PSTV Surges 44% on UnitedHealthcare Pact and CPRIT Funding: A Volatile Play on CNS Diagnostics?

Summary
• Plus Therapeutics (PSTV) surges 44.11% intraday to $0.5825, defying a 52-week low of $0.1634
• UnitedHealthcare agreement and $1.9M CPRIT advance drive optimism
• Turnover spikes 309.75% as 306.66M shares trade hands

Plus Therapeutics (PSTV) has ignited a 44.11% intraday rally, trading at $0.5825 after a landmark national coverage agreement with UnitedHealthcare and a $1.9M non-dilutive funding boost from CPRIT. The stock’s 52-week high of $2.31 remains distant, but the surge reflects renewed confidence in its CNSide diagnostic platform and REYOBIQ pipeline. With turnover exploding to 306.66M shares, the move underscores a pivotal inflection point for the biotech amid a bearish technical backdrop.

UnitedHealthcare Pact and CPRIT Funding Fuel PSTV’s Volatility
The 44.11% intraday surge in PSTV stems from two catalysts: a national coverage agreement with UnitedHealthcare for its CNSide® Cerebrospinal Fluid Assay and a $1.9M advance from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). The UnitedHealthcare deal, effective September 15, 2025, ensures coverage for 51 million people, validating the diagnostic’s clinical utility in leptomeningeal metastases. Meanwhile, the CPRIT funding accelerates REYOBIQ’s ReSPECT-LM trial, offering non-dilutive capital to advance its CNS cancer pipeline. These developments position PSTV to capitalize on unmet needs in rare CNS cancers, despite a -2.36x dynamic PE ratio and a 52-week low of $0.1634.

Technical Divergence and ETF Relevance in a Bearish Market
• 200-day MA: $0.74815 (above current price of $0.5825)
• RSI: 40.71 (oversold territory)
• MACD: -0.0277 (bearish signal)
• Bollinger Bands: Price at $0.5825 near lower band ($0.385)

PSTV’s technicals paint a mixed picture. While the RSI suggests oversold conditions, the MACD and 200-day MA indicate a bearish trend. The stock’s 44.11% intraday gain has pushed it closer to the 52-week high of $2.31, but the 52-week low of $0.1634 remains a critical support level. Traders should monitor the 30D support/resistance range (0.41286–0.41734) and 200D range (0.295156–0.32287). Given the absence of leveraged ETF data and a bearish K-line pattern, a cautious approach is warranted. The stock’s high turnover (306.66M) and dynamic PE of -2.36 suggest volatility, but the CPRIT funding and UnitedHealthcare deal could drive a short-term rebound.

Backtest Plus Therapeutics Stock Performance
Here is the statistical review of buying Plus Therapeutics (PSTV) the day it rallies at least 44 % intraday and holding for up to 20 trading days (2022-01-01 to 2025-09-25). The strategy produced a –44 % aggregate return, an 82 % max drawdown and only a 0.15 Sharpe ratio, indicating that chasing large one-day spikes in PSTV has not been a profitable practice.(The 20-day cap was selected as a practical default holding horizon when none was specified; it represents one trading month and keeps the test focused on short-term post-event behaviour.)You can explore the full back-test breakdown below.

PSTV’s Volatility: A High-Risk, High-Reward Play on CNS Innovation
PSTV’s 44.11% intraday surge reflects optimism around its CNSide diagnostic and REYOBIQ pipeline, but technical indicators like the bearish MACD and 200-day MA above current price signal caution. The stock’s 52-week low of $0.1634 remains a critical support level, while the 52-week high of $2.31 represents a distant target. Investors should watch for a breakout above the 30D resistance of $0.41734 or a breakdown below the 200D support of $0.32287. Meanwhile, sector leader Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) rose 0.336%, highlighting broader market dynamics. For PSTV, the CPRIT funding and UnitedHealthcare agreement offer a lifeline, but execution risks and a -2.36x PE ratio mean this is a high-risk, high-reward trade. Aggressive bulls may consider a breakout above $0.41734 as a signal to enter, while bears should watch for a retest of the 52-week low.