January 5, 2026 4:43pm

C&GT sector dribbled ending lower as market indexes rose

Pre-open Signal Results: 2 Hits and 0 Miss

RMi collects, curates, interprets and disseminates cell and gene therapy sector (C&GT) fact-based news, trustable and verified intel of share pricing data bridging 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!

 

Factory activity in the U.S. edged lower in December on continued slowness in new orders, though the employment outlook brightened a bit, according to the Institute for Supply Manufacturing.

RMi Pre-opening: Juxtaposition … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/14253

 

I chose to speak-up when many analysts, brokers and commentators have shut-up!

Monday: The Dow closed UP +594.79 points or +1.23%, the S&P closed UP +43.58 points or +0.64% while the Nasdaq closed UP +160.193 points or +0.69%

  • Theme of the session: little reaction as investors bet the weekend action wouldn’t lead to higher geopolitical conflicts that upset markets.

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 ISM manufacturing index edged lower to 47.9%, down 0.3 percentage point from November and slightly below the consensus estimate for 48.3%. The index measures the % of companies reporting expansion during the period, so anything below 50% indicates a pullback. New orders index actually edged higher but remained in contraction at 47.7%. Inventories fell 3.7 points to 45.2% and imports declined to 44.6%, a 4.3-point drop. The prices index was unchanged at 58.5% while employment rose nearly a full point to 44.9%.

Friday’s (my) 40-company covered sector’s advance/decline line opened neutral with 19 incliners, 19 decliners and 2 flats ending with a negative close of 18 incliners, 21 decliners and 1 flat

The CBOE Fear (VIX) index, Monday closed at 14.91 after Friday’s 14.46, Thursday was closed New Years Day, Wednesday at 15.03, Tuesday closed at 14.36 and last Monday’s 14.15

Metrics: Monday …

  • The RUT was up +39.70 points or +1.58%,
  • The XLV was down -0.47 points or -0.30%,
  • The NBI was down -66.98 points or -1.17%;
  • The XBI was down -1.37 points or -1.13%
  • The IWM was up +3.95 or +1.59%;
  • The IBB was down -1.66 points or -0.98%,
  • The VIX was up +0.40 points or +2.76% at to 14.91`

 

Q1/26 – 1 holiday, 1 negative and 1 barely positive close

Q4/25 …

  • December – 1 holiday, 8 positive and 14 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 18) 

  • IQAA Holdings (IQV +$9.27),
  • Vericel (VCEL +$1.47 after Friday’s -$0.40),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$1.42 after Friday’s -$0.29),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$1.38 after Friday’s +$1.33),
  • Moderna (MRNA +$1.31 after Friday’s +$11.37),
  • AxoGen (AXGN +$0.76 after Friday’s -$1.73),
  • Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ +$0.48 after Friday’s $0.00),
  • Entrada Therapeutics (TRDA +$0.45),
  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA +$0.16 after Friday’s +$0.22),
  • BioNTech (BNTX +$0.16 after Friday’s +$1.49),

Flat (1)

  • Adverum Biotechnologies ADVM) – acquired

Monday’s Closing DOWN (10 of 21): 

  • Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR -$3.91 after Friday’s +$1.40),
  • Capricor Therapeutics (CAPR -$3.50 after Friday’s -$0.55),
  • Vertex (VRTX -$3.33 after Friday’s -$1.23),
  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY -$2.34 after Friday’s +$2.52),
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS -$1.14 after Friday’s +$0.56),
  • Wave Life Sciences (WVE -$0.95 after Friday’s -$1.05),
  • uniQure NV (QURE -$0.76 after Friday’s -$0.54),
  • Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE -$0.49 after Friday’s +$0.60),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM -$0.30 after Friday’s -$0.58),
  • Cellectis SA (CLLS -$0.26),

 

The Bottom Line: More of the … WHY

Santa Claus Rally ends, a historically strong 7-day stretch (12/24/25 – 1/5/26) sputters with thin trading volumes

  • Indexes surged as the C&GT sector purged.

After doing tax-loss harvesting and executing on-going portfolio realignments in most of the last sessions of 2025.

  • Although, small caps bashed the bears, with the Russell 2000 up nearly 1.8%. Growth stocks also outperformed, with the Innovator IBD 50 (IBD) exchange traded fund up 1.6%. >IBB>
  • While another measurement tool, the 10-year Treasury yield ticked lower to 4.17%.

Don’t forget, there is plenty of economic news planned for the stock market's first full trading week of 2026, with Friday's December jobs report taking the spotlight.

  • Experts believe the U.S. economy added 40,000 jobs in December, with an unemployment rate of 4.4%, according to Econoday estimates.
  • Other reports due this week include manufacturing and services indexes from the Institute of Supply Management, along with the U.S. Commerce Department's housing starts and building permit tallies, coming Friday.
  • Also on tap is the monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, known as JOLTS, from the U.S. Labor Department.

The recent profit-taking could also foreshadow some of the volatility ahead and …

  • RISK is always a factor remaining and … will boil-up under the surface until or as slight shocks rock the C&GT sector and markets!

As I had also written, cash is king for investors who want to keep some liquidity and avoid having to sell in a down market,

  • 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!

 

January - sessions

  • 1 /3 - Monday closed negative with 18 incliners, 21 decliners and 1 flat
  • 1 /2 - Friday closed positive with 18 incliners, 17 decliners and 5 flats
  • 1/1 -Thursday was a holiday, New Years Day

Last week of December, Q4 and FY25

  • 12/31 -Wednesday closed negative with 18 positive, 22 negative and 5 flats
  • Tuesday closed negative with 7 positive, 31 negative and 2 flats
  • Monday closed negative with 12 positive, 24 negative and 4 flats

4th week of December:

  • 12/23 - Friday closed negative with 11 positive, 28 negative and 1 flat
  • Thursday was a holiday, Christmas
  • Wednesday closed positive with 31 positive, 5 negative and 4 flats - not published
  • Tuesday closed negative with 14 positive, 24 negative and 2 flats
  • Monday closed positive with 30 positive, 8 negative and 2 flats

 

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:    Winners

  • Monday: IQVIA Holdings (IQV), BioLife Solutions (BLFS), and Vericel (VCEL)
  • Friday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), BioNTech (BNTX) and Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWER)
  • Thursday as a holiday

The worst three (3) in the session: Losers

  • Monday: Capricor Therapeutics (CAPR), Vertex (VRTX) and Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR)
  • Friday: Vertex (VRTX), AxoGen (AXGN) and Wave Life Sciences (WVE)
  • Thursday as a holiday

 

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.