December 31, 2015 5:15pm

Let’s welcome in a hopefully better New Year …

Share pricing moves have already been made and investors are positioned for next year

 

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Stocks slipped further into the red, heading into the last hour of the final trading session of the year. The NASDAQ fell 0.7%, while the Dow and S&P 500 each shed 0.6%. Volume was slightly higher across the board vs. the same time Wednesday. Winners held a small lead over losers on the NYSE, but lagged decliners by a slight margin on the NASDAQ.

The NASDAQ closed DOWN -36.55 or -0.72% to 5,029.21 and the DOW closed DOWN -122.73 or -0.70% to 17,481.14.

 

 

Henry’omics:

The stem, cell and gene therapy RegMed (SCGT&RM) sector approached the mid-day – negative to close negative (of 43 covered companies).

  • Trading volume has been among the lowest of the year – this week.

My fear gauge or the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) was UP on Thursday near 18 following Wednesday‘s near 17 after Tuesday’s 16 from Monday’s 17.

  • The end of the year has been relatively quiet, but the “Fear Index” may be warning of a shaky market ahead. 

Despite a volatile year that saw the major U.S. averages plunge more than 10%, the indexes are within 5% of their record intraday highs and will end the year little changed to slightly higher.

  • The S&P 500 and Dow both ended lower for the year, their worst since 2008. The NASDAQ composite closed up more than 5.5% for the year helped by outperformance in biotech stocks;
  • The Russell 2000 had its worst year since 2008;
  • Selling accelerated into the close, with the Dow closing about 180 points lower. The NASDAQ composite fell more than 1%;
  • The Dow was off 2.23% for the year, its first negative year since 2008 when the index lost more than 30%.

 

 

My “pet peeve”:

  • High-frequency trading accounted for 49% of December's daily trading volume of about 7.24 billion shares <TABB Group>.

 

 

A day in the life of the stem, cell and gene therapy RegMed (SCGT & RM) sector:

  • After suffering from the previous day’s food poisoning, I started late to the mid-day which rang negative with an A/DL of 16/21 and 6 flats closing negative in Thursday’s session with an A/DL of 14/27 and 2 flat.

 

 

Thursday’s trading response to the morning indications - 3 hits, 2 miss:

  • Applied Genetic Technologies (AGTC) closed UP +$0.13 – miss;
  • Capricor (CAPR) closed DOWN -$0.03 – hit;
  • Harvard Apparatus RT (HART) closed DOWN -$0.13 – hit;
  • Northwest Bio (NWBO) closed UP +$0.08 – miss;
  • Spark Therapeutics (ONCE) closed DOWN -$1.18 – hit;

 

 

Riding the indexes and ETFs roller-coaster:

  • The iShares Biotechnology Stocks ETF (IBB) closed DOWN on Thursday -2.53 or -0.74% after Wednesday’s  -2.25 or -0.66% after Tuesday’s advance of +5.89 or +1.75% following Monday’s decline of -2.57 or -0.76%;
  • The NASDAQ Biotechnology index (NBI) closed DOWN on Thursday -25.49 or -0.71 after Wednesday’s decline of -24.16 or -0.67% after Tuesday’s +64.13 or +1.82% following Monday’s decline of -29.09 or -0.82%;
  • The Russell 2000 (IWM) closed DOWN on Thursday -1.42 or -1.25% after Wednesday’s  -1.16 or -1.01% after Tuesday’s advance of +1.27 or +1.11% following Monday’s decline of -0.53 or -0.46%;
  • The SPDR SD&P Biotech ETF (XBI) closed DOWN on Thursday 0.66 or -0.93% after Wednesday’s decline of -0.79 or -1.10% after Tuesday’s +1.82 or +2.61% following Monday’s decline of -1.16 or -1.64% …

 

 

Dosing the sector – what a day for the 43 Patients:

  • Mid-day (12:30 pm): NEGATIVE with 21 decliners, 16 advancers and 6 flats;
  • Closing bell: NEGATIVE with 27 decliners, 14 advancers and 2 flats

 

 

Who was UP – top 5:

  • VistaGen (VSTA) closed UP +$1.84 to $9.84;
  • uniQure (QURE) +40.42 to $10.54;
  • Histogenics (HSGX) +$0.24 to $3.50;
  • Mesoblast (MESO) +$0.21 to $6.36;
  • Pluristem (PSTI) closed up +$0.14 to $1.13 on news

 

 

Who closed down – top 5:

  • Intrexon (XON) closed down -$1.35 to $31.15;
  • Spark Therapeutics (ONCE) -$1.18 to $45.13;
  • Kite Pharma (KITE) -$0.96 to $61.63;
  • Aduro Biotech (ADRO) -$0.81 to $28.14;
  • Regenxbio (RGNX) closed down -$0.61 to $16.60

 

 

Flat:

  • Ocata Therapeutics (OCAT) at $8.42;
  • ReNeuron (RENE.L) at $3.00;

 

 

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.