The G2 Diagnostic Stock Index gained 12 percent during the first half of 2013 (Jan. 2 to June 28). Twelve stocks gained for the period, while three stocks lost ground. The G2 Diagnostic Stock Index outperformed the broader stock markets for the first half of the year. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 both gained markedly over the same period, with the Nasdaq up 9 percent and the S&P increasing 10 percent. While the gains were widespread, eight of the 12 stocks that were up for the period had gains in excess of 20 percent. These large gains were shared by both large and small companies. The stock gaining the most so far this year was Illumina (San Diego). In May, Illumina announced the launch of its BaseSpace cloud computing and storage platform and an associated bioinformatics app store. Among the first commercially available apps was scientific publisher Elsevier’s Genomics Data app, which allows researchers to share large data sets in Illumina’s BaseSpace cloud for easy review and inclusion in Elsevier’s open access journal, Genomics Data. While BaseSpace is not expected to significantly contribute to Illumina revenues in the short term, it may increase business leads and ultimately contribute to profits. So far for the year, Illumina’s shares gained 35 percent, jumping from $55.42 in early January to $74.84 at the end of June, driven both by the company’s continued market dominance and on speculation that it remains a takeover target. OraSure Technologies (Bethlehem, Pa.) ended the first half of the year down the most in the index: -46 percent. Despite the company’s continued optimism for its In-Home HIV Test, its rapid hepatitis C test, and its molecular collection system by its subsidiary DNA Genotek (DNAG), profits were down for the first quarter of 2013 with net losses increasing to $10.2 million, compared to a net loss of $3.3 million for the first quarter of 2012. At its May annual shareholder meeting, CEO Douglas Michels said In-Home HIV “product sales are building with promotion.” First quarter had $1.5 million in gross sales of the In-Home HIV test and a 19 percent increase in net revenues from DNAG to $3.9 million. The company’s net loss for the first quarter of 2013 included $6.9 million in advertising and promotional expenses for the In-Home HIV test.

Associated Data