Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) Stock Gets Price Target Bump from TD Cowen

Key Points

• TD Cowen raised Moderna’s price target from $40 to $90 but maintained a “hold” rating, implying roughly 64% downside from the reported $248.51 share price.
• Moderna shares rose 2.7% to $248.51, near their 52-week high, despite ongoing losses; the company reported a quarterly loss of $1.97 per share while revenue of $145 million exceeded expectations.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus “hold” rating and $103.95 price target. Investor focus is shifting toward Moderna’s oncology pipeline, particularly Phase 3 data for its personalized melanoma vaccine developed with Merck, while recent insider selling adds caution.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by stock analysts at TD Cowen from $40.00 to $90.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "hold" rating on the stock. TD Cowen's price target suggests a potential downside of 63.78% from the company's previous close.

MRNA has been the subject of several other research reports. Wolfe Research raised Moderna from an "underperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Berenberg Bank boosted their price target on Moderna from $45.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Brookline Capital Markets reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Bradesco Corretora upgraded Moderna to an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, August 28th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $150.00 target price (up from $60.00) on shares of Moderna in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $103.95.

Moderna Stock Up 2.7%

MRNA traded up $6.43 on Wednesday, hitting $248.51. The company had a trading volume of 4,650,982 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,359,348. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 2.29 and a quick ratio of 2.18. Moderna has a 52-week low of $22.28 and a 52-week high of $248.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $99.21 billion, a P/E ratio of -31.04 and a beta of 1.09. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $163.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $93.77.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $145.00 million during 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 firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned ($2.13) earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Moderna will post -6.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Stephen Hoge sold 40,294 shares of Moderna stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.13, for a total value of $5,807,574.22. Following the sale, the president directly owned 1,525,858 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $219,921,913.54. The trade was a 2.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Shannon Klinger sold 3,471 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.95, for a total value of $485,766.45. Following the transaction, the insider owned 74,129 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,374,353.55. This represents a 4.47% 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. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 197,251 shares of company stock worth $33,875,904 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 10.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Moderna

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Merck & Co. Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Moderna in the second quarter valued at about $161,642,545. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new stake in Moderna in the first quarter worth about $899,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Moderna during the 2nd quarter worth about $119,168,000. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Moderna by 1,387.6% during the 2nd quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 24,218 shares of the company's stock worth $1,696,000 after acquiring an additional 22,590 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its holdings in Moderna by 2,042.6% during the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 72,591 shares of the company's stock worth $13,722,000 after acquiring an additional 69,203 shares in the last quarter. 75.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting 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

About Moderna

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.

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