April 2, 2025 4:49pm

From downward spiral …

“After being down so long, it was time for some ups” source: uncle algo and his electronic trading dwarfs

I say today what others won't, so you can do what others can't!

Never leave an investor uninformed!  

On point, short on words, long on facts and being judicious!

My mission is to provide clear, actionable guidance on a regular basis to help investors and traders navigate the uncertain and often irrational financial markets. I put hours of effort to create reporting, while leveraging my 40 years of operating and research experiences to analyze the key market-moving events and distill that into a cogent outlook.

 

Tuesday night’s RegMed Investors (RMi) Closing Bell: bumpy session … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13862

RegMed Investors’ (RMi) pre-open: Liberation Day … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13863

 

RegMed Investors (RMi) Research Note: Harvard Apparatus GT (OTCQB: HRGN), formerly Biostage (OTCQB: HRGN) The chokehold got tighter cutting-off any capacity to lift multiple going concern at-risk marker … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13812

  • Wednesdaay, OTCQB: HRGN dropped -0.15 or -7.14% with 200 shares traded

 

Wednesday: The Dow closed UP +235.36 points or +0.56%, the S&P closed UP +37.90 points or +0.67% while the Nasdaq closed UP +151.15 points or +0.87%

  • Another volatile session

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

  • ADP reported companies added 155,000 jobs in March, a sharp increase from the upwardly revised 84,000 in February and better than the Dow Jones forecast for 120,000, according to ADP.  On the wage side, earnings rose by 4.6% year over year for those staying in their positions and 6.5% for job changers. The gap between the two matched a series low.    

Wednesday’s advance/decline line opened with a positive 25 incliner, 9 decliners and 1 flat ending with a positive close of 25 incliners, 9 decliners and 1 flat

  • Time out, time in             

Metrics:  Wednesday, the IBB was up +2.35%, the XBI was up +2.43% while the VIX was down -0.26 points or -1.19% at 21.51

 

Tuesday: The Dow closed DOWN -11.80 points or -0.03%, the S&P closed UP +21.22 points or +0.38% while the Nasdaq closed up +150.60 points or +0.87%

  • Due to weaker-than-expected economic data with another sour reading on the economy due to the threat of tariffs, with the Institute for Supply Management manufacturing survey coming in lighter than expected and in contraction territory

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

  • The ISM manufacturing index edged down to 49, representing the percentage of respondents that reported activity was increasing. That was down from the prior 50.3 and slightly below the consensus estimate for 49.5. A reading above 50 represents expansion.
  • The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported available positions fell to 7.57 M, down 194,000 from January and narrowly below the estimate for 7.6 M. The openings rate as a share of the labor force fell to 4.5%, down 0.2% point, while the ratio of openings to available workers fell to 1.07 to 1.

Tuesday’s advance/decline line opened with a negative 1 incliner, 32 decliners and 2 flats ending with a negative close of 5 incliners, 28 decliners and 2 flats         

Metrics:  Tuesday, the IBB was down -3.88%, the XBI was down -2.94% while the VIX was down -0.51 points or -2.29% at 21.27

 

Q2/24 -April – 1 positive and 1 negative closes

  • Q1/25 – March, 10 positive and 12 negative closes
  • February – 12 holiday, 11 negative and 7 positive closes
  • January - 2 holidays, 1 market close, 10 negative and 10 positive closes

 

Wednesday’s Closing UP (10 of 25)

  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY +$11.07 after Tuesday’s -$14.26 after Monday’s +$1.46),
  • Blueprint Medicine (BPMC -$4.07),
  • Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals RARE +$1.53 after Tuesday’s -$2.37 after Monday’s -$1.54)
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS +$1.45),
  • Vericel (VCEL +$1.23 after Tuesday’s -$1.53 after Monday’s +$0.12)
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$1.05 after Tuesday’s -$0.89 after Monday’s -$2.92),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$0.95),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM +$0.84 after Tuesday’s -$1.90 after Monday’s -$2.85
  • uniQure NV (QURE +$0.71),
  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA +$0.64),

Flat (1)

  • Homology Medicine (FIXX)

Wednesday’s Closing DOWN (9 of 9):

  • Compass Therapeutics (CMPX -$0.55 after Tuesday’s +$0.34),
  • Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ -$0.50 after Tuesday’s +$0.30),
  • Verve Therapeutics (VERV -$0.225)
  • bluebird bio (BLUE -$0.22 after Tuesday’s +$0.37 after Monday’s +$0.87).
  • Harvard Apparatus RT (OTCQB: HRGN -$0.15 after Tuesday’s $0.00 and Monday’s $0.00),
  • AxoGen (AXGN -$0.12 after Tuesday’s -$0.69 after Monday’s +$0.15)
  • Sage Therapeutics (SAGE -$0.09),
  • Mesoblast (MESO -$0.08),
  • Cellectis Sa (CLLS -$0.06 after Tuesday’s +$0.08),

 

The BOTTOM LINE:  Stocks climbed on Wednesday in yet another volatile session reading for the expected rollout of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

An appropriate interpretation: “Stocks have come under pressure as uncertainty around Trump’s tariffs has spurred recent market volatility, with the broad market index down five out of the past six weeks. However, some investors think the sell-off is overdone.” <CNBC>

As I stated, I saw the beginning of “bottom feeding” Monday of the undervalued and oversold? – Yes!

 

“I hate to be so negative or contrarian but, this is a NO spin zone and truth is its product; I can always be WRONG but, I am mostly EARLY!”

  • If I have learned one thing as a former research analyst in a venture and public fund, operating executive, x-FBI, x-military officer and an adjunct (MBA) business school professor now a journalist; my life and your portfolio are largely tied to knowledge of price movements and questioning pricing targets and more.

I don’t have much to write/say other than “electronic trading and uncle algo” slipped out the back door reaping sector disharmony and then popped right back for some profiteering.

  • What can I say, love ‘em, leave ‘em and welcome back to save the sector’s honor – “uncle algo and his electronic dwarfs.” <me>

 

April ‘25: understand the “flow” …

  • 4/2 - Wednesday closed positive with 25 positive, 9 negative and 1 flat
  • 4/1 - Tuesday closed negative with 5 positive, 28 negative and 2 flats

 

Big Point to remember “Think about it; the biggest problem the cell and gene therapy sector it’s all to the future …  99% of them have no earnings!

  • If rates are higher for longer, that means that sector companies will continue to struggle or be unable to raise capital and therefore be subject to debt servicing firms!”
  • 2024 saw very little life IPOs (initial public offering) market and secondaries – I have seen private investments, mortgages, sell-offs, as companies deferred and struggle to gain further market access i.e., public. <Me>

What could 2025 have in store for the capital access space?

  • "You'll see a number of cell and gene therapy companies drive for secondaries – they’re desperate for cash, but I do think a lot of cell and gene therapy sector companies NEED to be focused on what is driving their own growth —they're focused on a lot of change BUT … that's happening in pipelines … capital expansion is second.

 

Why do I keep repeating, so investors can make the connection …

The top three (3) performing in the session:   

  • Wednesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Blueprint Medicine (BPMC) and Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE)
  • Tuesday: bluebird bio (BLUE), Compass Therapeutics (CMPX) and Lenz therapeutics (LENZ)
  • Monday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), bluebird bio (BLUE) and Mesoblast (MESO)
  • Friday: bluebird bio (BLUE) and Beam Therapeutics (BEAM)

The worst three (3) in the session: 

  • Wednesday: Compass therapeutics 9CMPX), Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ) and Verve Therapeutics (VERV)  
  • Tuesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) and Blueprint Medicine (BPMC)
  • Monday: BioLife Solutions (BLFS), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Moderna (MRNA)
  • Friday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Vericel (VCEL) and Mesoblast (MESO)

 

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 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.