Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) Stock Price Down 2% Following Insider Selling

by · The Markets Daily

Shares of Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNAGet Free Report) traded down 2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $141.16 and last traded at $143.77. 8,229,730 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 29% from the average session volume of 11,597,177 shares. The stock had previously closed at $146.69.

Specifically, CFO Jamey Mock sold 34,836 shares of Moderna stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.49, for a total value of $4,685,093.64. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 59,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,985,343.75. The trade was a 36.98% 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 the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on MRNA shares. CLSA upgraded Moderna to an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, August 28th. Rothschild & Co Redburn cut Moderna from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $40.00 to $81.00 in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Argus upgraded Moderna from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 28th. Loop Capital set a $135.00 target price on Moderna in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Moderna in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $76.72.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Moderna

More Moderna News

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Moderna’s AI-driven personalized cancer-vaccine program with Merck reportedly cleared a Phase 3 test. The approach uses tumor analysis to help identify an individualized treatment, potentially giving Moderna a major growth opportunity beyond declining COVID-19 vaccine demand. Moderna’s AI-Built Cancer Vaccine Clears Phase 3 With Merck
  • Positive Sentiment: Investors are increasingly viewing cancer vaccines and Moderna’s broader mRNA pipeline as potential drivers of a post-COVID turnaround. The company also has commercial products in COVID-19 and RSV and programs targeting influenza, CMV, oncology and rare diseases. Is Cancer the Turnaround Moderna Has Been Looking for Post-COVID?
  • Positive Sentiment: Updated COVID shots and new mRNA vaccines are rolling out ahead of flu season, providing some near-term support for Moderna’s seasonal vaccine business. Florida pharmacies roll out new mRNA vaccines
  • Neutral Sentiment: Moderna recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, including revenue of $145 million versus a $102.9 million consensus estimate, but analysts still expect a full-year loss of approximately $6.09 per share. Moderna financial data
  • Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions remain divided. Moderna has Buy, Hold and Sell ratings, while the reported consensus rating is Hold, reflecting uncertainty about the pace of its turnaround after the pandemic. Moderna analyst ratings
  • Negative Sentiment: CFO James Mock sold 34,836 shares worth approximately $4.7 million, reducing his direct ownership by about 37%. Because the transaction was conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, it is a limited bearish signal, but it may still weigh on sentiment. SEC insider-trading filing
  • Negative Sentiment: The stock’s sharp recovery has lifted expectations and increased sensitivity to profit-taking. Moderna remains unprofitable, with a negative net margin, while competing drugmakers are also pursuing cancer-vaccine opportunities. Cancer vaccine competition

Moderna Trading Down 2.0%

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $93.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $67.53. The firm has a market cap of $57.40 billion, a PE ratio of -17.99 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 2.29 and a quick ratio of 2.18.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNAGet Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The company reported ($1.97) earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $145.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $102.93 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($2.13) earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Moderna

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Allied Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Moderna in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Canton Hathaway LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Moderna during the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. Archer Investment Corp acquired a new position in Moderna in the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. Assetmark Inc. raised its stake in Moderna by 35.1% in the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 801 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Moderna in the 2nd quarter valued at $45,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.33% of the company’s stock.

Moderna Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Moderna, Inc is a biotechnology company that develops messenger RNA (mRNA) medicines and vaccines. Its platform is designed to provide cells with instructions to produce proteins that may help prevent or treat infectious diseases, cancer and other medical conditions.

The company’s commercial products include Spikevax, an mRNA vaccine for COVID-19, and mRESVIA, an mRNA vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in older adults. Moderna also maintains a pipeline of investigational programs in areas such as seasonal influenza, cytomegalovirus, oncology and rare diseases.

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Moderna serves markets in the United States and internationally through regulatory approvals, commercial partnerships and distribution arrangements.

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