Wellington Management Group LLP Boosts Stock Position in Moderna, Inc. $MRNA

Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in shares of Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,461,574 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 103,977 shares during the quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP’s holdings in Moderna were worth $172,384,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Archer Investment Corp bought a new stake in Moderna in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Moderna in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $227,000. Twin Lakes Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Moderna in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $86,000. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Moderna in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,610,000. Finally, North Star Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Moderna in the 2nd quarter valued at $263,000. 75.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Moderna Trading Up 1.7%

NASDAQ:MRNA opened at $140.34 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $78.73 and a 200 day moving average of $60.54. Moderna, Inc. has a 52 week low of $22.28 and a 52 week high of $176.66. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $56.03 billion, a P/E ratio of -17.56 and a beta of 0.91.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported ($1.97) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $145.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $102.93 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned ($2.13) EPS. The company’s revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on MRNA. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Moderna from $48.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Moderna from $50.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Moderna in a report on Friday, June 12th. Bank of America raised Moderna from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Moderna from $39.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $80.53.

More Moderna News

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Moderna and Merck reported encouraging results from their cancer-vaccine collaboration, supporting Moderna’s strategy to expand beyond COVID-19 vaccines into personalized oncology treatments. The results have attracted positive attention from market commentator Jim Cramer and helped drive investor enthusiasm. Jim Cramer Called Moderna Inc. and Merck’s Trial Results Encouraging
• Positive Sentiment: Recent clinical evidence has provided a major boost to the broader mRNA sector after a difficult period for the technology. Coverage highlights the potential medical and commercial significance of Moderna’s cancer-vaccine work, particularly as the company seeks to establish growth drivers beyond respiratory vaccines. After a Rough Stretch, mRNA Gets a Boost
• Positive Sentiment: Moderna received FDA approval for updated Spikevax and mNEXSPIKE COVID-19 vaccines targeting the latest SARS-CoV-2 subvariant, as well as mFlusiva, its first mRNA influenza vaccine for adults aged 50 and older. The approvals broaden its respiratory portfolio and could improve the company’s long-term commercial opportunity in seasonal vaccines. What Do Moderna FDA Vaccine Approvals Mean for Its Respiratory Push?
• Positive Sentiment: Argus upgraded Moderna to “Buy,” adding a more bullish analyst view following the company’s clinical and regulatory developments. Argus Upgrades Moderna to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading volume increased significantly after the analyst upgrade, indicating heightened investor interest and strong momentum in MRNA shares. However, heavy activity can also reflect short-term speculation following the stock’s steep rally. Moderna Sees Large Volume Increase After Analyst Upgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts overall maintain an average “Hold” rating, signaling that Wall Street remains cautious despite the recent clinical progress. The stock’s rapid appreciation has also raised concerns about valuation and the risk of profit-taking if additional trial results do not meet high expectations. Moderna Receives Average Rating of Hold

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Shannon Thyme Klinger sold 3,471 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $173,550.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 67,468 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,373,400. This trade represents a 4.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 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. Also, President Stephen Hoge sold 53,336 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.37, for a total value of $2,739,870.32. Following the transaction, the president owned 1,483,848 shares in the company, valued at approximately $76,225,271.76. This represents a 3.47% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 10.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.