RMi Pre-opening; Econs cause hesitancy

March 18, 2026 7:49am

Sit, wait listen after Tuesday closed off highs of the session

Fed’s interest rate decision expected to keep interest rates unchanged in a range between 3.5% to 3.75%

Pre-open Signals: 5 Positive Indications

Remember that overnight action in futures don't necessarily translate into actual trading in today’s regular stock market session.

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

Say/write less, mean more …

Tuesday’s RMi Closing Bell: Return of the share pricing jedi … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/14351

RMi Research Note: Harvard Apparatus GT (OTCQB: HRGN): A new financing attempt, barely fulfills the need of a PPM raise … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13812

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

Wednesday: The pre-open Dow futures are UP +0.48% or (+233 points), the S&P futures are UP +0.48% or (+32 points) and the Nasdaq futures are UP +0.62% or (+156 points)

• U.S. stock futures are on the rise, with attention directed at the Fed, Wednesday, 6/18
• European equities and bourses   moved higher
• Asia Pacific markets closed higher

Economic Data: Multiple …

8:30 am                Producer price index      Feb.                       0.3%      0.5%

8:30 am                Core PPI               Feb.                       0.3%      0.3%

8:30 am                PPI year over year                                            -              2.9%

8:30 am                Core PPI year over year                                 --             3.4%

10:00 am             Factory orders   Jan.                        0.2%      -0.7%

2:00 pm               FOMC interest-rate decision                                                      

2:30 pm               Fed Chair Powell press conference                                          

Henry’omics: We need to more than consider the market’s setting to grasp the micro re “our” universe of cell and gene therapy companies

• Tuesday: The Dow closed UP +47.40 points or +0.10%, the S&P closed UP +16.72 points or +0.25% while the Nasdaq closed UP +105.35 points or +0.47%
• Monday: The Dow closed UP +387.94 points or +0.83%, the S&P closed UP +67.19 points or +1.01% while the Nasdaq closed UP +268.819 points or +1.22%
• Friday: The Dow closed DOWN -119.38 points or -0.26%, the S&P closed DOWN -40.43 points or -0.61% while the Nasdaq closed DOWN -206.62 points or -0.94%

• Last week: The S&P 500 was down -1.6%, the Dow -2% and the Nasdaq was down -1.3%.
• The previous week: The S&P 500 was down -2%, the Dow -0.3% and the Nasdaq was down -1.2%.
• February: the Dow inclined +0.2%, the Nasdaq dived -3.3% and S&P 500 declined -1%.

Q1/26 – Q1 – March – 5 positive and 7 negative closes

• February – 1 market holiday, 11 positive and 8 negative closes
• January – 2 holiday, 2 neutral, 9 negative and 9 positive 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.

• Multiple earnings coming as sector releases Qs and FY25 …

Vertex (VRTX) closed down -$3.61 after Monday’s -$3.24 with a positive +4.01 or +0.87% pre-open

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR) closed up +$0.20 with a positive +$0.38 or +0.66% pre-open

BioNTech (BNTX) closed up +$4.32 with a positive +$0.03 or +0.03% pre-open

Moderna (MRNA) closed up +$0.62 after Monday’s +$0.75 with a positive +$0.70 or +1.30% pre-open

IQVA Holdings (IQV) closed up +$3.61 with a positive +$4.64 or +2.75% pre-open

The BOTTOM LINE: Welcome to my world of defining the “grey’ in our universe!

US stock futures were little changed Tuesday night as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of the Federal Reserve’s latest policy decision.

Attention now turns to the Fed, with its rate decision due …

• Markets broadly expect policymakers to leave rates unchanged in a 3.5% to 3.75% range. Investors will be focused on commentary from Chair Powell, particularly around the potential inflationary impact of rising oil prices.
• They'll also digest the central bank's Summary of Economic Projections, which will shed light on policymakers' expectations for inflation, the labor market, and the US economy as a whole. <Yahoo Finance>

My thoughts … OPEN the wallet – BUY - selectively!

Investors has been looking for further insight into sector earnings; the Q4 and FY25 earnings reporting cycle. So far …

• Tuesday - 2/24 – AxoGen (AXGN), Beam Therapeutics (BEAM) and Supernus Therapeutics (SUPN)
• Wednesday – 2/25 – MiMedx (MDXG), Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) and Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT)
• Thursday – 2/26 – Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA), Wave Life Sciences (WVE), Mesoblast (MESO), Vericel (VCEL) and BioLife Solutions (BLFS)
• Monday – 3/2 uniQure NV (QURE)
• Thursday - 3/5 Regenxbio (RNX)
• Tuesday – 3/10 – BioNTech, SE (BNTX)
• Monday – 3/16 -Agenus (AGEN)

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.

March – 3rd week

• 3/17 - Tuesday closed positive with 25 incliners, 14 decliners and 1 flat
• 3/16 - Monday closed positive with 27 incliners, 10 decliners and 3 flats

March – 2nd week

• 3/13 – Friday closed negative with 11 incliner, 24 decliners and 5 flats
• 3/12 – Thursday closed negative with 1 incliner, 36 decliners and 3 flats
• 3/11 - Wednesday closed negative with 11 incliners, 26 decliners and 2 flats
• 3/10 - Tuesday closed positive with 21 incliners, 16 decliners and 3 flats
• 3/9 - Monday closed positive with 35 incliners, 2 decliners and 3 flats

March – 1st week

• 3/6 - Friday closed negative with 14 incliners, 24 decliners and 2 flats
• 3/5 – Thursday closed negative with 7 incliners, 32 decliners and 1 flat
• 3 /4 – Wednesday closed positive with 32 incliners, 6 decliners and 2 flats
• 3/3 - Tuesday closed negative with 2 incliners, 36 decliners and 2 flats
• 3/2 - Monday closed negative with 15 incliners, 23 decliners and 3 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!

• 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.