December 16, 2024 5:02pm

After last week’s weasels got spun out

I say today what others won't, so you can do what others can't by sticking to the FACTS!

Never leave an investor uninformed!  

On point, short on words, long on facts and being judicious!

Invest like you're driving on an icy, windy road, not an open highway.

 

Monday: The Dow closed DOWN -110.34 points or -0.25%, the S&P closed UP +22.99 points or +0.38% while the Nasdaq closed UP +247.17 points or +1.24%

  • Indexes closed mixed as Nasdaq rose to a record

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

  • S&P Global's flash US composite PMI, which captures activity in both the services and manufacturing sectors, came in at 56.6 in December, up from 54.9 in August. Economists had expected the index to tick up to 55.1.

Monday’s advance/decline line at the open was positive with 27 incliners, 7 declined and 1 flat; ending with a positive close at the close of 21 incliner, 11 decliners and 3 flats

  • Last week, who went down; went up this …

Metrics:  Monday, the IBB was UP +0.64 %, the XBI was up +1.38% while the VIX was up +0.86 points or +6.23% at 14.67

 

Ebb and flow of MY covered sector cell and gene therapy session daily “endings”: 

Q4/24 – 3 positive and 8 negative closes

  • November – 1 holiday, 10 negative and 10 positive closes              
  • October: 8 positive and 15 negative sessions

 

Monday’s Closing Down (11 of 11):

  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY -$1.45 after Friday’s +$0.18),
  • Vericel VCEL -$1.01 after Friday’s +$0.46),
  • Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE -$0.38 after Friday’s -$1.11),
  • Solid Biosciences (SLDB -$0.31 after Friday’s +$0.23),
  • Verve Therapeutics (VERV -$0.30 after Friday’s -$0.52),
  • Agenus (AGEN -$0.22),
  • Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ -$0.12 after Friday’s +$0.19),
  • Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM -$0.11 after Friday’s -$0.35)
  • Sage Therapeutics (SAGE -$0.04),
  • Cellectis SA (CLLS -$0.03),
  • Precigen (PGEN -$0.0017)

Flat (3)

  • Caribou Biosciences (CRBU)
  • Generation Bio (GBIO)
  • Homology Medicine (FIXX)

Monday’s Closing Up (10 of 21):

  • Blueprint Medicine (BPMC +$2.20 after Friday’s +$0.61),
  • uniQure NV (QURE +$2.00 after Friday’s +$0.34),
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS +$1.49 after Friday’s -$0.40),
  • bluebird bio (BLUE +$1.47 after Friday’s -$1.26),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM +$1.00),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$0.67),
  • Sangamo Therapeutics (SGMO +$0.595 after Friday’s +$0.14),
  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA +$0.48),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$0.46 after Friday’s -$1.62),
  • Mesoblast (MESO +$0.34 after Friday’s +$1.39),

 

The BOTTOM LINE:   New week as sector pops – after the Nasdaq roared…  closing over 1.2% higher and marking a new record high.

A meeting by the Fed later this week that could set market’s direction into 2025 with a possible or expected cut to interest rates at its December meeting

A lot changed as I have written, “uncle algo and his trading dwarfs” who determine the heights or lows of share pricing” … came back to visit.

The cell and gene therapy sector stocks kicked off the 3rd week of December, the final month of 2024 with

  • 1 positive close …
  • Last week, ended with 5 negative closes
  • The previous week, Monday positive followed by Thursday and Wednesday, Tuesday’s negative closes followed by the previos, previos Friday's positive close

 

December is traditionally a good month for stocks, yet I see the sector range-bound and taking some hits into the end of 2024.

  • Never forget, end of year tax selling
  • Portfolio managers are addressing rotations as year comes to years-end.
  • I keep writing about uncertainty and skepticism … and coming realities.
  • Even with the potential for some market hiccups along the way, the good news is Q4 has historically skewed positively, even after sector earnings kicked the bucket down the road!

 

Why do I keep repeating, so investors can make the connection …

The top three (3) performing in the session:    

  • Monday: Blueprint Medicine (BPMC), uniQure NV (QURE) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS)
  • Friday: Mesoblast (MESO), Blueprint Medicine (BPMC) and Vericel (VCEL)

The worst three (3) in the session: 

  • Monday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Vericel (VCEL) and Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals RARE)
  • Friday: CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP), bluebird bio (BLUE) and Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals RARE)

Welcome to my world of defining the “grey’ in our universe!

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

 

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 it’s 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.