December 22, 2025 4:54pm

A closely watched gauge of bond-market volatility is signaling all-clear for stocks. The Move Index retreated below 60.1 late last week. That is a promising sign for stocks. <SentimenTrader>

Pre-open Indication Scoring: 5 Hit and 2 Miss

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

Never leave a retail investor uninformed!  It’s not always time to buy or sell; but it is time to KNOW and why!

News:

MiMedx Group (MDXG -$0.02) has entered into an exclusive agreement with Regen Lab USA LLC to distribute their RegenKit®-Wound Gel in the United States. RegenKit®-Wound Gel is an autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and autologous thrombin serum (ATS) wound gel that removes iron-laden red blood cells, while concentrating essential growth factors, functional platelets, plasma proteins, and cellular nutrients in a natural fibrin scaffold.

CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +2.03) updates on zugocaptagene geleucel (zugo-cel), formerly known as CTX112™, its investigational allogeneic CAR T targeting CD19, in development for autoimmune disease and hematologic malignancies. “Preliminary data from zugo-cel in patients with rheumatologic autoimmune diseases have been encouraging, and the therapy has been well tolerated to date. We have also initiated an additional P1 basket study in immune thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP) and warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (wAIHA), 2 autoimmune hematologic diseases,”

 

I write this blog/newsletter to inform investors with facts and supporting numbers focused on what they need to hear that others will not say or write about – facts in evidence!

RMi Pre-opening: Drifting or still riding the witches broom? … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/14239   

 

I’m NOT at all writing a doom-and-gloom predictions as I am more frequently right than consequentially wrong; I am mostly EARLY in my prognostications!

Monday: The Dow closed UP +227.79 points or +0.47%, the S&P closed UP +43.99 points or +0.64% while the Nasdaq closed UP +121.209 points or +0.52%

  • Theme of the session: a rise in tech and C&GT (cell and gene therapy) sector shares, starts a shortened holiday week

Monday’s (my) 40-company covered sector’s advance/decline line opened positive with 32 incliners, 6 decliners and 1 flat ending with a positive close of 30 incliners, 8 decliners and 2 flats

  • Still riding the broom

The CBOE Fear (VIX) index closed Monday at 14.11 after Friday’s 14.96, Thursday’s 16.74, Wednesday’s 17.66, Tuesday’s 16.48 and last Monday’s 16.46

 

Metrics: Monday …

  • The RUT was up +29.36 points or +1.16%,
  • The XLV was up +1.02 points or +0.66%,
  • The NBI was up +86.13 points or +1.50%;
  • The XBI was up +2.89 points or +2.35%
  • The IWM was up +2.83 or +1.13%;
  • The IBB was up +2.57 points or +1.51%,
  • The VIX was down -0.80 points or -5.37% at to 14.11

 

Q4 – December – 7 positive and 9 negative closes

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

 

Monday Closing UP (10 of 30) 

  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY +$7.50 after Friday’s +$4.9),
  • Vertex (VRTX +$4.11),
  • IQVIA Holdings (IQV +$3.68 after Friday’s -$1.87),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$2.05 after Friday’s +$1.09),
  • Wave Life Sciences (WVE +$1.99),
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS +$1.77 after Friday’s +$1.94),
  • Capricor Therapeutics (CAPR +$1.69 after Friday’s +$1.62),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM +$1.35),
  • Vericel (VCEL +$1.32 after Friday’s -$0.11),
  • Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE +$1.25),
  • Moderna (MRNA +$1.10 after Friday’s +$2.85),

Flat (2)

  • Adverum Biotechnologies ADVM) – acquired
  • Fate Therapeutics (FATE)

Friday’s Closing DOWN (8 of 8): 

  • Lenz Therapeutics LENZ -$0.38),
  • Entrada Therapeutics (TRDA -$0.36),
  • BioNTech (BNTX - $0.33 after Friday’s +$1.04),
  • Mesoblast (MESO -$0.06),
  • Generation Bio (GBIO -$0.05),
  • Harvard Apparatus RT (OTCQB: HRGN -$0.05 with 15,736 shares traded after Friday’s -$0.01),
  • MiMedx (MDXG -$0.01 after Friday’s -$0.20)
  • Editas Medicine (EDIT -$0.01)

 

The Bottom Line: More of the … WHYs

Stocks closed higher at the start of what’s expected to be a relatively calm holiday week.

  • The S&P 500 rose 0.6% Monday. The index is just below the all-time high it set earlier this month. The Dow 0.5%, and the Nasdaq climbed 0.5%.

What’s coming …

“Uncle algo and his electronic trading dwarfs” anticipate stealing a sleigh and filling their bags of your PORTFOLIO’S upside

  • I would be following share pricing’s ascension on current biotech, cell and gene therapy sector upsides; so, some profiteering can be “situated” while maintaining a position, less elevated!

 

Most C&GT sector equities popped again on Monday, following Friday and Thursday’s positive closes after Wednesday and Tuesday and the previous Monday’s decline.

Re Capricor Therapeutics (CAPR) I am STICKING to my CONVICTION that CAPR is overbought and whose valuation is disconnected from fundamentals.

  • Doubts still abound re: regulatory fragility and marginal HOPE-3 results and valuation concerns remain a key hang-up!
  • CAPR remains a structurally challenged, chronically unprofitable company whose valuation is disconnected from fundamentals.
  • Timing will be everything!

As the new year draws closer, eyes are turning to Wall Street to see whether it will pull off the coveted Santa Claus rally.

  • The so-called Santa Claus rally — coined by Yale Hirsch, founder of the Stock Trader’s Almanac, in 1972 — occurs between the last five trading days of the year and the first two of the new year. In this case, that would be from the opening bell on Dec. 24 until the second trading day of 2026, or Jan. 5.
  • Since 1950, the S&P 500 has recorded an average gain of 1.3% over the course of the seven-day trading period, and this year, the index should add to that, according to Jeffrey Hirsch, editor-in-chief of the Almanac.  <Sean Conlon, CNBC>

Take it a session at a time … the REAL question is … how long will this sentiment and conviction “run” last in the “clean-out-the-exposure” December?

 

4th week of December:

  • Monday closed positive with 30 positive, 8 negative and 2 flats

3rd week of December:

  • 12/19 - Friday closed positive with 27 positive, 10 negative and 3 flats
  • 12/18 – Thursday closed positive with 22 positive, 16 negative and 2 flats
  • 12/17 – Wednesday closed negative with 12 positive, 26 negative and 2 flats
  • 12/16- Tuesday closed negative with 17 positive, 21 negative and 2 flats
  • 12/15 – Monday closed negative with 15 positive, 23 negative and 2 flats

2nd December week:

  • 12/12 – Friday closed negative with 12 positive, 26 negative and 2 flats
  • 12/11 – Thursday closed negative with 18 positive, 19 negative and 3 flats
  • 12/10 – Wednesday closed positive with 24 positive, 12 negative and 4 flats
  • 12/9 - Tuesday closed negative with 10 positive, 27 negative and 3 flats
  • 12/8 - Monday closed positive with 22 positive, 16 negative and 2 flat

The previous week, 

  • 12/5 – Friday closed negative with 13 positive, 26 negative and 1 flat
  • 12/4 – Thursday closed positive with 26 positive, 12 negative and 2 flats
  • 12/3 – Wednesday closed positive with 35 positive, 4 negative and 1 flat
  • 12/2 - Tuesday closed negative with 10 positive, 29 negative and 1 flat
  • 12/1 – Monday closed negative with 5 positive, 31 negative and 0 flat

 

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!

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

  • I hate to be so negative or contrarian but, this is a NO spin zone and facts and truth are its products; I can always be WRONG but, I am mostly EARLY!
  • if I wanted to be liked, I wouldn’t have been an analyst/journalist.

 

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: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), IQVIA Holdings (IQV) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS)
  • Friday: Vertex (VRTX), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) and Moderna (MRNA)

The worst three (3) in the session:

  • Monday: Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ), Entrada Therapeutics (TRDA) and BioNTech (BNTX)
  • Friday: IQVIA Holdings (IQV), MiMedx (MDXG) and BioLife Solutions (BLFS)

 

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.