By all accounts its stock should be in the red today. CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CRSP) only reported $864,000 in fourth-quarter revenue after Thursday's closing bell, leading to a loss of $1.37 per share versus analysts' estimates for a loss of only around $1.20 per share on sales of at least a few million dollars. Yet, as of 2:03 p.m. ET Friday, CRISPR shares are higher to the tune of 9.7%. What gives? Thank Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX), mostly. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst t ...

Core Viewpoint - Intellia Therapeutics has faced a significant decline in share price due to regulatory setbacks related to its lead pipeline candidate, nexiguran ziclumeran (nex-z), which is being developed for treating ATTR amyloidosis [2][4] Group 1: Regulatory and Clinical Developments - Intellia temporarily halted dosing and patient enrollment in its late-stage MAGNITUDE and MAGNITUDE-2 studies after a patient experienced severe liver complications leading to death [3] - The FDA imposed a clinical hold on the investigational new drug applications for nex-z, raising concerns about the safety and future of the program [4] - Intellia has suspended its milestone guidance for nex-z and is collaborating with investigators and regulators to address the issues and develop risk-mitigation strategies [4][6] Group 2: Financial Performance - Intellia's third-quarter results showed mixed performance, with total revenues of $13.8 million, slightly missing estimates [9] - The company reported a loss of 92 cents per share, which was narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $1.02 [9] - Intellia's revenue is solely dependent on collaboration revenues from partners like Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which dampens investor confidence due to the lack of a marketed product [10] Group 3: Future Prospects - The setbacks concerning nex-z have created uncertainty over the timeline and approval chances for Intellia's other candidate, lonvoguran ziclumeran (lonvo-z), which is being developed for hereditary angioedema [7] - Intellia completed patient enrollment in the pivotal phase III HAELO study for lonvo-z in September 2025, with top-line data expected by mid-2026 and a potential U.S. commercial launch in the first half of 2027 [8]

Core Viewpoint - The Nasdaq Composite index has experienced significant volatility, recently entering a bear market but showing signs of recovery, presenting potential buying opportunities for long-term investors in select stocks [2][3]. Group 1: Alphabet - Alphabet's share price is down approximately 25% from its all-time high earlier this year, creating a favorable buying opportunity for long-term investors [4]. - The company has a price-to-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 1.04, indicating reasonable valuation based on five-year earnings growth projections [4]. - Google Cloud is the fastest-growing major cloud services provider, and the rollout of its Gemini large language model has positioned it competitively against OpenAI's ChatGPT [5]. - Google Search has integrated generative AI features, leading to increased search usage and user satisfaction, which is expected to drive robust growth [6]. - Future revenue growth is anticipated from Alphabet's Waymo self-driving car technology unit [6]. Group 2: Intuitive Surgical - Intuitive Surgical's share price is down about 6% from the beginning of the year, but it remains a strong long-term investment [7]. - The company has over 10,670 robotic surgical systems installed globally, with nearly 2.7 million procedures performed last year, showcasing its market leadership [8]. - A significant 84% of Intuitive Surgical's total revenue in 2024 is expected to come from recurring sources, up from 71% in 2017, indicating strong cash flow [9]. - The company estimates that there are 8 million procedures annually that it can target, which is nearly three times its current procedure volume, with additional potential in 22 million procedures under development [10]. Group 3: Vertex Pharmaceuticals - Vertex Pharmaceuticals has achieved a 17.5% gain so far in 2025, indicating strong momentum [12]. - The company holds a virtual monopoly in treating cystic fibrosis, bolstered by the FDA approval of Alyftrek, which offers more convenient dosing and potentially higher profitability [13]. - Vertex's new drug Journavx, approved in January, is the first new class of pain medication in over 20 years, expected to be commercially successful due to its non-addictive properties [14]. - The company is also advancing the rollout of Casgevy, a gene-editing therapy for sickle cell disease, and has a promising pipeline with four late-stage programs, including one aimed at curing severe type 1 diabetes [15].