Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) Shares Up 4.1% – What’s Next?

21 Oct 2026, 13:21 by Mitch Edgeman · The Markets Daily

Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA – Get Free Report) shot up 4.1% during trading on Monday. The stock traded as high as $236.77 and last traded at $226.89. Approximately 18,751,272 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 52% from the average daily volume of 12,376,646 shares. The stock had previously closed at $218.01.

Trending Headlines about Moderna

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

Positive Sentiment: Investors are positioning ahead of a closely watched presentation of Phase 3 data for Moderna’s personalized melanoma vaccine, developed with Merck. Positive results could support the case for a major new oncology franchise and are the primary catalyst behind the recent buying interest. Moderna Jumps 7% While Melanoma Vaccine Data Looms
Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights Moderna’s transition from a COVID-19 vaccine company toward a cancer-focused biotechnology business. Advancing oncology programs and the possibility of a future product launch are attracting Wall Street attention and broadening the company’s long-term growth narrative. Forget COVID: Moderna Is Turning Into a Cancer Company
Positive Sentiment: Oddo BHF raised its Moderna price target to $251 from $170, while other analyst commentary has also supported the shares. Higher targets reinforce the bullish sentiment surrounding the melanoma program. Oddo BHF Adjusts Moderna Price Target
Positive Sentiment: Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine is becoming available at select pharmacies in Colorado for adults age 50 and older. The rollout offers a potential additional commercial opportunity beyond COVID-19, though its initial availability appears limited. New mRNA Flu Vaccine Available at Select Pharmacies
Neutral Sentiment: Moderna is expected to feature prominently at ESMO 2026, keeping attention on its cancer pipeline and upcoming clinical disclosures. Merck/Moderna to Headline ESMO 2026
Negative Sentiment: Some analysts argue that the stock has moved ahead of the evidence and caution investors against “cancer vaccine hype.” With MRNA trading near its 12-month high and the company still reporting losses, disappointing data could trigger a sharp reversal. Moderna: Sell The Cancer Vaccine Hype
Negative Sentiment: Chief medical officer Stephen Hoge sold shares under a prearranged trading plan. The transaction is not necessarily a negative signal, but insider selling can add caution while the stock is priced for clinical success. Moderna Executive Sells Shares Under Trading Plan

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MRNA. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Moderna from $170.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $130.00 target price on shares of Moderna in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Loop Capital set a $135.00 target price on shares of Moderna in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Moderna in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Brookline Capital Markets reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Moderna currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $101.45.

View Our Latest Report on Moderna

Moderna Trading Up 6.7%

The company has a quick ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 2.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $163.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $93.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $96.65 billion, a P/E ratio of -30.30 and a beta of 1.09.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The company reported ($1.97) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($2.03) by $0.06. The business had revenue of $145.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $102.93 million. Moderna had a negative return on equity of 28.30% and a negative net margin of 141.43%. The business’s revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($2.13) earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.11 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Jamey Mock sold 34,836 shares of Moderna stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.49, for a total transaction of $4,685,093.64. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 59,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,985,343.75. This trade represents a 36.98% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, President Stephen Hoge sold 39,145 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.72, for a total value of $8,640,084.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the president directly owned 1,636,565 shares in the company, valued at approximately $361,222,626.80. This represents a 2.34% 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 197,251 shares of company stock worth $33,875,904. 10.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Moderna

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Moderna in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,142,877,000. Theleme Partners LLP purchased a new position in Moderna in the second quarter worth about $564,272,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Moderna by 4.4% during the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,461,574 shares of the company’s stock worth $172,384,000 after acquiring an additional 103,977 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in Moderna by 59.3% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,392,693 shares of the company’s stock worth $121,549,000 after acquiring an additional 891,072 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Merck & Co. Inc. bought a new stake in Moderna during the second quarter worth approximately $161,642,545. 75.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Moderna Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Moderna, Inc is a biotechnology company that develops medicines and vaccines using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. Its platform is designed to instruct cells to produce proteins that can stimulate immune responses or support the treatment of disease. The company’s research programs span infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, autoimmune conditions and other therapeutic areas.

Moderna’s commercial products include Spikevax, an mRNA vaccine for COVID-19, and mRESVIA, an mRNA vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in older adults.