August 28, 2025 7:50am

Keep your wallet closed

More than Trouble in HHS Kennedy’ land as US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Susan Monarez <refusing firing> just weeks into her tenure, and several senior leaders "walked" over vaccine policy exploded into the open about Kennedy’s tougher stance on Covid shots putting millions of lives at risk. The issue: HHS Secretary Kennedy Jr. announced emergency-use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines have been terminated and that the Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax immunizations are approved for "those at high risk." <more below>

Even as I see some aftermarket green, I expect more sentiment selling as we get closer to August’s month end and to the Labor Day holiday

Never leave an investor uninformed … I say what others won’t, so you can do what others can’t!

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

Who do you call for “share ride” assistance?  It’s not AAA … try RMi

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):  Another move to the downside … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/14081

RegMed Investors (RMi) Research Note: Harvard Apparatus GT (OTCQB): Just another wrinkle – Q2/25’s 10-Q – liabilities exceed cash position … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13812

 

Thursday: The pre-open Dow futures are UP +0.11% or (+52 points), the S&P futures are DOWN -0.06% or (-4 points) and the Nasdaq futures are DOWN -0.18% or (-38 point)

  • Stock futures were fluctuating at the flatline Thursday, 8/28
  • European markets were lower,
  • Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed

 

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

  • Wednesday: The Dow closed UP +147.16 points or +0.32%, the S&P closed UP +15.46 points or +0.24% while the Nasdaq closed UP +45.87 points or +0.21%
  • Tuesday: The Dow closed UP +135.60 points or +0.30%, the S&P closed UP +26.62 points or +0.41% while the Nasdaq closed UP +94.978 points or +0.44%
  • Monday: The Dow closed DOWN -349.27 points or -0.77%, the S&P closed DOWN -27.59 points or -0.43% while the Nasdaq closed DOWN -47.243 points or -0.22%
  • For the week: so far … the S&P 500 is up 14.49 points, or 0.2%; the Dow is down 66.51 points, or 0.1%; the Nasdaq is up 93.60 points, or 0.4%

Economic Data Docket: Q2 GDP, 2nd estimate (+3.1% annualized rate expected, +3% prior); Q2 personal consumption, 2nd estimate (+1.4% previously); Initial jobless claims, week ended Aug. 23 (235,000 prior); Pending home sales, month over month, July (+0.2% expected, -0.8% prior)                  

 

Additional info from/about title:

  • Also resigning: Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Deb Houry, chief medical officer and deputy director for Program and Science at CDC; and Dan Jernigan, director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, notified staffers of their departure having
  • Earlier in the week, Jen Layden, the director for the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology, resigned. The coo and longtime CDC employee Christa Capozzola was also replaced.


Q3 – August - 10 negative and 9 positive closes

•             July – 1 market holiday, 13 positive and 9 negative 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.

  • I’ll pass; …. an escape from today's econs and HHS news, and the usual ups, downs and just plain uncertainty

 

The BOTTOM LINE:  Futures are confused wanting to spurt yet tether by doubts.

Yesterday, markets made incremental progress heading into Nvidia (NVDA) earnings.

I also wrote, “Wednesday, “I am sick of hearing about Nvidia (NVDA) … as an indicator.  Regardless of whether you think about NVDA shares or not, its result will impact your portfolio in some way.’

  • However, “shares of NVDA account for roughly 8% of the S&P 500 and has the biggest weight in the benchmark according to FactSet data

With the Nasdaq climbing 0.2% and the small-cap Russell 2000 gained 0.6%, hitting a fresh eight-month best.

So … rack-em up, make or break the pool player’s ‘index” game with “a good spread”.

 

Putting to the test on the coming Friday with the release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index, the Fed's preferred inflation measure.

  • Expect core PCE inflation to peak slightly above 3% by the end of the year. With inflation drifting in the wrong direction and the labor market losing momentum, the Fed faces difficult trade-offs in balancing its dual mandate."

 

August: understand the “flow” …

  • 8/27 – Wednesday closed negative with 16 positive, 17 negative and 2 flats
  • 8/26 - Tuesday closed positive with 25 positive, 9 negative and 1 flat
  • 8/25 – Monday closed negative with 4 positive, 29 negative and 2 flats

Last week:

  • 8/22 – Friday closed positive with 30 positive, 4 negative and 1 flat
  • 8/21 – Thursday closed positive with 22 positive, 12 negative and 1 flat
  • 8/20 - Wednesday closed negative with 14 positive, 19 negative and 2 flats
  • 8/19 - Tuesday closed negative with 5 positive, 28 negative and 2 flats
  • 8/18 - Monday closed positive with 18 positive, 17 negative and 0 flat

 

Earnings are still the highlight of the week: Meeting earnings expectation and/or missing consensus will deem share pricing outcomes.

  • Earnings:  4 net incomes and 25 net losses of 29 releases to date

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!”

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

  • 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.