Mini-Rally in Life Science Stocks--- Update 10p PDT 3/11
Biotech stocks recovered off their am lows today with major ETFs (FBT,IBB,XBI ($161.45) up about 0.3% and within 5% of highs. Over the past week or so biopharma stocks have been weak with a "topping" process evident in late February. Volatility has increased with daily swings and some mid-cap stocks have had severe 20 % sell-offs. Several Rayno Life Science stocks were big movers today:
Alexion (ALXN) up 7.11% all time high of $185.43.
Amgen (AMGN) up 2.57% all time high of $127.42.
Biogen Idec (BIIB) up 2.81% all time high of $353.47
Pharmacyclics (PCYC) up 1% all time high of $153.49.
Among Rayno Tools and DX picks movers were: Genomic Health (GHDX $28.76) up 2.75%, Nanostring T. (NSTG$20.22) up 1.35% , Quidel (QDEL $29.45) up 1% and Response Genetics (RGDX $1.45) up 4.3%. Illumina (ILMN) $166.55 was down 1% today but is up 51% YTD.
We urge investors to stay the course keeping in mind that life science stocks are up over 20% in 2014 thus a higher cash position is warranted. Our core position is Fidelity Select Biotechnology Fund (FBIOX $220) which is up 21% YTD.
Here is a summary of our pharmaceutical picks as of 1/31/14. Many of our stocks have exceeded these numbers YTD.
Rayno Biopharmaceutical Picks 2014
| 2014 | Original | P | Price | Price | Price | % Ret | Price | %Ret | Price | |
| Summary | Recomm | Apr'11 | Dec'12 | 1-Nov | 11/1/13 | 1/31/14 | YTD | 3/9/14 | ||
| 2014 | $ | |||||||||
| Achillion | ACHN | 3/4/13 | 8.6 | 2.53 | -68 | 3.31 | 0 | |||
| Alexion | ALXN | 2/2/09 | 35 | 100.8 | 95.4 | 123.4 | 2.26 | 158.73 | 19.5 | 180 |
| Alkermes | ALKS | 3/22/13 | 23 | 18.5 | 35.6 | 59.29 | 48.68 | 0.3 | ||
| Albany Mol | AMRI | 2/10/11 | 4.7 | 4.32 | 5.3 | 13.2 | 140.7 | 10.7 | 6.15 | |
| Astex | ASTX* | 12/27/11 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 8.5 | 49.48 | acq | |||
| Amgen | AMGN | 2/2/09 | 55 | 54 | 87.4 | 118.7 | 13.1 | 118.95 | 4.3 | 125.40 |
| Biogen | BIIB | 2/2/09 | 49 | 73.25 | 149 | 243 | 48.85 | 312.64 | 11.8 | 338 |
| Cephalon | CEPH* | 2/2/09 | 77 | 76.92 | 80.18 | 30 | acq | |||
| Cubist | CBST | 2/2/09 | 22 | 28.35 | 42.4 | 61.9 | 19.2 | 73.9 | 6.1 | 76.73 |
| Exelixis | EXEL | 9/2/10 | 3.3 | 11.12 | 4.58 | 4.97 | 1.97 | 6.88 | 12.2 | |
| First Trust | FBT | 4/15/10 | 38 | 41.3 | 46 | 64.6 | 29.6 | 75.26 | 8.8 | |
| Gilead | GILD | 2/2/09 | 51 | 42.81 | 72.7(s) | 71 | 40.67 | 80.65 | 7.4 | |
| iShares ETF | IBB | 2/2/09 | 71 | 101.1 | 137.8 | 206 | 29.9 | 245.91 | 8.3 | 260.50 |
| SPDR Bio | XBI | 86.38 | 119.6 | 23.7 | 150.21 | 15.4 | 161.45 | |||
| Fido Biotech | FBIOX | 205.5 | 13.1 | 220 | ||||||
| ImmunoGen | IMGN | 12/22/11 | 12 | 12.5 | 16.3 | 34.8 | 15 | 2.2 | ||
| Optimer | OPTR* | 2/18/11 | 12 | 13.8 | 9.2 | 12.8 | 60 | acq | ||
| Pharmacycl | PCYC | 6/8/12 | 38 | 58 | 122 | 47.8 | 133.07 | 25.8 | 132.95 | |
| Regeneron | REGN | 2/2/09 | 18 | 45.43 | 173 | 286 | 34.5 | 288.6 | 4.85 | 329 |
| Roche ADR | RHHBY | 1/30/14 | 67 | 68 | 0 | |||||
| Seattle Gen. | SGEN | 2/2/09 | 9.5 | 15.72 | 23.3 | 39 | 41 | 44.86 | 12.5 | |
| Vertex | VRTX | 11/15/13 | 63 | 79 | 6.4 | |||||
| ViroPharma | VPHM* | 2/2/09 | 12 | 20.05 | 22.9 | 39 | 29.4 | 50(acq) | ||
| *acquired | ||||||||||
Disclosure: I am long RGDX.
Additional disclosure: I am long Fidelity Select Biotech Fund (FBIOX) as a core position.