March 30, 2026 4:50pm

Concerns about a possible interest rate hike as mixed rhetoric emanate from Iran  

The CBOE Volatility Index, otherwise known as the fear gauge, closed at 30.61

The market will be closed on Friday in observance of Good Friday

Q4 & FY25 Earnings: Sangamo Therapeutics SGMO)

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 why!

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!  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!

RMi Pre-opening: Futures are inching from uncertainty … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/14365   

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

 

What happened and some of the whys with the numbers behind ...

... it’s NOT always about BUYs/SELLs … it’s about knowing when and what!

 

Monday: The Dow closed UP +49.50 points or +0.11%, the S&P closed DOWN -25.13 points or -0.39% while the Nasdaq closed DOWN -153.716 points or -0.73%

  • Theme of the session: it’s all about will Iran “tap-out”

Monday’s (my) 40-company covered sector’s advance/decline line opened negative with 15 incliners, 23 decliners and 2 flats, ending with a negative close of 12 incliner, 26 decliners and 2 flats

  • Sentiment’s pricing was limited due to the oil pricing and war footing

Henry’omics: We need to more than consider the economic/political environment to comprehend the cause and effect of the macro versus micro data affecting “our” universe of cell and gene therapy (C&GT) sector

  • Fed Chair Powell views interest rates as being in a "good place" to respond to the oil shock stemming from the Iran war, reiterating that the central bank is taking a "wait-and-see" approach to policy.

The CBOE Fear (VIX) index, Monday closed at 30.61 after Friday’s 30.87, Thursday’s 28.31, Wednesday’s 25.40, Tuesday’s 26.94 and last Monday’s 26.46

Metrics: Monday …

  • The RUT was down -35.69 points or -1.46%,
  • The XLV was up +0.56 points or +0.39%,
  • The NBI was up +35.04 points or +0.63%;
  • The XBI was down -0.81 points or -0.68%
  • The IWM was down -3.49 or -1.44%;
  • The IBB was up +1.45 points or +0.90%,
  • The VIX was down -0.44 points or -1.42% at to 30.61

 

Q1/26 – March – 8 positive and 13 negative closes

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

 

Monday Closing UP (12 of 12) 

  • Vertex (VRTX +$10.09 after Friday’s -$20.67),
  • IQVIA Holdings (IQV +$2.31 after Friday’s -$5.52),
  • Vericel (VCEL+$1.21 after Friday’s -$1.48),
  • Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT +$0.51 after Friday’s -$1.71),
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS +$0.37 after Friday’s -$2.09
  • Wave Life Sciences (WVE +$0.26 after Friday’s +$0.16),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$0.19),
  • MiMedx (MDXG +$0.05),
  • AxoGen (AXGN +$0.04),
  • Cellectis SA (CLLS +$0.02),
  • Mesoblast (MESO +$0.01)
  • Regenxbio (RGNX +$0.01),

Flat (2)

  • Harvard Apparatus RT (OTCQB: HRGN)
  • Generation Bio (GBIO) – acquired

Monday’s Closing DOWN (10 of 26): 

  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -$1.41 after Friday’s -$1.80),
  • Moderna (MRNA -$1.33 after Friday’s -$4.01),
  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY -$1.27 after Friday’s -$10.80),
  • Capricor Therapeutics (CAPR -$1.13),
  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA -$0.72),
  • Solid Biosciences (SLDB -$0.62),
  • BioNTech (BNTX -$0.43 after Friday’s -$1.78
  • Precigen (PGEN -$0.42),
  • Rocket Therapeutics (RCKT -$0.325),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM -$0.29),

 

The Bottom Line: More of the … WHY

Pessimism is still a factor with negative Iranian signals.

  • US stocks diverged on Monday as oil climbed and chip makers fell heading into a holiday-shortened trading week.
  • Investors braced for fresh economic data due out in the coming days amid lingering consumer uncertainty.
  • Oil prices rose after Brent at 112.72 and WTI crude closed $102.88 per barrel actualizing a 55% rise in the period
  • Bond yields have been rising since the war in Iran began, as higher oil prices have stoked inflation fears and pushed markets to scale back expectations for Fed rate cuts. the 10-year Treasury slipping. The benchmark yield was last down more than 9 basis points at 4.344%.

Attention this week is from several labor market indicators, including the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) and the ADP private payrolls report.The March jobs report is also due, even as markets will be closed Friday for the Good Friday holiday, and it will take on heightened significance as investors seek balance after the January-February whipsaw in job numbers.

  • Also, a sell-off in chip names last week that resumed on Monday as investors questioned whether Google's TurboQuant algorithm could ease the chip shortage and push prices lower. <Yahoo Finance>

Fed Chair Powell said today that he views interest rates as being in a "good place" to respond to the oil shock stemming from the Iran war, reiterating that the central bank is taking a "wait-and-see" approach to policy.

  • His remarks at a Harvard University event came as traders pared back their bets of a Fed rate hike at the April meeting, from a 6.2% chance seen a week ago to a 2.6% chance priced. <Yahoo Finance

 

March – 5th week

  • 3/30 - Monday closed negative with 12 incliners, 26 decliners and 2 flats

March – 4th week:

  • 3/27 – Friday closed negative with 1 incliner, 36 decliners and 3 flats
  • 3/26 – Thursday closed negative with 15 incliner, 22 decliners and 3 flats
  • 3/25 – Wednesday closed positive with 30 incliners, 5 decliners and 5 flats
  • 3/24 – Tuesday closed negative with 11 incliner, 27 decliners and 2 flats
  • 3/23 - Monday closed positive with 26 incliners, 12 decliners 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 – closed end funds” (BUY, SELL, VC and multiple operating roles) with the gray hair and a readership following with real numbers to prove it!

 

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: Vertex (VRTX), IQIA Holdings (IQV) and Vericel (VCEL)
  • Friday: Wave Life Sciences (WVE)
  • Thursday: IQIA Holdings (IQV), Ionis Pharmaceuticals IONS) and Precigen (PGEN)
  • Wednesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Vertex (VRTX) and Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT)
  • Tuesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), AxoGen (AXGN) and Vericel (VCEL)
  • Last Monday: IQIA Holdings (IQV), Vericel (VCEL) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)

The worst three (3) in the session: Losers

  • Monday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Moderna (MRNA) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)
  • Friday: Vertex (VRTX), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) and IQVA Holdings (IQV)
  • Thursday: Wave Life Sciences (WVE), Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) and BioNTech (BNTX)
  • Wednesday: Vericel (VCEL), IQVA Holdings (IQV) and Beam Therapeutics (BEAM)
  • Tuesday: Lenz therapeutics (LENZ), Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE) and Vertex (VRTX)
  • Last Monday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), uniQure NV (QURE) and Wave Life Sciences (WVE)

 

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.