December 1, 2025 4:41pm

A C&GT sector wipeout starts December, it’s about risk aversion, about to be tax selling and end-of-year rotations

RMi collects, curates, interprets and disseminates cell and gene therapy sector (C&GT) fact-based news, trusted and verified intel and share pricing data to bridge the gap to an investment decision

It’s not always time to buy or sell; but it is time to KNOW and why!

Never leave an investor uninformed! 

 

News: Moderna (MRNA -$1.82 or -7.01% to $24.16 and below its 50-day moving average) dived following a <government> memo; ALLEGATION … the U.S. FDA linked Covid-19 vaccines to some child deaths. Dr. Vinay Prasad, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, wants vaccine studies to have stricter review and approval processes. Reports said the memo cites an analysis of 96 deaths, a low number for a study. The memo described a link between Covid shots and death due to myocarditis, or swelling in the heart. <Note: Reports said the analysis relied on data submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System database, which collects unverified reports> The stock has fallen more than 41% so far this year.

RMi Pre-opening Bell: Volatility … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/14211

RMi Research Note: Harvard Apparatus GT (OTCQB): Broke … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13812

The peril facing the cell and gene therapy (C&GT) sector’s share pricing isn’t just applications of macro or even micro econs, sentiment or algorithms within electronic trading; it’s losing highly reliable, accurate and transparent data.

 

The C&GT sector closed deeply negative while the CBOE Fear (VIX) index closed at 17.34 after Friday’s 16.35, Thursday’s holiday, Wednesday’s 17.15, Tuesday’s 18.56 and last Monday’s 20.52

Monday: The Dow closed DOWN -427.06 points or -0.89%, the S&P closed DOWN -36.44 points or -0.53% while the Nasdaq closed DOWN -89.763 points or -0.38%

  • Theme of the session: sentiment slides

Monday’s (my) 40-company covered sector’s advance/decline line opened negative with 10 incliners, 29 decliners and 1 flat ending with a negative close of 4 incliners, 31 decliners and 0 flat

 

  • All 3 indexes snapped 5-day win streaks.

Henry’omics: We need to more than consider the macro-economic environment to comprehend the micro re “our” universe of cell and gene therapy (C&GT) sector

  • The US manufacturing sector contracted for the 9th straight month in November: The Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing PMI registered at 48.2 for November, against a reading of 48.7 in October. Readings below 50 indicate a contraction, while those above 50 indicate an expansion. The industrials sector, which has risen healthily on the year, fell by around 1.6% over the past month.
  • The ISM monthly survey noted that raw materials, including aluminum, copper, natural gas, and a basket of critical minerals, among others, have all gotten more expensive on the month, while electrical components and rare earth metals remain in short supply. Index readings for new orders, employment, supplier deliveries, and backlog of orders fell in the month, dragging the overall rating down even as other metrics such as production, prices, and imports expanded. Labor was also noted as being in short supply.

Metrics:  Monday …

  • The RUT was down -31.08 points or -1.24%,
  • The XLV was down -2.33 points or -1.48%,
  • The NBI was down -126.06 points or -2.17%;
  • The XBI was down -3.27 points or -2.66%
  • The IWM was down -3.13 or -1.26%;
  • The IBB was down -3.72 points or -2.14%,
  • The VIX was up +0.99 points or +6.08% at to 17.34

 

Q4 – December – 1 negative close

  • November – 1 holiday, 8 positive and 11 negative closes
  • October -1 neutral, 11 positive and 12 negative closes

 

Monday Closing UP (5 of 5)

  • Arrowhead Pharma (ARWR +$3.55 after Friday’s -$5.01),
  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY +$3.33 after Friday’s +$6.11),
  • Capricor Therapeutics (CAPR +$1.30),
  • Harvard Apparatus RT (OTCQB: HRGN +$0.16 with 53 shares traded after Friday’s $0.00),
  • Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM +$0.08 after Friday’s -$0.04),

Flat (0)

Monday’s Closing DOWN (10 of 31):

  • Vertex (VRTX -$8.01 after Friday’s +$1.44),
  • BioNTech (BNTX -$5.76 after Friday’s +$0.45),
  • Moderna (MRNA -$1.82 after Friday’s +$0.97),
  • Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT -$1.62 after Friday’s +$0.39),
  • IQVIA Holdings (IQV -$1.52 after Friday’s -$1.79),
  • Vericel (VCEL -$1.43 after Friday’s -$0.12),
  • Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE -$1.38 after Friday’s +$0.99),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -$1.30),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM -$1.28 after Friday’s +$0.30),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS -$1.09 after Friday’s -$0.18)

 

The Bottom Line: More of the … WHYs

Indexes and many equities got “whipped” on Monday …12/1

Focus is still on the Fed's path for interest rates, causing anxiety even as over 85% of bets ride on a 1/4-point reduction at policymakers' meeting next week.

  • The Thanksgiving week rally was fueled in large part by rising hopes for a cut and lower borrowing costs, on the back of supportive comments from Fed officials. <Yahoo News>
  • But the Fed has now entered a blackout ahead of its gathering.
  • That puts the spotlight on economic data to set expectations for rates, as releases continue to return to normal following the government shutdown.

A week that will be:

  • September's long-delayed Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index reading drops Friday. This is the Federal Reserve's favorite inflation gauge.
  • Labor data remains key, and the ADP private jobs report is due Wednesday followed by weekly jobless claims Thursday.

As the leading voice of cell and gene therapy investors; I am NOT always a doom and gloom analyst/journalist but a man who has been “there” (BUY, SELL, VC and multiple operating roles) with the gray hair and a readership following with real numbers to prove it!

A real question, are cell and gene therapy (C&GT) sector companies with high insider ownership present … opportunity?

  • Do they often demonstrate alignment between management and shareholder interests … a critical factor in navigating volatile market conditions?
  • I will be looking into this …! Stay tuned.

 

New week, December: understand the “flow” …

This week:

  • 12/1 – Monday closed negative with 5 positive, 31 negative and 0 flat

Last week, November:

  • 11/28 - Friday closed positive with 29 positive, 10 negative and 1 flat
  • 11/27 – Thursday, a market holiday
  • 11/26 – Wednesday closed positive with 28 positive, 12 negative and 0 flat
  • 11/25 – Tuesday closed positive with 24 positive, 15 negative and 1 flat
  • 11/24 - Monday closed positive with 25 positive, 14 negative and 1 flat

 

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.
  • “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!”

Why do I keep repeating, framed in a different para, so investors can make the connection

The top three (3) performing in the session:   

  • Monday: Arrowhead Pharma (ARWR), Capricor Therapeutics (CAPR) and Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM)
  • Friday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Vertex (VRTX) and Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE)

The worst three (3) in the session:

  • Monday: Vertex (VRTX), BioNTech (BNTX) and Moderna (MRNA)
  • Friday: Arrowhead Pharma (ARWR), IQVIA Holdings (IQV) and Supernus Therapeutics (SUPN)

 

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.