Moderna Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:MRNA)

Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Stock investors bought 77,577 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 45% compared to the average daily volume of 53,337 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on MRNA shares. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Moderna from $69.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Barclays lifted their price target on Moderna from $25.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Moderna from $43.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Moderna in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Moderna has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $38.27.

Moderna Trading Down 10.8%

Shares of MRNA traded down $8.29 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $68.27. 9,157,965 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,469,511. Moderna has a 52 week low of $22.28 and a 52 week high of $85.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.09 billion, a PE ratio of -8.38 and a beta of 0.94. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $56.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $49.66.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported ($3.40) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($3.02) by ($0.38). The company had revenue of $389.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $236.37 million. Moderna had a negative net margin of 143.55% and a negative return on equity of 26.64%. The business’s revenue was up 260.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($2.52) earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Moderna will post -6.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Moderna News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Moderna won a European Commission contract to supply its RSV vaccine to six countries, with the deal covering up to 24 million doses. That gives the company a meaningful commercial win and supports expectations for vaccine revenue growth. Moderna wins EU contract for RSV vaccine supply
• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital raised its price target on Moderna to $45 from $38, signaling improved analyst sentiment ahead of the company’s next earnings update. RBC Capital Raises its Price Target on Moderna (MRNA)
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity surged, with investors buying 77,577 call options, about 45% above normal volume. Heavy call buying often suggests traders are positioning for more upside.
• Neutral Sentiment: Moderna said it will report second-quarter 2026 results on July 31 and hold a conference call to provide a corporate update. Moderna to Report Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results on Friday, July 31, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage highlighted Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine progress, including the possibility it could be ready this fall, but distribution and access may still be an issue. Moderna’s mRNA Flu Vaccine Could Be Ready This Fall. Getting It May Be Another Story.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares also fell during a broader biotech selloff, which may have pressured Moderna along with peers despite the company-specific positives. Moderna Drops 11%, ImmunityBio and Sarepta Therapeutics Tumble 8% in Biotech Rout

Insider Activity at Moderna

In other Moderna news, President Stephen Hoge sold 53,336 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the president owned 1,483,848 shares in the company, valued at $76,225,271.76. This trade represents a 3.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at 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 business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $173,550.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 67,468 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,373,400. The trade was a 4.89% 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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 125,088 shares of company stock worth $6,193,713. Corporate insiders own 10.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Moderna

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in Moderna by 35.1% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 801 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 208 shares during the period. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board raised its position in shares of Moderna by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 15,700 shares of the company’s stock worth $463,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC raised its position in shares of Moderna by 39.7% in the 4th quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 1,200 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in shares of Moderna by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 6,785 shares of the company’s stock valued at $200,000 after purchasing an additional 348 shares during the period. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of Moderna by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 13,732 shares of the company’s stock valued at $405,000 after purchasing an additional 353 shares during the period. 75.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.