Morgan Stanley Boosts Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) Price Target to $89.00

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) had its target price raised by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $39.00 to $89.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price would suggest a potential downside of 48.96% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Loop Capital set a $135.00 price objective on Moderna in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Bank of America raised Moderna from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $25.00 price objective on shares of Moderna in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Moderna from $41.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $59.69.

Moderna Stock Up 177.0%

NASDAQ:MRNA opened at $174.38 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 2.29 and a quick ratio of 2.18. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $64.91 and its 200-day moving average price is $54.84. Moderna has a 1-year low of $22.28 and a 1-year high of $176.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $69.62 billion, a P/E ratio of -21.82 and a beta of 0.91.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported ($1.97) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($2.03) by $0.06. Moderna had a negative net margin of 141.43% and a negative return on equity of 28.30%. The company had revenue of $145.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $102.93 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($2.13) earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Moderna will post -6.18 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Moderna

In other news, President Stephen Hoge sold 53,336 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.37, for a total transaction of $2,739,870.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the president directly owned 1,483,848 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $76,225,271.76. This represents a 3.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Shannon Thyme Klinger sold 3,471 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $173,550.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 67,468 shares in the company, valued at $3,373,400. This trade represents a 4.89% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 10.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Moderna

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRNA. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in Moderna during the second quarter valued at $28,000. Allied Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Moderna during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Canton Hathaway LLC acquired a new position in shares of Moderna during the 1st quarter worth about $31,000. Archer Investment Corp acquired a new position in shares of Moderna during the 2nd quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Moderna by 148.3% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,341 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 801 shares in the last quarter. 75.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Moderna News

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Phase 3 melanoma trial met both key endpoints. Moderna and Merck said intismeran, an individualized mRNA neoantigen therapy, combined with Merck’s Keytruda significantly improved recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival versus Keytruda alone in patients with resected, high-risk melanoma. The companies described the results as the first positive late-stage validation of a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine. Merck, Moderna say melanoma skin cancer vaccine meets goals in large trial
• Positive Sentiment: The result supports a broader oncology opportunity. Investors are increasingly viewing the melanoma win as evidence that Moderna’s mRNA platform could support additional cancer programs, including treatments aimed at lung, kidney and bladder cancers. Success alongside Keytruda could also create a significant commercial opportunity if regulators approve the therapy, potentially as early as 2027. Moderna, Merck breakthrough could usher in wave of cancer vaccines
• Positive Sentiment: Additional positive catalysts reinforced the rally. William Blair upgraded Moderna to “outperform,” while Bank of America moved its rating from “underperform” to “neutral.” The FDA also approved Moderna’s mFLUSIVA seasonal influenza vaccine, giving the company another commercial mRNA product. Elon Musk’s favorable comments about mRNA technology added visibility, though they were not a fundamental company announcement. FDA Approves Moderna’s mFLUSIVA
• Neutral Sentiment: Short covering amplified the move. Moderna had significant short interest, and data providers estimated that bearish investors suffered approximately $4.8 billion in mark-to-market losses as they covered positions. This helped drive the explosive advance but does not necessarily represent new long-term demand. Moderna short-sellers stare at record one-day loss
• Negative Sentiment: Investors face substantial execution and valuation risks. The companies have released topline results, while complete trial data and regulatory review remain outstanding. After the historic surge, profit-taking, elevated options activity and the possibility of post-squeeze consolidation could create near-term pressure. Moderna remains unprofitable, with analysts forecasting a full-year loss.

About Moderna

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.