NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – The stocks of Vermillion and Beckman Coulter rose sharply during the month of December, as the GenomeWeb Daily News Index posted a strong month to end the year.
Overall, the Index was up more than 10 percent for the month, while the broader stock market also saw significant gains. The Dow Jones Industrial average rose just over 5 percent, the Nasdaq jumped a little more than 6 percent, and the Nasdaq Biotech Index was up nearly 7 percent.
Several firms in the GWDN Index posted double-digit gains for December, with Vermillion leading the way (+57 percent), and Beckman Coulter rising almost 38 percent. The reasons for Vermillion's jump are not clear, but Beckman Coulter increased on news reports that it was seeking a buyer.
In total, 28 of the 33 stocks in the GWDN Index gained ground in December. In addition to Vermillion and Beckman Coulter, several others had double-digit increases including Affymetrix (+21 percent), Orchid Cellmark (+23 percent), and Compugen (+30 percent).
The five stocks that declined during December were Accelrys (-1 percent), Pressure BioSciences (-5 percent), Clinical Data (-13 percent), Rosetta Genomics (-15 percent), and Nanosphere (-17 percent).
Ed. note: Beginning this month, two firms will be added to the GWDN Index — Pacific Biosciences and Complete Genomics. Clinical Data will be removed from the Index as it has refocused its business on its pharmaceutical development efforts.
