Cellect Biotechnology shares are again making a huge move
U.S. stocks are retreating this morning following the latest news out of North Korea. Among specific stocks in focus are healthcare names Cellect Biotechnology Ltd. (NASDAQ:APOP), Cellectis SA (NASDAQ:CLLS), and Insmed Incorporated (NASDAQ:INSM). Here's a quick look at what's boosting shares of APOP, CLLS, and INSM.
APOP Stock's Jaw-Dropping Year Continues
Cellect Biotechnology stock is up 16.2% at $10.61 this morning -- a record high -- thanks to news the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted orphan drug designation to the company's ApoGraft technology. It's been a huge year for the shares, which entered 2017 trading just above $3. It would seem, then, that APOP stock is long overdue for bullish analyst attention. That is, only one brokerage firm currently tracks the equity.
Cellectis Sells Off After FDA Clinical Hold
Shares of Cellectis SA are down 26% to trade at $23.84, after the FDA put a clinical hold on its CAR-T drug trial following a patient death. While CLLS is still up 39% on a year-to-date basis, today's price action could be a crushing blow to recent options traders. For instance, data from the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) reveals that more than nine call options have been bought to open for every put during the past two weeks, hinting at a strong bullish bias among speculators.
Insmed Stock Move Could Crush Options Traders
Insmed stock has exploded out of the gate, last seen up 122% at $27.30 -- an 11-year high -- after the company's treatment for lung disease,
ALIS, met its goals in a late-stage study. This marks a sudden turnaround for INSM shares, which fell sharply in August. The recent weakness in the security could explain why options traders have been so bearish. Specifically, more than 2,600 puts were bought to open during the past two weeks at the ISE, CBOE, and PHLX, compared to just 506 calls.