Bio ETF’sThis thread is designed to allow investors to discuss the nature, strategies, tactics and stocks content of Bio ETF’s.
Before getting too engrossed in detail, please think about how we can create a structure for how to do this. I will publish a list of ALL known ETF’s. No one person could handle all the mentions within all the ETF’s on that list, so we will need a set of volunteers to adopt just one of them and regularly monitor it. No passengers here, I hope.
Rgs
Alan
This is a discussion topic or guest posting submitted by a Stock Gumshoe reader. The content has not been edited or reviewed by Stock Gumshoe, and any opinions expressed are those of the author alone.
Good morning All: Regarding the unweildiness of this thread, I thought that while The Boss is away on hols, we could busy ourselves by looking at Bio ETF’s and analyse the stox they contained; plenty to keep us busy there.
I have set up a discussion (awaiting moderation). I will let you know when its on-line.
Copied from this site: http://etf.stock-encyclopedia.com/category/biotechnology.html
iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund (IBB) Top 100 ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF (SBIO) NEW! Ark Genomic Revolution Multi-Sector ETF (ARKG) BioShares Biotechnology Clinical Trials Fund (BBC) NEW! BioShares Biotechnology Products Fund (BBP) NEW! First Trust AMEX Biotechnology Index Fund (FBT) Market Vectors Biotech ETF (BBH) Powershares Dynamic Biotechnology & Genome Portfolio Fund (PBE) Leveraged ETF ProShares Ultra Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (BIB) Leveraged ETFShort/Bearish ETFProShares UltraShort Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (BIS) SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI)
Ok, which one do you wanna nursmaid ?….it takes no special bio investing/computer skills, so its time for those who have not felt able to contribute much, to contribute a lot !
Step right up!
BTW: Hat tip ARCH1 for finding/suggesting that site
If we go to each of the above and find what is in their portfolio, then dissect them and create a top ten stox (?), that could be a good start. Any other suggestions for a framework/spreadsheet very welcomed.
Please try to remember, this discussion is focused on just ETF related stox….NOT stox in general, or ‘what d’ya think about this one Fred….’ .
There are already places for Other Interesting Stock suggestions, plus Club Houses and Options tactics, etc, The links are all noted on the etiquette thread.
http://www.stockgumshoe.com/2014/11/microblog-guidelines-for-new-members-posting-rules-and-etiquette/
Oh, but we SHOULD consider ANY stock listed in the ‘KSS’s SG ETF’ as relevant to this thread.
Here is a new interesting bio index fund that is premiering today. I think it is something that I may consider buying into. I will also post in the new thread:
A new stock index is debuting Tuesday to track the performance of companies developing cancer immunotherapies.
The Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy Index (LCINDX) is an equal-weighted basket of 25 pharmaceutical and biotech companies developing (or already marketing) drugs which use the body’s own immune system to target and kill cancer cells.
“The goal of the Cancer Immunotherapy index is to give investors a better understanding of the immunotherapy sector by highlighting major companies involved and providing a metric to track their progress,” said Brad Loncar, CEO of Loncar Investments, the provider of the new index. Loncar’s “day job” involves managing a family investment portfolio focused primarily on biotech stocks. He’s also a well-known member of the biotech Twitter(TWTR) tribe.
Loncar’s index has a singular focus on cancer immunotherapy but its constituent stocks represent a diverse cross section of pharma and biotech stocks, including Novartis(NVS – Get Report), Merck(MRK), Bristol-Myers Squibb(BMY – Get Report), Celgene(CELG), Juno Therapeutics(JUNO), Celldex Therapeutics(CLDX – Get Report), Incyte(INCY), Advaxis(ADXS) and Lion Biotechnologies(LBIO).
The complete index roster can be found at the LocarIndex web site.
Back-testing the cancer immunotherapy index yielded a year-to-date return of just under 28%. Since October, the index almost doubled in value, Loncar says, cautiously, because back-testing, even when conducted professionally, can’t be relied upon for future performance.
Some interesting thoughts on Bio from one of the best chartists I’ve found:
http://blog.kimblechartingsolutions.com/2015/04/bio-tech-key-support-test-in-play-following-reversal-pattern/
Worth keeping an eye on for sure.
I have been taking look at $xbi which tracks bio stocks on Standard and Poors as I have traders spiders in past,,SPDRS,,, although not in Bio. It has risen from $120.00 range to $220.00
in the last year,,,near double but has dropped and gained in last few days like its either going to break higher still or correct. I have not found yet which stox it trax, altho it just occurred to me to googlr SP BioTec h or similar. Will add more later. frank
$XBI
https://www.spdrs.com/product/fund.seam?ticker=xbi
If you go to the Holdings tab, you can see the top ten list, and a tiny link to get the entire list of holdings via an Excel spreadsheet:
https://www.spdrs.com/site-content/xls/XBI_All_Holdings.xls?fund=XBI&docname=All+Holdings&onyx_code1=1286&onyx_code2=1718
Top ten holdings (as of Apr. 6, 2015 )
Dyax Corp. 1.75%
Esperion Therapeutics Inc. 1.43%
Prothena Corp. Plc 1.43%
Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. 1.36%
Auspex Pharmaceuticals Inc. 1.34%
Amicus Therapeutics Inc. 1.26%
ImmunoGen Inc. 1.25%
Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. 1.17%
United Therapeutics Corporation 1.15%
MiMedx Group Inc. 1.12%
I found linkhere
http://www.etfchannel.com/lists/?a=stockholdings&issuer=&symbol=XBI&sortby=&reverse=&rpp=20&start=0
any of those we follow are here in $xbi holdings including many unfamiliar to me..This looks like a good site to search from for other ETF holdings,,,I noticed they had a list headed be top ten insider holders.
Frank was it you, Scorpio or Frenchy that brought up XPH when you were discussing a month or so ago? The chart for 6 months, YTD, 1yr, 2yr and 5yr are very impressive. I bought some back then. The “Joe bought some” chart is the only one that does not look like this ( / ) , but looks more like this ( \ )
Joe,
Here is an excerpt from my recent (March) post re ETFs – written in reply to John King’s inquiry:
“For those individuals who are somewhat risk averse – but nevertheless interested in investing in the biotech sector, a quality ETF such as SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: XPH) may be a good fit. This is a non-leveraged exchange-traded fund (ETF) composed of some of the biopharma industry’s leading firms and a smattering of aggressive small caps.”
Lawrence Heres to you…I have not done anything ETF in some time,,,,,,,,It is looking to me that perhaps I should have as ,if given my choice of five of the top ten i would likely pick the bottom two to buy. 🙂 frank
They have 99 holdings. The strategy of the fund is equal weight so the larger holdings show what stocks have recently run up from their last adjustment. It does not reflect any opinion of the fund managers.
Remember that they are just a mirror of the NASDAQ stock population, they do not claim that their holdings are based on anything other than the company being in the sector and listed in the NASDAQ.
Hi Benny,
Happy to help, will dissect/cover XBI.
I do not normally use ETFs unless it is in a sector I am clueless about. In biotech would much rather make selections from informed discourse (that is, Stock Gumshoe), and your plan to pick the brains of the ETF managers is just what I like to do.
The picks and ideas highlighted in this thread will be an interesting counterpoint to the ETF holdings.
Long NVS, PFE, CMVLF; and now ZFGN, MEIP, PARN, and GNFTF thanxs to the Shoe.
Got a regular mutual fund going in biotech.
$XBI I just noticed that Frank already follows this one. So if he want to cover it going forward I’ll give it up for another. But this is what I found on XBI:
GENERAL: ETF, open end, long only, fund, equal weight, 99 positions. Morningstar rating 4 stars. 1 yr growth +60%. Small cap 2.2 billion.
TECHNICAL: Frank noted its recent growth. The chart went positive in June 2014 and has been an extended uptrend. There was a blow-off top in March 2015 that hit a high of 244. The price now seems to be consolidating above the 50 day EMA, and right on top
of the 12 and 20 day EMAs. The 100 day EMA is around 200, 10% under current price.
Possibly important: The price has been very close to NAV for 11 months…until now, the price has jumped to 2.25% over NAV, so this indicates exuberant sentiment.
INDIVIDUAL TICKERS Since this fund is equal weight and actively managed, the largest positions most likely reflect the recent price growth of the stock, as opposed to conviction of the managers. Conversely the smaller positions reflect recent declines in price, as opposed to opinions of the managers. So we have a decision to make on whether to look at the larger positions, which indicate a price run-up and will be favored
by those preferring momentum, or the smaller positions, which indicate recent weakness and may be favored by contrarians and value guys. All their positions are pretty close (smallest 0.8%, largest 1.8%) so in this case I don’t think that their “top ten” are necessarily a better place to look than their bottom 10 or even their middle 70.
For example, on stocks I’ve seen in threads recently, RCPT, INO, KPTI and ESPR are overweight and in their top 10; ZFGN, TGTX, AGIO and CLDX are underweight and near the bottom, presumably because they have declined fom their entry or not grown as fast as the average. Yet we’d go long on these if we give heed to The Learned Doctor, as presumably most of do.
So I am a little stuck on this one, unless you just want the whole list. Advise on how to proceed… I can slice and dice their holdings any old way, but there are a lot of companies to digest.
.
Larry I really did not volunteer to follow $XBI ,,,I just checked on it because it was a SPDR.
as I have not done anything with an ETF in sometime. I am notoriously undependable for performing any meaningful work as various factors affect what I am able to do day to day.
The report you just gave is what we need to decide if we give weight to one or more ETF’s.
If you want to take on this chore and the criticism of those who do nothing I wish you God Speed and Best Wishes. 🙂 🙂 :),,,,3 smiles from me. I greatly enjoy your posts and your thinking and would appreciate your views on any of the stox that interest you……. frank
Thanks, Frank, just didn’t want to step on your toes if you were going to sign up for it.
Thanks for the kind words. Best to you
All: I think its important that we start by focusing soley on what we can glean from the managed ETF’s (which is where the other bio Gurus live), then analyse/average their picks to create a top ten (ish) hit parade. Once we have a clear picture, only then should we look at where that mix does/doesnt concur with KSS’s thoughts; which may lead to alsorts of interesting questions for Da Man once he returns. I think he’ll be impressed that we are finally thinking for ourselves (ish).
Depending on each individuals investing style/risk tolerance/experience, Gummies can choose to sit out, or cherry pick, or opt for a simple (safe?) vanilla ETF, or model their own version of the Irregular ETF of ETF’s, or stir in any amount of KSS’s thoughts to date. We must remember, the aim is to present credible information, so that others can make better informed choices, be they Bull or Bear. But, as always, ultimately it’s for each reader to make the final decision as to whether they should sign their cheque or not.
Guys: I would guess what we are looking for are Managed funds where they have their own specialists eyeballing this stuff, rather than tracker funds that mostly pick by market cap. Anyone found any?
Or maybe even the initial positions of a sharp venture firm ?
Benny Good thinking!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Just found this ETF Gummy StartUp. I’ve held IBB (the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF) for around two years, so I will report on it in the near future.
Along the same line, another idea might be to look at venture capitalists specializing in biotech. I’ll look into that, too.
Because of how it is structured (equal weight) XBI does not look especially suited to our purposes. However I will start picking through their holdings anyway to see if I can find anything.
I would say that this looks like a good ETF for those who want a one click entry to the sector when and if you can get it close to NAV.
hendrixnuzzles: Whats wrong with equal weight???
As for whether this ETF is good or bad, thats not (I think??) what we are interested in right now. We are trying to create an ETF of ETF’s (if thats at all possible) so as to pick their collective bio guru’s brains, just in case we’ve lost our guru…..and even if we havent, it will be an interesting excercise while we are waiting for his return.
Nothing wrong with equal weight. In this type of fund I think it is good. But it was not helpful for our purposes, unless we look at every name on the assumption that it’s inclusion in XBI qualifies it for our consideration.
I understand 100% that we are not looking to buy ETFs. I certainly am not. We are looking for informed conviction on companies that may be good opportunities that we are unaware of, as a starting point for due diligence. Picking the brain of the fund manager. I get it and I think it is an excellent strategy.
That said, the quality of the fund does have some relevance. Would you look at the picks of this fund if they were up 5% instead of 60% and had a Morningstar rating of 1 instead of 4 ?
I also stated my opinion about the fund in passing because two participants said they had looked at it, presumably with the possibility of buying it, and I had spent some time looking at XBI and going through their holdings. Whatever we are going to do, and I would like to be a constructive part of it, there may be subscribers who do not want to follow our recommendations and want a one-click solution to the medical sector. I am sure you would grant they have that choice, and I do not begrudge them my opinion.
If you want the list of XBI holdings just let me know how to send it, I have it on Excel.
Sorry for any misunderstanding.
It is also relevant to everyone that there is a clear 2.25% bio sentiment bubble right before our eyes in this fund, in the premium to NAV. This is relevant even to supporters of our method who may have entry issues. The technical aspects of the fund are also relevant because many of our favorite picks are in the composite chart of XBI.
The problem for me is one of elimination. There are more of these promising companies than I evaluate, let alone invest in.
The XBI has 99 companies. If we knock out the numerous names already known to us, and then knock out the sick, deaf, lame, and hopeless, we might get down to a reasonable number. So maybe the list isn’t so useless after all.
XBI HOLDINGS volume order
Symbol Description Percent of
Net Assets
DYAX Dyax Corp 1.75%
ESPR Esperion Therapeutics Inc 1.43%
PRTA Prothena Corp PLC 1.43%
INO Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.36%
ASPX Auspex Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.34%
FOLD Amicus Therapeutics Inc 1.26%
IMGN Immunogen Inc 1.25%
OREX Orexigen Therapeutics Inc 1.17%
UTHR United Therapeutics Corp 1.15%
KPTI Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. 1.12%
RCPT Receptos Inc 1.12%
MDXG MiMedx Group Inc 1.12%
ALDR Alder BioPharmaceuticals Inc 1.12%
MNTA Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.11%
NLNK NewLink Genetics Corp 1.11%
SRPT Sarepta Therapeutics Inc 1.11%
EXEL Exelixis Inc 1.10%
FMI Foundation Medicine Inc 1.10%
ANAC Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.09%
RARE Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc 1.09%
MACK Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.08%
REGN Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.08%
PCYC Pharmacyclics Inc 1.07%
LGND Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.07%
IRWD Ironwood Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.07%
INSM Insmed Inc 1.07%
AMGN Amgen Inc 1.07%
CPHD Cepheid 1.07%
AMAG AMAG Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.06%
BIIB Biogen Inc 1.06%
BLUE bluebird bio Inc 1.06%
EBS Emergent BioSolutions Inc 1.05%
MYGN Myriad Genetics Inc 1.05%
INCY Incyte Corp 1.05%
MDVN Medivation Inc 1.05%
DVAX Dynavax Technologies Corp 1.04%
GILD Gilead Sciences Inc 1.04%
ICPT Intercept Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.03%
OPK Opko Health Inc 1.03%
ENTA Enanta Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.02%
CELG Celgene Corp 1.02%
BCRX Biocryst Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.02%
BMRN Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc 1.02%
ARIA ARIAD Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.02%
ACOR Acorda Therapeutics Inc 1.02%
ALXN Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.02%
NBIX Neurocrine Biosciences Inc 1.01%
PBYI Puma Biotechnology Inc 1.01%
VRTX Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.01%
XOMA XOMA Corp 1.01%
SPPI Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc 1.00%
TSRO Tesaro Inc 0.99%
SGEN Seattle Genetics Inc 0.98%
RGEN Repligen Corp 0.98%
PTLA Portola Pharmaceuticals Inc 0.98%
MGNX Macrogenics Inc 0.98%
MNKD MannKind Corp 0.98%
AEGR Aegerion Pharmaceuticals Inc 0.98%
ACAD ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc 0.98%
HALO Halozyme Therapeutics Inc 0.98%
ALNY Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc 0.97%
ARRY Array BioPharma Inc 0.97%
KYTH KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals Inc 0.97%
KERX Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc 0.96%
ARNA Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc 0.96%
PTCT PTC Therapeutics Inc 0.96%
ALKS Alkermes PLC 0.96%
— Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc 0.95%
CMRX Chimerix Inc 0.95%
XON Intrexon Corp 0.95%
KITE Kite Pharma Inc 0.94%
CLDX Celldex Therapeutics Inc 0.94%
ACHN Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc 0.93%
AGIO Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc 0.93%
CLVS Clovis Oncology Inc 0.93%
EXAS Exact Sciences Corp 0.93%
INSY Insys Therapeutics Inc 0.93%
ISIS ISIS Pharmaceuticals Inc 0.92%
OPHT Ophthotech Corp 0.92%
RPTP Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp 0.92%
TGTX TG Therapeutics Inc 0.92%
GEVA Synageva BioPharma Corp 0.92%
RGLS Regulus Therapeutics Inc 0.91%
SGMO Sangamo BioSciences Inc 0.91%
RDUS Radius Health Inc 0.90%
GERN Geron Corp 0.90%
IDRA Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc 0.89%
OTIC Otonomy Inc 0.89%
NVAX Novavax Inc 0.89%
INFI Infinity Pharmaceuticals Inc 0.89%
ZFGN Zafgen Inc 0.88%
PGNX Progenics Pharmaceuticals Inc 0.87%
GHDX Genomic Health Inc 0.83%
FPRX Five Prime Therapeutics Inc 0.83%
ONVO Organovo Holdings Inc 0.82%
OVAS OvaScience Inc 0.80%
ZIOP ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc 0.80%
CTIC CTI Biopharma Corp 0.78%
ETF/hedge fund/VC etc Volunteers: I think all we need initially is a name plus a list of the tickers they own with a fund % for each….20 mins work and a cut and paste. Longer term, to keep a lazy eye out for any significant changes to that mix. That info can be collated into a spreadsheet which will auto calc a moving top ten (or 40…or maybe 400) using some algorithm (??)
All: Please give some thought/comment/suggestion to how that algorithm should be formed and who should be included. VC’s? Hedge funds? Institutions? ….. but lets try to KiSS.
We could organize the effort by disorder, focussing on the largest and most pressing problems with the highest reward for a cure, and then look for the best companies large and small that are working on a solution to that problem. Gummies would take a specialty and bring their findings about the ticker to the MD referees who would pass judgement and give the amateurs work or further research to do.
This way the amateurs can be of help, since when we go a a website we usually can understand what disease the company is targeting.
Amateur: “Doc, this company is trying to find a cure for peripatetic thrombosis by joining monoclonal android antigens to algae enzymes from Lake Erie and injecting them directly into the carotid artery.”
Dr KSS: ” That doesn’t work very well. Check to see what they are doing when the android antigens mutate into subcutaceous angiomas, see if they have they checked that. Besides, every one knows you can’t leave chimeric antigen receptors at home by themselves, they eat you out of house and home.”
Or:
Dr KSS: Hmm…that sounds interesting. Think I’ll look at the website and try it on my dog.
( a week passes)
Dr KSS: “My dog recovered…I’m surprised but maybe there’s something to it. Anyway I checked their clinical results and the algae levels are not being affected, so it might work.
on humans, too.”
Amateur: “Great, I’ll check the stock charts, comapn
Then the amateur can do the financial and stock data research after Dr KSS’ says that the science is promising, and his dog has fully recovered.
I assume the big targets would include:
Gene and cell technology…masters of the universe
General immunology
Cancer-blood
Cancer-solid tumors
Cancer-lung & emphysema
Cancer-pancreatic
Cancer-ovarian
Obesity/diabetes
Liver disease
Parkinsons and nerve disorders
Alzheimers and aging
Reproductive science, dead dick disease
Addiction and substance abuse
Orthopedic science, arthritis…big market for tennis elbow
In the sort process, we would be abIe to evaluate new entries against the incumbent champs. In the end we would have the most promising players…our problem is elimination of companies and evaluating the chances and markets of the remaining ones.
That way we can go after the highest value targets with our available time and attention,
and get to a manageable list of best-in-class possibles by target. And new names can be evaluated against the incumbent best choices.
I see no flaw in your thinking,,,Aok with me……..Have you considered a career as script writer for Hospital/Doctor/Soap opera TV series? LOL 🙂 🙂 🙂
Excellent post.
$DYAX..number 2 in XBI
This stock is overweight in the XBI because it just shot up 55% on FDA approval for safety and fast track designation for “rare hereditary disease” HAE which dumb laymen like me have never heard about. Also yesterday had a stock offer @ $ 27 and raised a bunch of money.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dyax-shares-jump-40-on-best-in-class-potential-for-new-drug-2015-03-31
Didn’t do any fundamental research since they only have one approved drug and most of the future vigorish will be in this new thing, which I have no idea how to forecast.
They also highlight a “phage library” of different peptides and fancy molecules that can serve as “binding agents”, and they license other parties to use this library to find the right binding agent for their targets.
Anyway unless Dr Kss or some other Qualified Person explains that there is a huge HAE market crying out for a solution, or that the phage library is a vitally needed innovation,
I’m not sure this belongs in an ultra elite creme-de-la-creme Gummy Target List.
I do not understand any of thing of what I just explained.
Regards
Never heard of $DYAX??? Ah ! …. now you see the possible benefit to us in picking their gurus brains. How many more goodies arent we following ?
First to admit total ignorance of the sector even though Mom worked with Debakkey at Baylor. The on
Why do you think I am following these threads like a dog behind a meat truck ?
First to admit total ignorance of the sector even though Mom worked with Debakkey at Baylor. The only companies I have ever heard of outside PFE NVS CMVLF are the ones
in Dr Kss’ recent articles and the ones submitted by the amateurs in those threads.
DYAX… is HAE a big problem ?
I must admit my ignorance also.
$ PRTA $ DYAX $ ESPR Before you said WHOA !, I checked DYAX and the number three holding at XBI, PROTHENA PRTA. My guess was that DYAX would be too minor for our consideration…just one ongoing drug and a trial for DX2930 to fix a disease I’d never heard of, HAE, and a library for binding agents, another new concept for me.
But Prothena seemed more meaty. They are going after a cure for amyloidosis, which sounds deadly; Parkinsons Disease, which has a big following; and Psoriasis, Heartbreak of, which I know is a widespread problem because they had TV ads on it.
So I thought, PRTA makes the cut, DYAX probably not, unless we expand the field to the top 200.
ESPR was largest holding in XBI. Doc told us so.
I am in DYAX for the same reason that I got into FOLD, ADXS, ZIOP and RTRX. Most with 200 -600% returns. The reason is not gurus, but having friends who are Pharma -sales reps. 2 weeks ago I was told to buy DYAX as Shire will probably buy them if there Angiodema product is approved. Would we call pharma reps gurus?
They are not gurus but foot soldiers who can radio to tell us
if they are going forward or getting bombed
Sheet2!N8=HYPERLINK(“http://www.stockgumshoe.com/2014/05/microblog-hepatitis-with-a-c-right-now-someone-you-know-has-it-and-doesnt-know/#comment-N831575015″,”comment”) Best-Ben
Speaking of looking at biotech ETF’s for ideas, do you guys recall Doc’s posts in the Receptos thread? The Doc liked ISI Evercore’s Dr. Mark Schoenebaum. I can’t seem to find their picks, do you have to pay for their research?
http://www.stockgumshoe.com/2015/01/the-long-case-for-receptos/#comment-4192528
“The best biotech callers overall (after SG of course) are RBC, CS, BMO, ISI. DB would be better if they booted Robyn Karnauskas…she is just a master of the obvious. She used to hit it off with Melissa Lee on CNBC and now I think even Melissa realizes she’s a dunce.”
Scorpio do you know which groups those initials represent,,,It seems you have identified
ISI Evercore or should I try to search them out,,,or have others already done so??
Off the top of my head, RBC is RBC capital management, CS is Credit Suisse, DB is Deutche Bank, BMO escapes me.
Looks to me those are for the big fish or whales,,,,not minnows like me,,,or perhaps i should be with the krill. I suspect their research comes with a substantial price.
BMO = BMO Capital Markets?
BMO = BMO Capital Markets? = Bank of Montreal? Non?
Oui, BMO == Bank of Montreal. Not sure what specific aspect Dr. KSS was referring to, but probably Capital Markets.
ISI has morphed into Evercore,,,,an investment banking advisory group,,,,,,subscription sounds spendy as you cannot see their fees unless you give them Email so Sales sharks can put the pitch to you.
Dr. KSS DOES like Schoenebaum and since I’m not paying for Evercore’s picks – they have clients and they charge for their insight – what I do is have a running up-to-the-minute google alert for him so that at least as soon as he or someone puts information into the netiverse with his name attached, I get it. As to information on ISI Evercore and Schoenebaum:
http://www.evercore.com/Investment-Banking/institutional-equities-research/fundamental-health-care
The Learned One had conviction on Receptos. You could look it up.
Does this make any sense,,,look at the holdings of all the Bio ETF’s choose all the stox they hold in common and pick the those with the the largest number of holders,,,,,say 9 out of 10 hold $GILD 7 put that on our list ,,,,8 out of 10 hold ARWR,,ACHN,,,AKAO,,and put those on our list,,,,then 7 out of 10 & etc. as a starting basket…..I think we will find many are same as we are following already,,,so continue with those and investigate new ones that pop up. If one on our present list seems to be a dog on the ETF Mkt,,,,try to see why.
That seems to me to be a smaller bite ,,,easier to process for starters….
What do you think?/
7 after $GILD should be &
Since we already know XBI holds all,,,,, we could leave it off the ones to explore???
And actually here’s a thought: since I think we can ALL agree that We Trust In Dr. KSS, then any Bio ETF that either: A) DOESN’T have a SIGNIFICANT number of his PICKS and/or B) DOES have a SIGNIFICANT number of his PANS, should start with the assumption it belongs in our ETF Dungeon and have to prove its way out! Whaddya youse think?
I will note that for ETFs that have, say, 99 holdings, this may not be possible as such a fund might be forced for other than purely scientific reasons to hold some stinkers, but maybe, again, if we chose for ourselves a definition of “SIGNIFICANT” that might do it. For example, as a personal choice I’m divesting myself of any mutual fund or ETF with a tobacco company listed as a top holding on its Morningstar listing. I won’t make the brokers with whom I work go insane by saying nothing I hold can hold ANY tobacco as that is just too crippling to my financial future, but since COPD killed my mother and I suspect contributed to my father’s death, for ME it’s blood money and I don’t care if it’s making me money it’s just a no. So maybe a quick way to cull the herd …
There are some active funds out there in biotech, but be careful — ETFs are generally built to cover an indexed sector, not to pick stocks based on any scientific (or other fundamental) assessment. They want to match the performance of a sector, at least in the case of the big and broad biotech ETFs, not to pick the best companies. They’re generally indexed by market cap, meaning their largest holdings are simply the largest companies. If you want actively managed funds that discriminate based on quality of company or science, you’re looking for mostly open-ended mutual funds or a few closed end funds, not necessarily indexed ETFs. Though the indexed ETFs will
Probably give you the biggest listing you’re just looking to sniff around a large number of stocks.
Travis: Sage advice as always. HendixBegForaBiscuit, ya’ol dog, please read and read again.
Wagging my tail looking hanging around the table.
Hoping a drumstick or a T-bone falls off. Tired of table scraps
Allison, that is how I feel about Monsanto and its chemical cohorts.
Some info on SBIOS & BBC may help?
http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/166399/sbio-vs-bbc-2-innovative-biotech-etfs-headtohead
$SBIO
http://www.etf.com/SBIO
More info on ETF’s and focus
http://etfdb.com/index/poliwogg-medical-breakthroughs-index/
also top ten stox of SBIO
$NPSP 4.30%
$RCPT 4.27%
$SGEN 4.22%
AKRX 3.93%
$PCRX 3.60%
$ACAD 3.57%
$GEVA 3.47%
$BLUE 2.98%
$IPXL 2.54%
$MNKD 2.38%
For those who do not know,,an index fund is like a mutual fund whereas an ETF or exchange traded fund trades on the market as a stock does. Index funds generally do not let you know all their holdings unless you join by purchase. Polliwog is such it seems & $SBIO is like a mirror only ETF.
Hi Archy Primus,
I took a look at SBIO and I think it may have some good stuff in it, it’s a “medical breakthrough” fund so they are trying to do what we are…as I understand it.
There are “only” 75 stocks and it looks like we have seen a majority of the tickers but there may be a few dozen new ones. So I’m going ahead and merging anything we don’t have already into a master.
The fund is pretty small only 52 MM and commenced only in December 2014.
They are all long and it is cap weighted so you are correct it is a “Mirror” so we shouldn’t interpret weight as indicative of informed conviction.
Frank, thanks for bringing the website http://www.etf.com/ and http://etfdb.com/ to our attention. They are the best all-around sites for ETF information I’ve seen. Some highlights:
30 minute video tutorial: http://www.etf.com/webinars/ETFs101/player.html
Etf.com has about 40 informatory articles, such as How Do You Choose The Right ETF , What Risks Are There In ETFs , and Understanding Premiums and Discounts .
Etfdb.com has about 80 articles, such as http://etfdb.com/etf-education/how-etf-and-mutual-fund-expenses-stack-up/ and http://etfdb.com/etf-education/five-questions-to-ask-when-buying-an-etf-2/ .
ETF screeners: http://www.etf.com/etfanalytics/etf-finder and http://www.etf.com/etfanalytics/etf-finder
Hi All, especially Mr Benny,
If cooly spreadsheet labor is helpful, I will be glad to start and manage a master list of potential targets tickers that include all tickers felt to be viable at present moment by our group. A “kitchen sink”. Would email it to anyone wanting their own version.
I exported the 99 stocks in XBI and can building from there. Just get one or two
more lists from big ETFs and merge them, take all suggestions, and off we go.
At first I don’t think the master list should have much technical stuff on it, maybe just a code or ranking indicating an informed assessment of our guru or collective opinion on viability and probability of commercial success, and maybe a one-word characterization of what kind of company it is.
When the list is narrowed down, the qualified among us (that is certainly not I) could start more in-depth analysis of tickers we do not know and we could start adding viable
4 Big Pharmaceutical Stocks to Buy for the Rest of 2015
http://247wallst.com/healthcare-business/2015/04/07/4-big-pharmaceutical-stocks-to-buy-for-the-rest-of-2015
Kenny/Kris,
Did you guys get this letter/
Dear joe,
I am pleased to share the latest report from Lodge Partners in which Benitec has announced that the expression of the three short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) encoded by the company’s putative hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapeutic, TT-034, have been detected in each of the liver biopsies obtained from the three patients biopsied to date. The company also reports that no treatment-related serious adverse events have been reported to date.
Lodge stated that “Today’s announcement bodes very well for the company, the prospects of TT-034 and their general ddRNAi technology”. Lodge maintained their “Buy” recommendation and increased the target price to $4.20.
Please read the full report here.
Regards,
Carl Stubbings | Chief Business Officer
Benitec Biopharma Limited | F6A / 1-15 Barr Street | Balmain NSW 2041 Australia
ABN: 64068943662
t: (+61 2) 9555 6986 | m: (+61) 423666374|
e:cstubbings@benitec.com | w: http://www.benitec.com | Skype: carl-stubbings
I am going to assume that the target price is for BLT. That is a 500% target gain.
$BTEBY – no Joe I did not. I did receive the ASX announcement of the same info, but the Lodge report adds a price target to it. However, keep in mind that Lodge has historically been touting Benitec and over a year ago had a target of $3.00. That didnt work out as planned. Hope they are right this time as still long
$BTEBY
Joe, I received that email. Sounds promising, but I think there’s more waiting for us before we know anything REALLY good (i.e. virus load reduction).
Hi Kenny and Benitec longs
For what it’s worth, Peter Francis e-mailed me and said Dr French continues to have the full confidence of the Board- and referenced achievements over last 12 months and recent announcements. I know, what would you expect? Wouldn’t it be something if Lodge was right on Benitec for once? You never know.
Tim
Benitec: I suspect Lodge is correct. However, at the rate Beni is trialing, given inflation, $4.20 will be worth about 10 cents as of now. Talk about watching paint dry !!
Benitec: You know how we have a stock called $WAIT…..should we have another called $YAWN ?
Love it!
Benny,
$LULL or $Hiatus. Wish I had the cajones to sell!
I will have to call most of my holdings $SIGH . . .
What about Synchronic Histological Immunity Testing Corp ?
Re: Third Rock Ventures
I remember Dr. Kss mentioned this company favorably. I have looked at its holdings and the public companies it owns are as follows:
AGIO (Kss sold all his)
Blue (last Kss info was “buy”)
EBIO (not on either spreadsheet)
FMI (not on either spreadsheet)
SAGE (not on either spreadsheet that I could find although I thought we had discussed it)
ZFGN (buy)
Is there any way to find recent purchases by bio venture firms and ETFs which could indicate something significant has happened or is expected to happen?
TRVentures Mary and others are they not required to file an SEC form 13 if over 5% within 3 days? Best-Benjamin
AGIO-i.e. SC 13G/A >= 5% Acquisition 2/13/2015 Best-Benjamin
Maybe so; looking at forms is all new to me and my head spins when I try to take it in.
Will endeavor to learn more.