Are Dendreon's "Naked Shorts" Running For Cover?

Some readers will accuse me of finding any old excuse to write about Dendreon (DNDN), which as I've blogged before always results in a spike in page views.

But on a day when nearly all of biopharma is under pressure again due to market forces, it's truly worth calling attention to the fact that volatile shares of DNDN are sustaining a decent-sized rally on much higher-than-normal volume.

About a third of the outstanding shares are sold short. In other words, they're held by investors who think the stock is going down. A couple of analysts I talked to think some of the shorts might have been spooked yesterday morning when the SEC announced its crackdown on a certain type of short-seller provocatively known as "naked shorts."

Indeed, the shares spiked right around the time Jim Cramer was on CNBC talking about the significance of the harsh new rules.

The only news yesterday out of DNDN is that CEO Dr. Mitch Gold is going to present at the UBS Global Life Sciences Conference next Monday. His appearance comes just days or weeks ahead of the highly anticipated and controversial mid-term study results that DNDN says it'll release sometime next month.

This is the major clinical trial of the company's prostate cancer treatment Provenge. If enough men in the test live long enough, DNDN has said the Food and Drug Administration might approve the therapeutic vaccine based on the interim data. Otherwise, investors and patients will have to be patient at least until next year when the final results could come in.

The analysts I talked to say there will be trading days like this one as the DNDN D-day approaches and that the shares could continue to rally as more shorts take cover and other investors buy the stock outright on a bet the interim results might be good enough. I'm not aware of a single analyst who thinks they will be. So, as always, caveat emptor.

Comments

[Frankie62:]

Well, finally the powers that be have decided naked shorting is a problem needing addressing. One of the most interesting "new" requirements is that the "borrowed" shares must actually be delivered by the end of the 3rd day - hmmm isn't that what the requirements were originally? Apparently the rules have not been enforced?! DUH! Too bad it took a financial market crash to remove the scales from their eyes.

As a DNDN stockholder I am definitely interested in this development, but I'm even more concerned with what this week has done to my overall retirement portfolio, even though I am not invested in the financial markets.

2008 Sep 18 11:21 AM

[Billy Staples:]

I've been with DNDN since the last uber movement.Ive ben waiting, albeit nor smart but emotional, because I played my hand wrong. Admittingly, I really wasn't sure or honestly-really had no idea what I was doing. I had read the article in the middle of the night that it looked like this drug and company I had never heard of looked like an approval was in store. so, I had a dentist appt before market opened. so I place a decent sized order for the opening bell...ready...you sure...
ON MARGIN!

WHEN i LEFT FOR THE dR, FUTURES were LOOKING GOOD i THINK THEY SAID, I WAS JUST HAPPY i HAD MY SHARES IN. ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE DOC/DENTIST, I SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD NOVOCAINE AS WHAT CAME ACROSS THE ALERT ON MY CELL WAS EVEN WORSE. a $ OR $5 STOCK WHEN i PLACED THE ORDER, BOUGHT ME MY dndn...AT $18.00 A SHARE. i WAS LIKE WHAT THE f? pARTLY CAUSE i DIDN'T KNOW WHY. aFTER i FIGURED IT OUT, i REALIZED (dAMN SORRY BOUT CAPS. I know theres a way to fix it, haven't found it yet) I had to sell in order to cover the shares I ordered. I DIDN'T expect to sell for 18, thought about 5. sold almost all portfolio. than I came to know my stupidity.

after the initial session approved it...the stock went up to around 25, even with my stupid mistake, I was up $. Did I sell, no, I liked it, I think it was first time I was up and also recovered from my blunder. Next thing I know everyone is shorting the stock, it was shorted so heavily that people were writing in the forum that their brokers told them their were no more shares to borrow to short...all gone. I guess this was before naked short selling. Now i see why its a problem. well My pig headiness told me I was still right and i would be up so much more if i DIDN'T screw up the margin price. end of story, it went down down down to where it was originally and i never sold.

OK, I forgot the point. Oh yeah, I am not only in this because I believe in this drug, especially after been holding it all this time and reading all about it. the effacy and life prolonging is a no brainer. who is the FDA to deny a man a chance to live longer. Let it be his choice. women have the right to choose. I know its a stretch, but why not in this case. It is a brand new method of fighting cancer cells, that eventually if positive results can hopefully be used in other areas. DNDN did a good think stocking cash away, not like me. Take away my interest, and a 50 year old guy who has since developed BPH, which isn't the same or leads to it thank God, but opens your eyes, as there are things happening that they don't know about yet. Ironically, I am close to fitting into a category, but than god not yet.

this drug should have been approved before. what about the 2 doctors who had financial interests in a similar product next in the pipeline for approval, which I recall barely got in the front door.

I am sorry for the length of this. I guess I have been holding all this in for awhile and after it sunk there wasn't much talk or forums even cramer said its a nothing company when someone called about it. Or something to the effect. He blew it with SYNA too. Broke his own rule, didn't like the company, yet it was a good stock. see I learned something.
I hope some newbie reads this, can make sense of my garble and realizes the mistakes made and doesn't repeat them. lost over G's on that one...so far.

I think it will be OK'd this time. too many men are dying without a choice and a new treatment option for so many possibilities. It sickens me to think of the men waiting and died because of bureaucracy and alleged private interests

good luck to all

William Hine

Stop by and say hi thedarksize.com

2008 Sep 19 12:36 AM