April 17, 2026 4:41pm

Markets are echoing optimism; tech is surging, energy is retreating, and indexes are posting their best week in months.

Time for a Chopin based potato “tuner” with 2 olives and 2 white onions to toast sentiment after oil prices plummeted

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!

TGIF

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!

Friday’s RMi Pre-opening: Calibrating momentum … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/14386

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!

 

Friday: The Dow closed UP +868.71 points or +1.79%, the S&P closed UP +84.78 points or +1.20% while the Nasdaq closed UP +365.776 points or +1.52%

  • Theme of the session: after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz “completely open” on the heels of a ceasefire announcement between Israel and Lebanon

Friday (my) 40-company covered sector’s advance/decline line opened positive with 32 incliners, 5 decliners and 3 flats, ending with a positive close of 33 incliner, 5 decliners and 2 flats

  • From a flip-off to a flop onto a soft surface

Pre-Open Signals: 10 Hits and 0 Miss Closing Indications

The CBOE Fear (VIX) index, Friday closed at 17.39, after Thursday’s17.81, Wednesday’s 18.17, Tuesday’s 18.47, Monday’s 19.33 and last Friday’s 19.30

Metrics: Friday …

  • The RUT was up +57.12 points or +2.10%,
  • The XLV was up +2.16 points or +1.48%,
  • The NBI was up +96.69 points or +1.60%;
  • The XBI was up +3.20 points or +2.36%
  • The IWM was up +5.86 or +2.17%;
  • The IBB was up +2.54 points or +1.46%,
  • The VIX was down -0.55 points or -3.07% at to 17.39
  • The SPX was up +83.69 or +1.18% to 7,124.97

 

Q2/26 – 1 holiday, 1 neutral, 3 negative and 7 positive closes

  • Q1 -March – 9 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

 

Friday Closing UP (10 of 33)

  • Vertex (VRTX +$5.55 after Thursday’s -$6.05 after Wednesday’s -$2.58 after Tuesday’s +$4.23 after Monday’s +$3.61),
  • IQVA Holdings (IQV +$4.35 after Thursday’s -$6.16 after Wednesday’s +$2.82 after Tuesday’s +$3.23 after Monday’s +$4.63),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$2.27 after Thursday’s -$1.04 after Wednesday’s -$0.10 after Tuesday’s +$2.03 after Monday’s +$3.78),
  • Supernus Therapeutics (SUPN +$2.17 after Thursday’s -$0.72 after Wednesday’s -$0.17),
  • Vericel (VCEL +$1.91 after Thursday’s -$1.60),
  • Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR +$1.53 after Thursday’s -$2.97 after Wednesday’s +$4.26 after Tuesday’s +$2.90),
  • AxoGen (AXGN +$1.13 after Thursday’s +$2.61),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM +$1.06),
  • BioNTech (BNTX +$0.80 after Thursday’s +$2.65 after Wednesday’s +$1.06 after Tuesday’s +$1.71 after Monday’s +$1.51),
  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA +$0.79 after Thursday’s -$0.78),

Flat (2)

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

Friday’s Closing DOWN (5 of 5): 

  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY -$10.47 after Friday’s -$13.26 after Wednesday’s -$6.02 after Tuesday’s +$6.41 after Monday’s +$10.89),
  • Moderna (MRNA -$0.96 after Friday’s +$0.42 after Wednesday’s +$1.42 after Tuesday’s +$2.16 after Monday’s -$0.28)
  • Compass Therapeutics (CMPX -$0.53 after Friday’s +$0.68 after Wednesday’s +$0.41),
  • MiMedx (MDXG -$0.015),
  • Sangamo Therapeutics (SGMO -$0.0080),

 

The Bottom Line: More of the … WHY and a lot of what ifs …

Great news for the global economy … while I have written to ignore the daily price swings (until this pre-open) to focus on the market's near-term <long are too far> prospects.

Friday's big news was a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon,

  • Which led to Iran's foreign minister declaring the strategic Strait of Hormuz "completely open" for commercial traffic.
  • Oil prices fell more than 10%, and the stock market responded with bullish moves in every sector except Energy and Utilities

The U.S. stock market has jumped more than 12% since hitting a bottom in late March on hopes the United States and Iran can avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy despite their war.

  • Friday’s reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which may only be temporary, is the clearest signal yet for optimism, and President Donald Trump said late Thursday that the war “should be ending pretty soon.” <AP>

 

For the week:

  • The S&P 500 is up 309.17 points, or 4.5%.
  • The Dow is up 1,530.86 points, or 3.2%.
  • The Nasdaq is up 1,565.59 points, or 6.8%.
  • The Russell 2000 is up 146.31 points, or 5.6%.

 

April 3rd Week:

  • 4/17 - Friday closed positive with 33 incliners, 5 decliners and 2 flats
  • 4/16 - Thursday closed negative with 12 incliners, 26 decliners and 2 flats
  • 4/15 – Wednesday closed positive with 26 incliners, 12 decliners and 2 flats
  • 4/14 - Tuesday closed positive with 32 incliners, 6 decliners and 2 flats
  • 4/13 - Monday closed positive with 33 incliners, 5 decliners and 2 flats

April – 2nd Week

  • 4/10 - Friday closed negative with 7 incliners, 30 decliners and 3 flats
  • 4/9 - Thursday closed positive with 24 incliners, 13 decliners and 3 flats
  • 4/8 – Wednesday closed positive with 27 incliners, 8 decliners and 5 flats
  • 4/7 – Tuesday closed negative with 15 incliners, 21 decliners and 4 flats
  • 4/6 - Monday closed positive with 20 incliners, 18 decliners and 2 flats

April – 1st week

  • 4/2 - Thursday closed neutral with 19 incliners, 19 decliners and 2 flats
  • 4/1 – Wednesday closed positive with 29 incliners, 8 decliners and 3 flats

 

For the year:

  • The S&P 500 is up 280.56 points, or 4.1%.
  • The Dow is up 1,384.14 points, or 2.9%.
  • The Nasdaq is up 1,226.49 points, or 5.3%.
  • The Russell 2000 is up 294.99 points, or 11.9%.

 

Q1/26 Earnings Release Dates:

  • AxoGen (AXGN) – Tuesday, 4/28
  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) -Thursday, 4/30
  • IQVIA Holdings (IQV) – Tuesday, 5/5

 

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

  • Friday: Vertex (VRTX), IQIA Holdings (IQV) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)
  • Thursday: BioNTech (BNTX), AxoGen (AXGN) and Compass Therapeutics (CMPX)
  • Wednesday: IQIA Holdings (IQV), Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR) and Moderna (MRNA)
  • Tuesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), IQIA Holdings (IQV) and Vertex (VRTX)
  • Monday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), IQIA Holdings (IQV) and Vertex (VRTX)

The worst three (3) in the session: Losers’

  • Friday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) Moderna (MRNA) and Compass Therapeutics (CMPX)
  • Thursday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), IQIA Holdings (IQV) and Vertex (VRTX)
  • Wednesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Vertex (VRTX) and Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT)
  • Tuesday: uniQure NV (QURE), Precigen (PGEN) and Solid Biosciences (SLDB)
  • Monday: Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR), Supernus Therapeutics (SUPN) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS)

 

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.