline line opened negative at 13 up/ 21 down and 1 flat, stayed negative with 16 up/ 17 down and 2 flats at the mid-day, ending with a positive close of 18 incliners, 14 decliners and 3 flats

 

Key Metrics:

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

  • Tuesday the IBB was up +0.06% and the XBI was down -0.47%

The CBOE Volatility Index (VVIX: INDEX) tracked:

  • Tuesday was down -0.21 point or -1.39% at 14.86

 

Closing Down (14 of 14):

  • Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR -$0.33 after Monday’s -$0.05),
  • Prime Medicine (PRMC -$0.35 after Monday’s +$0.42),
  • Ultragenyx (RARE -$0.52 after Monday’s -$0.40),
  • Blueprint Medicine (BPMC -$0.82 after Monday’s -$0.73),
  •  
  • Vericel (VCEL -$0.28 after Monday’s +$1.20),
  • uniQure NV (QURE -$0.18),
  • Fate Therapeutics (FATE -$0.18)
  • Compass therapeutics (CMPX -$0.12),
  • MiMedx (MDXG -$0.09),
  • Solid Biosciences (SLDB -$0.09 after Monday’s -$0.01),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM -$0.06 after Monday’s +$1.56),
  • Graphite Bio (GRPH -$0.06),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -$0.04 after Monday’s +$3.29),
  • Sangamo Therapeutics (SGMO -$0.01)

Flat (3):

  • AxoGen (AXGN)
  • Biostage (OTCQN: BSTB),
  • bluebird bio (BLUE)

Closing Up (10 of 18):

  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY +$2.34 after Monday’s +$7.13
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$1.67 after Monday’s +$0.92),
  • Sage Therapeutics (SAGE +$1.66 after Monday’s +$1.56),
  • Caribou Therapeutics (CRBU +$1.05 after Monday’s -$0.62),
  • Generation Bio (GBIO +$1.01),
  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA +$0.59 after Monday’s +$3.55),
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS +$0.32),
  • Mesoblast (MESO +$0.24 after Monday’s -$0.07),
  • Editas Medicine (EDIT +$0.13 after Monday’s +$0.41),
  • Regenxbio (RGNX +$0.09),

 

Q3/23 – July

  • Tuesday closed positive with 18 incliners, 14 decliners and 3 flats

 

The BOTTOM LINE: I try to keep it simple … and short!

I follow the dictum, quoting Churchill that “short words are best, and the old words when short are best of all.”

A session ahead of U.S. inflation data that could warrant a quicker end to Fed rate hikes?

Trying to take a few days/sessions off but, all it should entail is fewer words -- never losing the impact of the daily action.

There's a lot of uncertainty right now about whether electronic trading and algorithms will react to share pricing!

Coming issue, “The Nasdaq said it plans to rebalance the Nasdaq 100 index to "address overconcentration in the index by redistributing the weights." The changes will be announced on Thursday and will come into effect on July 24.” <IBD>

The coming issue is Q2 reporting is weeks if not a month away.

 

Right up front, “I also hate to be so negative or contrarian but, this is a NO spin zone and truth is its product; I can always be WRONG but, I am mostly EARLY!”

 

Unresolved issues affecting our perception of markets and the factors controlling them --- who is in CONTROL of our government as a dime sized coke bag was found in the West Wing of the White House, political investigation of the Bidens, future rate increases, the Ukraine war, Russia’s economic and political uncertainty and the major issue - recession - US and global could freezing investors' mood.

 

The top three (3) performing in the session:

·         Tuesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) - again, BioLife Solutions (BLFS), Sage Therapeutics (SAGE)

·         Monday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)

While The worst three (3) in the session:

·         Tuesday: Blueprint Medicine (BPMC), Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE) and Prime Medicine (PRMC)

·         Monday: Blueprint Medicine (BPMC), Caribou Biosciences (CRBU) and Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE) - again

 

WHY (?) do I keep posting, so investors can get a daily update of the sector's share pricing and some individual companies TRUTHS while electronic trading chews on our portfolio edges.

I am definitely considered a contrarian depending on the session – one has to be a watcher of the ups and downs as well as measurer of sentiment. I am also a NO trust investor but, a validate and verify journalist/analyst.

 

The NO spin zone! U.S. public shareholders deserve accountability …

 

Biostage (OTCQB: BSTG) … so many issues!

Tuesday closed flat with 45 shares traded after Monday closed flat with 7 shares traded, Friday closed down -$0.01, <3-month average = 754 shares>

·         Question: is OTCQB: BSTG a Ponzi scheme (with their pump/promote buy and sell agenda) as shares are bought to replace those sold?

·         Accumulated deficit:  $85,901 M – still NO product in sight – a 4-to-5-year clinical trial BEFORE they can evolve to a pediatric protocol!

·         OTCQB: BSTG is holding their annual meeting on 7/19, to vote the Beijing, China designated directors …??? Certainly NOT a US company ANYMORE!

·         How many chairman, executives, board and audit members, CMOs, CFOs and employees has BSTG EATEN since it spun out of Harvard BIO (HBIO) which STILL carries the financial (millions) burden from its spin-out by a BSTG chairman as he “shuffled” debt from individual named management!

 

Interesting SEC filing … re Biostage (OTCQB: BSTG) <SEC Form 8-K/A and SEC Form 4/A> their NEW Chairman/CEO has his employment agreement AMENDED … REDUCING his “number of milestone-based options granted to Mr. He”

 

My question that resounds, that should be asked is how many companies are at the end of sentiments …  leash?

 

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.