June 18, 2025 4:55pm

Pulling the pin stuns and plumbs sentiment, dispersing share pricing after dips and flips throughout the session

As I wrote this a.m., “how long does a sector upside high last? Funny how bounces evolve into trounces and back again.”

Trader’s fingernails were bit over the latest Middle East news after bracketing the “dot plot” of Fed’s rate policy decision that kept interest rates steady amid expectations of higher inflation and lower economic growth ahead, still pointing to 2 reductions later this year, 2025

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.

 

Wednesday night’s RegMed Investors (RMi) Closing Bell: how long does a sector upside high last? … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13965

Tuesday’s close: 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: HRGN): PONZI Scheme at its best or was convicted Bernie Madoff also resurrected … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13812

News: RegMedInvestors (RMi) Research Note: Verve Therapeutics (VERV) to be acquired by Eli Lilly (LLY) … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13963

 

Wednesday: The Dow closed DOWN -44.14 points or -0.10%, the S&P closed DOWN -1.85 points or -0.03% while the Nasdaq closed UP +25.18 points or +0.13%

  • Indexes dived, the Nasdaq was up ending Wednesday modestly lower following the Fed’s UNCHANGED rate policy

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

Wednesday’s advance/decline line opened with a neutral 16 incliner, 16 decliners and 3 flats ending with a positive close of 21 incliners, 11 decliners and 3 flats      

Metrics:  Wednesday, the IBB was up +0.45%, the XBI was up +0.56% while the VIX was up +1.46 points or +6.76% at 20.14

 

Q2/25 – June – 1 neutral, 4 negative and 9 positive closes

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

 

Tuesday Closing UP (10 of 21) 

  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY +$3.61),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$1.24 after Tuesday’s +$1.61 and Monday’s +$0.22),
  • Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ +$1.07 after Tuesday’s +$0.14 and Monday’s -$0.18),
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS +$0.86 after Tuesday’s +$0.91 and Monday’s -$0.35),
  • Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE +$0.69 after Tuesday’s -$0.45 and Monday’s -$0.38),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM +$0.32 after Tuesday’s +$0.05 and Monday’s -$0.44),
  • uniQure NV (QURE +$0.31 after Tuesday’s -$0.32 after Monday’s -$0.23),
  • Vericel (VCEL +$0.28),
  • Editas Medicine (EDIT +$0.21),
  • Prime Medicine (PRME +$0.19),

Flat (3)

  • bluebird bio (BLUE) P/E acquired
  • Harvard Apparatus RT (OTCQB: HRGN $0.00 after Tuesday’s +$0.05 <+995 shares traded> and Monday’s $0.00)
  • Homology Medicine (FIXX)

Wednesday’s Closing DOWN (11 of 11): 

  • Agenus (AGEN -$0.31 after Tuesday’s -$0.36 and Monday’s +$0.44),
  • Verve Therapeutics (VERV -$0.26 after Tuesday’s +$5.11),
  • AxoGen (AXGN -$0.24 after Tuesday’s -$0.22),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS -$0.22 after Tuesday’s -$0.55 and Monday’s +$0.26),
  • Moderna (MRNA -$0.15 after Tuesday’s -$0.45 after Monday’s -$0.67),
  • Blueprint Medicine (BPMC -$0.11),
  • Regenxbio (RGNX -$0.09 after Tuesday’s -$0.50 and Monday’s -$0.11),
  • Mesoblast (MESO -$0.08 after Tuesday’s -$0.53 and Monday’s +$0.52),
  • Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR -$0.08 after Tuesday’s -$0.185)
  • Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM -$0.03),
  • Generation Bio (GBIO -$0.022),

 

The BOTTOM LINE: the cell and gene therapy sector got a daily injection of momentum …

But I do love the smell of sentiment in the morning!!

New week, 6/16 – 6/20 started with a Monday positive close … followed by Tuesday’s negative close … and a Wednesday’s positive close

  • The week of 6/9 – 6/13; Friday, the cell and gene therapy sector stayed in negative territory following Thursday's trading session ended with a negative territory, after May's Producer Price Index (PPI) report following Wednesday's negative close after May's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report post Monday’s neutral close.
  • The cell and gene therapy sector popped Friday after Thursday’s reverses on Thursday from a negative open with a barely positive close after Wednesday’s positive close – although slipping …
  • Following upsides on Tuesday and Monday) after its “napping and waking” in the May share pricing doldrums initiated by a sweetener of BPMC getting an acquired by BMY, MRNA regulatory approval and BNTX’s partnership with BMY.

By products of the Fed unchanged policy … Treasury yields wavered but ultimately held relatively steady after Fed Chair Powell said the central bank is still waiting to see what the effects of tariffs will be on the economy before deciding its next moves on interest rates.

 

For the week:

  • The S&P 500 is up 3.90 points, or 0.1%.
  • The Dow is down 26.13 points, or 0.1%.
  • The Nasdaq is up 139.45 points, or 0.7%.
  • The Russell 2000 is up 12.46 points, or 0.6%.

 

Hopeful sector financing news:  Caris Life Sciences (CAI) opened at $27 per share in its initial public offering on Wednesday. That is above the $21 per share the company was priced at on Tuesday.

  • The diagnostics stock quickly traded above the opening price and was last at $28.69 per share, or more than 36% above the IPO price.
  • The lead banks on the deal were Bank of America Securities, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs

As I also wrote, about June… 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.”

  • Although historically, June (in the past) has been a slow or weak month – I/we just saw a tremendous start (6/2) with partnership, acquisition and regulatory news 
  • Also, ASCO opens this month with probably a lot of news flow attracting attention of funds such as hedges and electronic traders.

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

June ‘25: understand the “flow” …

  • 6/18 – Wednesday closed positive with 21 positive, 11 negative and 3 flats
  • 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 closed positive with 28 positive, 4 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

 

“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:   

  • Wednesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)
  • Tuesday: Verve Therapeutics (VERV), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS)
  • Monday: Sage Therapeutics (SAGE), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) and Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA)

The worst three (3) in the session: 

  • Wednesday: Agenus (AGEN), AxoGen (AXGN) and Verve Therapeutics (VERV)
  • Tuesday: BioLife Solutions (BLFS), Mesoblast (MESO) and Regenxbio (RGNX)
  • Monday: Vericel (VCEL), Moderna (MRNA) and Beam Therapeutics (BEAM)

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.