Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) Receives $80.53 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

Shares of Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the twenty-four research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $76.7222.

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Brookline Capital Markets reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Moderna in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Moderna from $67.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Bradesco Corretora upgraded Moderna to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, August 28th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Moderna from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Moderna in a report on Friday, August 28th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock.

Moderna Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of MRNA opened at $145.55 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $58.11 billion, a PE ratio of -18.22 and a beta of 1.10. Moderna has a 1 year low of $22.28 and a 1 year high of $176.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 2.18 and a current ratio of 2.29. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $85.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $63.45.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $102.93 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($2.13) earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Moderna will post -6.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Moderna News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Moderna and Merck reported that the Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial of intismeran autogene plus Keytruda met its primary recurrence-free-survival endpoint in resected stage IIB–IV melanoma. It was the first positive Phase 3 result for an mRNA-based cancer therapy and strengthens Moderna’s long-term oncology outlook, although detailed data have not yet been released. Moderna melanoma trial article
• Positive Sentiment: Technical analysts describe the recent consolidation as a potential bullish pennant following the cancer-vaccine-driven breakout. Elevated short interest could provide additional buying pressure if the shares break above resistance. Moderna technical forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Chief Legal Officer Shannon Klinger sold 3,471 shares for approximately $486,000 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover tax withholding tied to vested equity awards. Because the transaction was planned and tax-related, it provides limited insight into management’s view of Moderna’s valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Rothschild & Co. Redburn downgraded Moderna from Neutral to Sell, saying the cancer-vaccine rally has made the stock overvalued. The firm raised its price target to $81 from $40, but the new target remains well below recent trading levels, intensifying profit-taking concerns. Rothschild Moderna downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: GSK is advancing an mRNA influenza vaccine toward Phase 3 after reporting stronger immune responses in Phase 2. The competing program could challenge Moderna’s newly approved mFlusiva and increase pressure on its commercial vaccine pipeline. GSK mRNA flu vaccine competition

Insider Transactions at Moderna

In other news, President Stephen Hoge sold 53,336 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the president owned 1,483,848 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $76,225,271.76. This trade represents a 3.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Shannon Klinger sold 3,471 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.95, for a total value of $485,766.45. Following the sale, the insider owned 74,129 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,374,353.55. The trade was a 4.47% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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. Corporate insiders own 10.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Moderna

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Moderna in the 1st quarter valued at $415,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Moderna by 732.7% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 11,575 shares of the company’s stock valued at $328,000 after buying an additional 10,185 shares during the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new stake in shares of Moderna in the first quarter valued at about $230,000. Focus Partners Wealth grew its holdings in shares of Moderna by 58.7% during the first 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 last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Moderna by 5.2% during the second 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 last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.33% of the company’s stock.

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.