June 7, 2016 6:34am

… Facilitating promising therapies while tap-dancing to fund

Where do investors turn for insight and perspective - I say intelligently what others won't, so you can do what others can't!

 

 

I offer a handful of pertinent facts defining the who, when, where, which and what of it!

 

 

Where is today’s market going? 

Indexes and ETFs: the IBB, XLV, XBI are DOWN and the IWM is UP

Investing actions: JUNO, KITE,

Dow futures are UP +0.32% and NASDAQ futures are UP +0.38 %

 

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open Tuesday, tracking gains in Europe and Asia where upbeat comments by U.S. Fed Chair Janet Yellen on the U.S. economy gave markets a lift.

European stocks rallied as investors digested the latest comments from U.S. Fed that appear to have killed off any chance for an interest rate hike this month.

Asian markets closed higher, taking a generally positive view of comments from the U.S. Fed and from on-hold calls from central banks in Australia and India.

 

 

The stem, cell and gene therapy regenerative medicine (SCGT&RM) sector closed POSITIVE on Monday, NEGATIVE on Friday, POSITIVE on Thursday and Wednesday and NEGATIVE on last Tuesday.

 

The stem, cell and gene therapy regenerative medicine sector’s record after the last 5 days (of 43 covered companies):

  • Monday closed POSITIVE with 12 decliners, 28 advancers and 3 flats;
  • Friday closed NEGATIVE with 16 decliners, 26 advancers and 1 flat;
  • Thursday closed POSITIVE with 16 decliners, 24 advancers and 3 flats;
  • Wednesday closed POSITIVE with 16 decliners, 26 advancers and 1 flat;
  • Last, Tuesday closed NEGATIVE, 20 decliners, 18 advancers and 5 flats;

 

 

Remembering Monday’s post, “The SCGT&RM sector was positive at the mid-day and closed positive. The SCGT&RM sector changed from Friday’s negative close as I had expected as Thursday and Wednesday closed positive after a Memorial Day, Monday.”

  • I might be foolish to consider that there is a correlation to tap dancing and financing or even share price appreciation.  However, tap dancing could be a form of the financing dance characterized by using the potential of the future as shoes striking the floor to form percussion.  

The financing sound is made by shoes that have a metal "tap" on the heel and toe. There are different brands of shoes which sometimes differ in the way they sound.

  • I have been a "Soft-Shoe" type when I have had to raise capital but, there is a rhythm that does require special shoes, and though rhythm is generated by tapping of the feet, it also scattered sand on the stage to enhance the sound of investing dollars.

The market ebbs and flows facilitate share pricing as pullbacks come and go as a mode, and then rally strongly for a day or two to be buried by profit taking.

  • I am long on suggesting "patience" however, “our” universe needs to provide us with some new “soft-shoes “or rhythm to facilitate the “tapping” on the stage of funding and/or share pricing appreciation.

Until such time, the push and pull is still a preferred path – at least we are used to it, companies NEED to refine and personalize their message and deliver it with sincerity of purpose and belief!

  • Needed, the new Gene Kelley and Fred Astaire!

 

 

Interesting note:

  • Sarepta (SRPT) shares were up 26% in pre-market trade after the group said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had requested more data from a study for its muscle-wasting treatment. Investors hoped the agency would approve the drug.

 

 

Monday’s active sector stocks and Tuesday’s rotation candidates:

  • Athersys (ATHX) -4.21%;
  • Stemline (STML) -3.70%;
  • Fibrocell (FCSC) -1.44%
  • Juno Therapeutics (JUNO) +10.48%;
  • Kite Pharma (KITE) +10.25%;
  • Aduro Biotech (ADRO) +6.48%;
  • Bluebird bio (BLUE) +6.16%;
  • Sangamo (SGMO) +6.08%

 

 

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

  • The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology (IBB) closed Monday up +1.53% and is DOWN -0.72% in Tuesday’s pre-market;

 

  • The SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) closed Monday up +2.70%  and is DOWN  -0.07% in Tuesday’s  pre-market;

 

  • NASDAQ Biotechnology (NBI) closed up Monday +1.50%;

 

  • The Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) closed up Monday +0.54% and is DOWN -0.04% in Tuesday’s pre-market;

 

  • The iShares Russell 2000 (IWM) closed Monday up +1.08% and is UP +0.31% in Tuesday’s pre-market.

 

 

Companies in my spotlight:

Juno Therapeutics (JUNO) closed UP +$4.60 to $48.50 after Friday’s -$1.10. JUNO had announced <Saturday> that its investigational chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell product candidates are demonstrating encouraging clinical outcomes for adults and children with B-cell malignancies. The issue is will traders want to “skim” the upside? – BUY to SELL;

Kite (PHARMA) closed UP +$5.34 to $57.42 after Friday’s -$2.79. KITE is riding the “horse” of receiving initial regulatory approvals next year for a type of immunotherapy treatment known as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies. KITE aims to file this year for U.S. FDA approval of its therapy, KTE-C19, for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The after-market indication was +$0.33 - BUY;

 

Opinions expressed are those of the author and are subject to change, and are 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.