Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Origin Agritech Limited (Nasdaq: SEED) jumped 10% in intraday trading today after officials announced an agreement with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) on patent rights for the Bt-gene.

So What: The Bt-gene is based on a natural soil bacterium that produces crystals toxic to certain insects. This gene has never been commercialized, and Origin Agritech will own exclusive rights to sell and develop crops based on this technology worldwide.

Now What: This is a big win for Origin Agritech in the competitive seed market. The worldwide rights give Origin Agritech the option of licensing the technology or developing its own products. The technology is effective in both laboratory and field trials; we must now see if the company can commercialize the technology. If it can, it could have an extremely positive impact on its bottom line.


Interested in more info on Origin Agritch? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.