December 31, 2015 6:44am

RegMed: the real stories of why so much appreciation has disappeared are yet to be told …

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a flat to higher open  on Thursday, the last day of 2015, which will determine whether the benchmark S&P 500 squeezes out any gains for the year.

 

Henry’s Thursday’s “4” indications. The time has come to SUBSCRIBE!  Can you afford not to?

 

Whether information or intelligence is good, bad or somewhere in between; I put into context what is relevant and useful for investors before the sector and markets open.

 

DOW futures are UP +0.1 % and NASDAQ futures are UP +0.1%

 

 

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a flat to higher open on Thursday, the last day of 2015, which will determine whether the benchmark S&P 500 squeezes out any gains for the year.

European shares were lower ahead of a shortened trading session on the last day of 2015.

  • Several major European stock indexes are closed, including those of Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Russia. The Tokyo Stock Exchange is also shut, as is Sao Paulo's exchange in Brazil.  Other European exchanges will close early, including in the U.K., France and Spain.

Asian markets had an uninspired finish on the final trading day of 2015, as investors kept an eye on oil prices for further clues going into 2016, after a turbulent year for stocks.

  • The Australian market, which closed early, shed over 2 percent for the year as lower commodity prices hit many stocks on the main index.  In China, markets were mostly down as both the Shanghai and the Shenzhen Composite ended in the red.

 

Data docket: Includes weekly initial and continuing jobless claims, out at 8:30 a.m. ET. Consensus forecasts suggest that 270,000 new claims were made, up from 267,000 the week before. The Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) will be released at 9:45 a.m. ET, followed by natural gas inventories at 10:30 a.m. Consensus forecasts indicate that the Chicago PMI will read 49.5 for December, suggesting that business activity continues to wane, but at a slower rate than in November when the index read 48.7.

 

 

The RegMed sector closed NEGATIVE on Thursday, following a barely POSITIVE close on Tuesday after a NEGATIVE close on Monday, with Christmas on Friday following last Thursday’s NEGATIVE close with the market closed  this Friday for New Year’s Day.

 

Past and present:

·         Wednesday closed NEGATIVE with 23 decliners, 18 advancers and 2 flats;

·         Tuesday closed POSITIVE with 20 decliners, 21 advancers and 2 flats;

·         Monday closed NEGATIVE with 29 decliners, 13 advancers and 1 flat;

·         Friday was closed  for Christmas;

·         Last, Thursday closed NEGATIVE <also an early close> with 27 decliners, 15 advancers and 1 flat;

 

 

You’ve made it to the office, turned on the monitor having just gotten your coffee and it hits you - what are today’s trades?

  • Stem, cell and gene therapy RegMed (SCGT&RM) stocks closed negative with low volume.

Traders will open the bag and stuff the profit from any appreciation set on the table!

 

 

Thursday’s trading indications:

  • Applied Genetic Technologies (AGTC) closed DOWN -$0.59 <after Tuesday’s +$0.28 following Monday’s +$0.80> to $20.27. AGTC is now in overbought territory with a Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 77.08– SELL, but come back in the New Year;
  • Capricor (CAPR) closed UP +$0.46 <after being down -$0.18 after Monday’s -$0.12> to $3.11. I haven’t been wrong and unfortunately for CAPR, too many investors have agreed as CAPR has been a consistent loser even when they have been in play with small volume! When will the CEO learn to talk to investors and not at them or even listen to investors especially the BOD? Maybe it’s time for a change in this first time CEO!   Maintaining SELL;
  • Harvard Apparatus RT (HART) closed UP +$0.24 to $2.31 on an artificial high as the ATM balances and siphons-off any selling.  HART hasn’t seen $2.31 since 12/8. Dependence on speculation, day traders and pumpers are NOT a long term strategy – SELL;
  • Northwest Bio (NWBO) closed DOWN -$0.27 to $3.12. A $3.60 registered direct offering when its review of its operating procedures and controls is NOT yet complete?  Will raising money absolve, shorten or lengthen the review period as I see NWBO throwing-up roadblocks to marginalize any investigation with the new cash generated. They are just buying time. Mark my words; don’t touch this radio-active substance – Maintaining SELL;
  • Spark Therapeutics (ONCE) closed UP +$0.53 <after Tuesday’s $1.85 and Monday’s +$0.13> to $46.49. ONCE is a top percentage performer in 2015, being up +91.22% having jumped over 300% the first two months of trading. Priced at $23 on 1/30/15, trading at $46.00 on 2/2/15, the stock jumped to $77.50 on 3/31/15, $60.27 on 6/30/15 and $41.73 on 9/30/15. Even after the positive response to an offering on 12/15/15 of 3 M shares at $47.00 – Maintaining SELL

 

 

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.

Henry McCusker, the editor and publisher of RegMed Investors does not hold or have positions in securities referred to in this publication.