Four Must-See Charts: Biotech Stocks

Biotech is always an exciting sector for market players to invest in. The space is full of high risk but also high reward for investors who can stomach the volatility.

In just 2009 alone, we have seen some amazing moves in biotech stocks, including Dendreon(DNDN Quote), Vanda Pharmaceuticals(VNDA Quote) and Cell Therapeutics(CTIC Quote). In the case of Dendreon and Vanda, both companies received favorable FDA rulings that sent their stocks skyrocketing. A drug approval for an early stage biotech stock is a very big development for these companies. Often these firms are struggling to stay in business as research and developments costs eat through their cash positions.

Unfortunately, the only way that biotech companies have a chance at coming to market with a successful drug is by spending money on R&D. A good way to gauge how well a biotech company is doing is to simply follow the FDA trials for its key drugs. If you follow the trials, you can see if any potential drug is advancing or showing positive results. Of course, these trials make for great catalysts for the stocks, especially when there is bullish news.

A great place to find information about upcoming clinical trials is TheStreet.com's Adam Feuerstein's Biotech Calendar, which lists companies coming up on trials for phase II and phase III studies. Combine that key information with an unemotional view of a potential company's stock chart, and you might be able to spot some big opportunities in the biotech sector. ...