Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) Trading 8.1% Higher – Should You Buy?

Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA)’s share price rose 8.1% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $49.13 and last traded at $49.3320. Approximately 3,375,563 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 64% from the average daily volume of 9,251,061 shares. The stock had previously closed at $45.64.

Key Headlines Impacting Moderna

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Moderna highlighted new cancer vaccine data showing a 49% lower melanoma recurrence risk, supporting optimism around its mRNA oncology platform. Moderna Spotlights Cancer Vaccine Data Showing 49% Lower Melanoma Recurrence Risk
• Positive Sentiment: Moderna expanded its CEPI partnership to develop a vaccine for Bundibugyo ebolavirus, with potential funding of up to $50 million, adding another near-term catalyst for its infectious disease pipeline. MRNA Partners With CEPI to Develop Vaccine for Bundibugyo Ebolavirus
• Positive Sentiment: Moderna launched “Moderna Direct,” an eCommerce ordering platform aimed at improving access and distribution for customers, which could help streamline commercialization. Moderna Launches Moderna Direct with “eCommerce Powered by FFF Enterprises™”
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on Moderna but kept a Neutral rating, suggesting improved valuation expectations without a clear bullish change in stance. UBS Lifts Valuation On Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) Ahead of Key Pipeline Catalysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Moderna said it will present at the Goldman Sachs Global Healthcare Conference in June, which keeps investors focused on upcoming pipeline commentary rather than immediate financial results. Moderna to Present at Upcoming Conference in June 2026

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRNA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group set a $37.00 price objective on shares of Moderna and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Moderna in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of Moderna from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Moderna from $25.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Evercore set a $35.00 target price on shares of Moderna in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Moderna has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $35.73.

Moderna Trading Up 6.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.27 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.96 and a beta of 1.05. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $50.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $42.66.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported ($3.40) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($3.02) by ($0.38). The company had revenue of $389.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $236.37 million. Moderna had a negative net margin of 143.55% and a negative return on equity of 26.64%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 260.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($2.52) earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Moderna

In related news, Director Abbas Hussain sold 5,682 shares of Moderna stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.63, for a total transaction of $264,951.66. Following the sale, the director directly owned 12,066 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $562,637.58. The trade was a 32.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, President Stephen Hoge sold 53,336 shares of Moderna stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.40, for a total transaction of $2,581,462.40. Following the sale, the president directly owned 1,477,997 shares in the company, valued at $71,535,054.80. This trade represents a 3.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 68,281 shares of company stock valued at $3,280,293. 10.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Moderna

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MRNA. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Moderna during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $415,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in Moderna by 732.7% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 11,575 shares of the company’s stock worth $328,000 after buying an additional 10,185 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new stake in Moderna during the 1st quarter worth approximately $230,000. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its position in Moderna by 58.7% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 23,547 shares of the company’s stock worth $668,000 after buying an additional 8,706 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Moderna by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 48,859 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,348,000 after buying an additional 2,410 shares during the period. 75.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Moderna Company Profile

Moderna, Inc is a biotechnology company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specializing in messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines. The company’s platform leverages synthetic mRNA to instruct cells to produce proteins that can prevent or treat diseases. Since its founding in 2010, Moderna has advanced from early-stage research into a broad pipeline of vaccine and therapeutic candidates designed to address infectious diseases, rare genetic disorders and chronic illnesses.

Moderna’s flagship product is its mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine, which was the first of its kind to receive emergency use authorization and later full approval in multiple jurisdictions.