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

Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,461,574 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 103,977 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP owned approximately 0.62% of Moderna worth $172,384,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MRNA. Allied Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Moderna in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Archer Investment Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Moderna during the second quarter worth $36,000. Canton Hathaway LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Moderna during the first quarter worth $31,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Moderna in the second quarter worth $45,000. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP bought a new position in shares of Moderna in the second quarter worth $46,000. 75.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Moderna

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

Moderna Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of MRNA stock opened at $140.34 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $56.03 billion, a PE ratio of -17.56 and a beta of 0.91. Moderna, Inc. has a 52-week low of $22.28 and a 52-week high of $176.66. The business’s fifty day moving average is $78.73 and its 200 day moving average is $60.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 2.18 and a current ratio of 2.29.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported ($1.97) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($2.03) by $0.06. Moderna had a negative return on equity of 28.30% and a negative net margin of 141.43%.The business had revenue of $145.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $102.93 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($2.13) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on MRNA shares. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Moderna from $39.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Moderna in a report on Friday. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of Moderna in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Moderna from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $80.53.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Shannon Thyme Klinger sold 3,471 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 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 Moderna stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were 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. The trade was a 3.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 10.80% of the stock is currently owned by 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.