Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) Shares Gap Down – What’s Next?

Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) shares gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $41.99, but opened at $37.61. Moderna shares last traded at $37.21, with a volume of 4,964,476 shares.

Moderna News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Moderna signed a long‑term agreement with the Mexican government to supply respiratory vaccines and transfer mRNA manufacturing technology to Laboratorios Liomont — strengthens revenue visibility and manufacturing resilience in a key market. Moderna to Enter into Long-Term Strategic Agreement with the Government of Mexico
• Positive Sentiment: Moderna says the mRNA‑1010 filing has been submitted and accepted for review in the EU, Canada and Australia — alternative regulatory paths could offset some U.S. delays if approvals are granted abroad. Moderna says US FDA refuses review its influenza vaccine
• Neutral Sentiment: Moderna received the RTF but says FDA raised no safety/efficacy concerns, has requested a Type A meeting, and does not expect an impact to 2026 financial guidance — this mitigates the immediate business outlook but leaves regulatory timing uncertain. Moderna Receives Refusal-to-File Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Its Investigational Seasonal Influenza Vaccine, mRNA-1010
• Neutral Sentiment: Media and analyst attention remains high (including bullish commentary on pipeline programs and cancer vaccines) — keeps investor focus on Moderna’s broader pipeline beyond the flu program. Jim Cramer on Moderna: “One of the Hottest Stocks in the Market This Year”
• Negative Sentiment: FDA’s refusal-to-file was due to an “inadequate and well‑controlled trial” and a failure to use the best‑available U.S. comparator for seniors — that regulatory setback is the primary driver of the stock decline today and raises execution risk for U.S. vaccine approvals under current FDA leadership. Moderna shares fall after FDA refuses to review new flu vaccine
• Negative Sentiment: Heightened regulatory scrutiny of mRNA vaccines under current FDA leadership increases regulatory uncertainty company‑wide and could slow timelines or require additional studies. AP: FDA scrutiny of vaccines under Health Secretary RFK Jr.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Moderna from a “market perform” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Moderna in a research note on Monday, January 5th. UBS Group cut Moderna from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $40.00 to $34.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Moderna in a report on Monday, January 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Moderna from $30.00 to $28.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Moderna presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $28.77.

Moderna Stock Down 5.3%

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $36.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $29.66. The stock has a market cap of $15.53 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.93 and a beta of 1.32.

Insider Transactions at Moderna

In other Moderna news, Director Noubar Afeyan sold 23,853 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.48, for a total value of $703,186.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 3,924 shares in the company, valued at approximately $115,679.52. This trade represents a 85.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 10.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Moderna

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Moderna by 3.2% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 41,708,705 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,150,743,000 after acquiring an additional 1,312,192 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors acquired a new stake in Moderna in the fourth quarter valued at $378,299,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Moderna by 19.1% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,877,280 shares of the company’s stock worth $244,458,000 after buying an additional 1,420,690 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Moderna by 15.7% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 8,216,163 shares of the company’s stock worth $212,223,000 after buying an additional 1,115,131 shares during the period. Finally, Theleme Partners LLP lifted its holdings in Moderna by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Theleme Partners LLP now owns 8,068,810 shares of the company’s stock worth $208,417,000 after buying an additional 200,000 shares during the period. 75.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.