June 18, 2025 8:11am

Funny how bounces evolve into trounces and back again

While market tension escalates speculation that the U.S. will get involved in the conflict between Iran and Israel after five days ago and the there is the Fed proclamation

Breaking Econs: New housing construction hit its lowest level in five years for May. Starts ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.256 M for the month, down 9.8% from April and the slowest since May 2020 as the economy was reeling from the Covid pandemic. Economists had been looking for 1.35 M. Building permits also slid more than expected, totaling 1.393 M off 2% from the prior month and below the 1.42 M forecast.

Initial unemployment claims for the week ending June 14 totaled a seasonally adjusted 245,000, down 5,000 from the prior week and right around the estimate for 246,000. Continuing claims, which run a week behind, nudged lower to 1.945 M, though the longer-term trend held around highs last seen in November 2021.

The Fed’s rate decision is due at 2 p.m. ET.

 

  • Expected to hold rates steady, but investors will be keeping a close eye on Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s post-meeting comments.

Pre-open Indications: 3 Sell into Strength, 1 Sell and 3 BUYs

No false narratives or fake news; to read insights and analysis on the latest sector action, check out Pre-Open Brief

Never leave an investor uninformed!

Remember that overnight and pre-open actions’ futures and markets doesn’t necessarily translate into actual trading in today’s market session.

“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!”

My interpretation of the morning’s numbers is written to be informative; it’s built on what happened to make “it” happen today!

 

Tuesday’s night’s … RegMed Investors (RMi) Closing Bell: I love the smell of gene therapy sentiment in the morning!! … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13964

RegMed Investors (RMi) Research Note: Harvard Apparatus GT (OTCQB): PONZI Scheme at its best or was convicted Bernie Madoff also resurrected … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13812

 

Wednesday: The pre-open Dow futures are UP +0.10% or (+45 points), the S&P futures are UP +0.17% or (+10 points) and the Nasdaq futures are UP +0.25% or (+55 points)

  • U.S. stock futures were mixed and moderately evolving hesitantly upward Wednesday, 6/18
  • European stocks in mixed territory,
  • Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed

 

Henry’omics: We need to more than consider the economic environment to comprehend the micro re “our” universe of cell and gene therapy companies

  • Tuesday: The Dow closed DOWN -299.29 points or -0.70%, the S&P closed DOWN -50.39 points or -0.84% while the Nasdaq closed DOWN -180.12 points or -0.91%
  • Monday: The Dow closed UP +317.30 points or +0.75%, the S&P closed UP +56.14 points or +0.94% while the Nasdaq closed UP +294.39 points or +1.52%
  • Last week dragged the major averages into negative territory on the week. The S&P 500 lost -0.4%, while the Nasdaq slid -0.6% and the Dow fell 1.3%.

Economic Data Docket Housing starts, Building permits, initial jobless claims and then there is the Fed interest rate decision and Jerome’s press conference

 

Q2 – June – 5 negative, 1 neutral and 6 positive closes

  • May – 1 market holiday, 10 negative and 11 positive closes
  • Q2 - April – 10 negative and 11 positive closes

 

Companies in my headlights – It’s your decision; I provide ideas and context

I post about “indication intelligence” looking toward investment conferences … to assist investors with insight into sector vulnerabilities and strengths.  A dictionary definition of “indicate” refers to something less than a certainty; an indication could be a signal of being oversold or overbought, a recommendation, or grounds for inferring or a basis for believing.

  • Better part of valor to not lead any investor to temptation; yet again, I am passing on forecasting the daily indications as to expectation while the aftermarket blanked while the pre-open waits for the …  econs, it is still a mix of ups, downs and just uncertainty

Pre-open Indications:

Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals RARE) closed down -$0.45 with a positive +$0.14 - BUY

CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP closed up +$1.61 with a positive +$0.25 - SELL into Strength

Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) closed up +$0.62 with a positive +$0.10 - SELL into Strength

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) closed up +$0.91 with a positive +$0.27 - SELL into Strength

Moderna (MRNA) closed down -$0.45 with a negative -$0.09 – BUY

Solid Biosciences (SLDB) closed down -$0.41 with a positive +$0.12 - BUY

VERVE Therapeutics (VERV) closed up +5.11 with a negative -$0.16 - SELL

 

The BOTTOM LINE: Investors are heading into the coming week’s 2-day Fed meeting facing a wide band of uncertainty around the path ahead for the U.S. economy, inflation, and interest rates — which has the potential to keep stocks rangebound, make them more volatile, or both through the end of the year.” <MarketWatch>

  • Not a clairvoyant, there are geopolitical tensions that cause sessions that are just a flip-of-the-coin

 

Interesting Info: The M&A list evolves: Blueprint Medicine (BPMC) by Bristol Meyers (BMY), Sage Therapeutics by Supernus Pharmaceuticals (SUPN), CureVac (CVAC) by BioNTech (BNTX) and now Verve Therapeutics (VERV) by Eli Lilly (LLY)

From a research Report: yippee-ki-yay ...

  • Shares of other gene-editing companies Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA), Editas Medicine (EDIT), Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP) and Beam Therapeutics (BEAM) also advanced on the news.

Tuesday, Pops goes the weasel, after the music slows: Verve Therapeutics (VERV +$5.11 or +81.50% to $11.38), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA +$0.62 or +6.92% to $9.68), Editas Medicine (EDIT -$0.02 or -0.93 to $2.14), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$1.61 or +3.87% to $43.19) and Beam Therapeutics (BEAM +$0.05 or +0.30% to $16.67) also advanced on the news.

 

June ’25: understand the “flow” of markets, the cell and gene therapy sector and economic karma…

  • 6/17 - Tuesday closed negative with 10 positive, 23 negative and 2 flats
  • 6/16 - Monday closed positive with 20 positive, 11 negative and 4 flats
  • 6/13 - Friday closed negative with 5 positive, 25 negative and 5 flats
  • 6/12 – Thursday closed negative with 7 positive, 23 negative and 5 flats
  • 6/11 – Wednesday closed negative with 6 positive, 25 negative and 4 flats
  • 6/10 - Tuesday closed positive with 17 positive, 15 negative and 3 flats
  • 6/9 - Monday closed neutral with 16 positive, 16 negative and 3 flats
  • 6/6 – Friday negative with 4 positive, 28 negative and 3 flats
  • 6/5 - Thursday closed positive with 16 positive, 15 negative and 4 flats
  • 6/4 – Wednesday closed positive with 18 positive, 13 negative and 4 flats
  • 6/3 - Tuesday closed positive with 24 positive, 8 negative and 3 flats
  • 6/2 - Monday closed positive with 25 positive, 7 negative and 3 flats

 

Reiterating, “There are always some big ifs, especially given some of the headlines that could emanate after a past few months of news flatulence.

  • Still a believer after I wrote, about June… “Get back-in and re-test the sector waters after May’s cell and gene therapy sector ‘s month alternations, nibble!  Some believe in a “June Swoon;” however, June will be no better or worse than any other month. Although, I consider the so-called summer rally after the peripatetic or wandering.”

As always, brace ourself for more volatility, economics and their down trending affect?

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

  • The sector is what it is, until it isn’t and even then, it doesn’t seem to be… as NOT much changes as the sector’s share pricing rides the waves of volatility, algorithms, electronic trading and short covering.
  • I am more frequently right than consequentially wrong; if I wanted to be liked, I wouldn’t have been an analyst/journalist.

 

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. All investments are subject to risks. Investors should consider investment objectives.

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.  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.