May 23, 2025 5:35pm

Comin’ to carry my universe lower

And what do I see, a band of algos and electronic traders comin’ after me

Sometimes, I’m up, sometimes I’m down, tell my portfolio they were there

News: Moderna (MRNA -$0.46) has submitted an application to the FDA for review of its Spikevax 2025-2026 formula, targeting the SARS-CoV-2 variant LP.8.1. The submission is based on guidance from the U.S. FDA, which advised that COVID-19 vaccines should be updated to a monovalent JN.1 lineage, with a preference for the LP.8.1 variant.

Always be vigilant concerning your portfolio … why you need RMi!

Never leave an investor uninformed!  

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

My mission is to provide clear, actionable guidance on a regular basis to help investors and traders navigate the uncertain and often irrational financial markets.

I put hours of effort to create reporting, while leveraging my 40 years of operating. investigative and research experiences to analyze the key market-moving events and distill that into a cogent outlook.

 

Friday, RegMed Investors’ (RMi) pre-open: let it go, retail investors have no control… https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13931

Thursday night’s RegMed Investors (RMi) Closing Bell: sessions keep alternating into the worse and better of pricing … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13930

RegMed Investors (RMi) Research Note: Harvard Apparatus GT (OTCQB: HRGN): No partner, No cash, NO runway, extensive liabilities and debts to past employee and university associations … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13812

 

Friday: The Dow closed DOWN -256.02 points or -0.61%, the S&P closed DOWN -39.19 points or -0.67% while the Nasdaq closed DOWN -188.53 points or -1%

  • Indexes declined Friday after President Donald Trump raised trade fears again, warning Apple and recommending stiffer duties on the European Union

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

  • Today’s “roller coaster ride” of de-escalating and re-escalating tariff tensions is likely to be a permanent fixture of President Trump’s 2nd term
  • I say, it is a “primarily a negotiating tactic, but as most I foresee more volatility ahead

Friday’s advance/decline line opened with a negative 6 incliner, 26 decline and 3 flats ending with a negative close of 7 incliners, 25 decliners and 3 flats    

Metrics:  Friday, the IBB was down -0.17%, the XBI was down -0.25% while the VIX was up +2.11 points or +10.40% at 22.39

 

Q2/25 – May – 8 negative and 9 positive closes

  • April – 11 positive and 10 negative closes

Q1/25

  • March, 10 positive and 12 negative closes
  • February – 12 holiday, 11 negative and 7 positive closes
  • January - 2 holidays, 1 market close, 10 negative and 10 positive closes

 

Fridays Closing UP (7 of 7)

  • Blueprint Medicine (BPMC +$1.16 after Thursday’s -$1.17 after Wednesday’s -$1.49 after Tuesday’s -$0.48),
  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY +$0.96 after Thursday’s -$3.58 after Wednesday’s +$0.90),
  • Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE +$0.15 after Thursday’s +$0.10 after Wednesday’s -$1.94 after Tuesday’s +$0.58),
  • AxoGen (AXGN +$0.13),
  • Prime Medicine (PRME +$0.06),
  • Agenus (AGEN +$0.03 after Thursday’s +$0.13),
  • Mesoblast (MESO +$0.02 after Thursday’s -$0.43),

Flat (3)

  • bluebird bio (BLUE)
  • Harvard Apparatus RT (OTCQB: HRGN $0.00 after Monday’s -$0.14 after Friday’s $0.00
  • Homology Medicine (FIXX)

Friday’s Closing DOWN (10 of 25):

  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -$0.67 after Thursday’s +$0.54 after Wednesday’s -$2.26 after Tuesday’s -$0.09),
  • Vericel (VCEL -$0.46 after Thursday’s +$0.31 after Wednesday’s -$2.45),
  • Moderna (MRNA -$0.46 after Thursday’s +$0.92 after Wednesday’s -$2.19 after Tuesday’s +$1.53),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM -$0.41),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS -$0.32),
  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA -$0.30 after Thursday’s +$0.26, Wednesday’s -$0.47 after Tuesday’s +$0.56),
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS -$0.28 after Thursday’s -$0.24 after Wednesday’s -$0.97 after Tuesday’s +$0.47),
  • Regenxbio (RGNX -$0.15 after Thursday’s +$0.22),
  • Cellectis SA (CLLS -$0.09),
  • MiMedx (MDXG -$0.09 after Thursday’s -$0.18),

 

The BOTTOM LINE: Cell and gene therapy sector equities got squashed Friday after making a barely positive progress on Thursday, unfollowing Wednesday’ negative finish, Tuesday’s following Monday’s positive …

  • The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 5.71 points, or 0.3%, to 2,039.85.

As I have written, algos … Kiss my “tuchas” …  I keep warning of …induced …degrades, retrogrades and upgrades of share pricing.

“The losses were sharper in Europe after Trump said trade talks were going nowhere. Apple dropped after Trump threatened a 25% tariff on smart phones made outside the United States. U.S. stocks pared their loss through the day as traders weighed whether Trump’s latest threats were just negotiating tactics.” <Yahoo Finance>

For the week:

  • The S&P 500 is down 155.56 points, or 2.6%.
  • The Dow is down 1,051.67 points, or 2.5%.
  • The Nasdaq is down 473.89, or 2.5%.
  • The Russell 2000 is down 73.40 points, or 3.5%.

May ‘25: understand the “flow” …

  • 5/23 – Friday closed negative with 7 positive, 25 negative and 3 flats
  • 5/22 – Thursday closed positive with 19 positive, 14 negative and 2 flats
  • 5/21 – Wednesday closed negative with 3 positive, 30 negative and 2 flats
  • 5/20 – Tuesday closed positive with 23 positive, 9 negative and 3 flats
  • 5/19 – Monday closed positive with 23 positive, 12 negative and 1 flat
  • 5/16 - Friday closed positive with 29 positive, 3 negative and 3 flats
  • 5/15 – Thursday closed positive with 24 positive, 10 negative and 1 flat
  • 5/14 – Wednesday closed negative with 8 positive, 25 negative and 2 flats
  • 5/13 – Tuesday closed negative with 6 positive, 28 negative and 1 flat
  • 5/12 - Monday positive with 39 positive, 3 negative and 2 flats
  • 5/9 - Friday closed negative with 10 positive, 23 negative and 2 flats
  • 5/8 – Thursday closed positive with 25 positive, 8 negative and 2 flats
  • 5/7 - Wednesday closed positive with 16 positive, 15 negative and 4 flats
  • 5/6 – Tuesday closed negative with 2 positive, 31 negative and 2 flats
  • 5/5 - Monday closed negative with 9 positive, 23 negative and 3 flats
  • 5/2 – Friday closed positive with 24 positive, 8 negative and 3 flats
  • 5/1 - Thursday closed negative with 14 positive, 19 negative and 2 flats

 

I usually write/say “electronic trading and uncle algo” slips in and out, back doors reaping sector disharmony and then pops right back for some profiteering.

  • What can I say, love ‘em, leave ‘em and welcome back to save the sector’s honor – “uncle algo and his electronic dwarfs.” <me>

“I 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!”

  • If I have learned one thing as a former research analyst in a venture and public fund, operating executive, x-FBI, x-military officer and an adjunct (MBA) business school professor now a journalist; my life and your portfolio are largely tied to knowledge of price movements and questioning pricing targets and more.

 

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

The top three (3) performing in the session:   

  • Friday:
  • Thursday: Moderna (MRNA), CRISPR Therapeutics CRSP) and Vericel (VCEL)
  • Wednesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), uniQure NV (QURE) and Sangamo Therapeutics (SGMO)
  • Tuesday: Blueprint Medicine (BPMC), Moderna (MRNA) and Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE)
  • Monday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ) and Moderna (MRNA)

The worst three (3) in the session: 

  • Friday:
  • Thursday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Blueprint Medicine (BPMC) and AxoGen (AXGN)
  • Wednesday: Vericel (VCEL), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Moderna (MRNA)
  • Tuesday: AxoGen (AXGN), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) and Prime Medicine (PRME)
  • Monday: BioLife Solutions (BLFS), Blueprint Medicine (BPMC) and Verve therapeutics (VERV)

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.