February 1, 2024 6:09pm

Of inclines post descents through sudden changes of speed and direction, sharp economic curves and sudden market changes

Investors crave share pricing explanations because they give us an illusion of portfolio control

Pre-open indication: 6 Hits and 1 Miss

Subscription is coming; a “buck” a day will keep your portfolio in play - be a subscriber to continue reading!

Never leave an investor uninformed! A trusted source of factual reporting!

Yet again, with a slight sigh of relief, I qualify the sector’s equity’s movement; with an emphasis on which company is gaining or losing stride in “our” portfolio in the short-term

It’s not hard to be right so often, it’s about refining expectation, defining insight and NOT being indentured to ANY financial institution!

 

Thursday: The Dow closed UP +369.54 points or +0.97%, the S&P closed UP +60.54 points +1.25% while the Nasdaq closed UP +197.63 points or +1.30%

 

Henry’omics:

We need to more than consider the economic environment - rising rates and inflation to comprehend the micro re “our” universe of cell and gene therapy companies …

Indexes closed positive in a volatile session as the Fed held steady on rates and said it wasn’t quite ready to start cutting rates yet.

Investors are waiting for the first jobs report of the year due out Friday morning.

Economic Data Docket: Main Street investor optimism jumped to 49.1% in the latest weekly survey by the American Association of Individual investors, up from 39.3% last week and the 13th week straight week it’s stood above the historical average of 37.5%. Investors haven’t been this bullish in six weeks, since the week before Christmas.

 

Thursday’s RegMed Investors’ (RMi) pre-open: “a stunned sector with a time to nibble at bottoms as lean aftermarket shows little yet, some effort.” … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13309

 

Pre-open Indications: 6 Hits < Blueprint Medicine (BLMC +$0.35), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$1.72). Beam Therapeutics (BEAM +$2.03), Solid Biosciences (SLDB +$0.20), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA +$1.44), Fate Therapeutics (FATE +$0.0.60)> 1 Miss < Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS -$0.42)>

 

Advance/Decline (A/D) Line:

  • Thursday: ended with a positive close of 26 incliners, 7 decliners and 2 flats

 

Ebb and flow of MY covered sector cell and gene therapy session daily “endings”:

Q1/24: February, 1 positive close

  • January: 2 holiday, 12 negative and 8 positive closes

 

Key Metrics:

The iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology (IBB) and the SPDR S&P ETF (XBI) indicators:

  • Thursday, the IBB was up +1.39% and the XBI was up +1.76%

The CBOE Volatility Index (VVIX: INDEX) tracked:

  • Thursday was down -0.47 point or -3.28% at 13.88

 

Thursday’s Closing Down (7 of 7):

  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS -$0.42 after Wednesday’s -$0.51),
  • Graphite Bio (GBIO -$0.05),
  • Compass therapeutics (CMPX -$0.05),
  • Cellectis SA (CLLS -$0.04 after Wednesday’s +$0.05),
  • Agenus (AGEN -$0.032 after Wednesday’s +$0.0337),
  • bluebird bio (BLUE -$),
  • Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE -$0.01 after Wednesday's -$0.77 after Tuesday’s -$1.11 and Monday’s +$1.02),

Flat (2):

  • Harvard Apparatus GN (HRGN)
  • uniQure NV (QURE)

Thursday’s Closing Up (10 of 26):

  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM +$2.03 after Wednesday’s -$1.44, Tuesday’s -$2.45 and Monday’s +$4.00),
  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY +$2.01 after Wednesday’s -$7.31, Tuesday’s -$0.84 and Monday’s +$1.34),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$1.72 after Wednesday’s -$1.53, Tuesday’s -$1.30 and Monday’s +$4.77),
  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA +$1.44 after Wednesday’s -$0.77 after Tuesday’s -$1.59 and Monday’s +$1.50),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$0.97),
  • Vericel (VCEL +$0.67 after Wednesday’s -$1.28),
  • Fate Therapeutics (FATE +$0.60 after Wednesday’s +$0.58),
  • Caribou Biosciences (CRBU +$0.56 after Wednesday’s +$0.06 after Tuesday’s +$0.08 and Monday’s +$0.53),
  • Verve Therapeutics (VERV +$0.39),
  • Sage Therapeutics (SAGE +$0.36),

 

Q1/24 – January

  • (2/1) Thursday closed positive with 26 incliners, 7 decliners and 2 flats

 

The BOTTOM LINE … Back from colonoscopy, I hope they put my brains back … as I missed all of the session; so, its back to the indexes!

  •  Jumps and following dumps lately has become a routine.

Geo-political risk are STILL hanging in th wind: The Biden administration will limit (I believe) retaliation to over 165 attacks by Iran-supported militias on U.S. forces and a drone attack killed three U.S. troops in Jordan.

Reiterating … again, “the cell and gene therapy sector continues to “recalibrate” its share pricing expectations and I don't think this … adjustment is completely over.”

  • Earnings and guidance are beginning 2/5 as Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) and Sage Therapeutics (SAGE) along with Blueprint Medicine (BPMC) on 2/14 announcing Q4 and FY23 which WILL be crucial to continue downside force in the sector as history has taught us i.e., investors.

The top three (3) performing in the session:

  • Thursday: Beam Therapeutics (BEAM), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP),
  • Wednesday: Fate therapeutics (FATE), Regenxbio (RGNX) and AxoGen (AXGN)
  • Tuesday: Solid Biosciences (SLDB), Caribou Biosciences (CRBU) and Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI)
  • Monday: CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP), Beam Therapeutics (BEAM) and Blueprint medicine (BLMC)

The worst three (3) in the session:  

  • Thursday: Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS), Graphite (GRPH) and Compass Therapeutics (CMPX)
  • Wednesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Blueprint Medicine (BLMC) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)
  • Tuesday: Beam Therapeutics (BEAM), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) and Blueprint Medicine (BLMC),
  • Monday: Graphite Bio (GRPH), Solid Biosciences (SLDB) and Homology Medicine (FIXX)

Welcome to my world of defining the “grey’ in our universe!

  • Right up front, “I also hate to be so negative or contrarian but, this is a NO spin zone and facts are its product; I can always be WRONG but … I am mostly EARLY!”

 

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 its 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.