E Fund Management Co. Ltd. Makes New Investment in Moderna, Inc. $MRNA

Key Points

• E Fund Management purchased a new Moderna stake of 19,359 shares worth approximately $1.36 million during the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 75.33% of Moderna’s outstanding shares.
• Moderna reported a quarterly loss of $1.97 per share, beating the $2.03 consensus estimate, while revenue of $145 million exceeded expectations and increased 2.1% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with Moderna carrying a consensus “Hold” rating and a $56.56 price target versus a reported share price of $174.38. Positive developments include successful Phase 3 melanoma-trial results and FDA approval of its seasonal influenza vaccine, though elevated expectations increase execution and valuation risks.

E Fund Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 19,359 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,356,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MRNA. Allied Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Moderna during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Canton Hathaway LLC bought a new position in shares of Moderna in the first quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Moderna during the second quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Moderna during the second quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. raised its holdings in Moderna by 35.1% during the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 801 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. 75.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Moderna Stock Performance

Shares of Moderna stock opened at $174.38 on Thursday. Moderna, Inc. has a 12 month low of $22.28 and a 12 month 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 stock has a market cap of $69.62 billion, a PE ratio of -21.82 and a beta of 0.91. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $64.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $54.84.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The company reported ($1.97) EPS 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $102.93 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($2.13) earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

More Moderna News

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Phase 3 melanoma trial met both key endpoints. Intismeran, Moderna’s individualized mRNA neoantigen therapy, combined with Merck’s Keytruda, significantly improved recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival versus Keytruda alone in patients with resected, high-risk melanoma. The companies described the results as the first positive late-stage trial for a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine. Merck and Moderna Phase 3 trial announcement
• Positive Sentiment: The results support a broader cancer-treatment opportunity. Analysts and medical commentators said the outcome could validate Moderna’s mRNA platform for treating cancer and potentially open development opportunities across additional tumor types. The vaccine is tailored to mutations in an individual patient’s tumor, offering a potentially differentiated approach to personalized oncology. Moderna and Merck cancer vaccine breakthrough
• Positive Sentiment: Additional developments added to the bullish sentiment. The FDA approved Moderna’s first mRNA-based seasonal influenza vaccine, mFLUSIVA, while William Blair upgraded the stock to “outperform” and Bank of America moved its rating from “underperform” to “neutral.” FDA approval of Moderna mFLUSIVA
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are awaiting detailed trial data. Moderna and Merck released topline results, but analysts said full efficacy, safety and durability data will be important for assessing regulatory timing and the vaccine’s commercial potential.
• Negative Sentiment: The sharp rally raises execution and valuation risks. The move triggered substantial losses for short sellers and increased options activity, while the stock now reflects much higher expectations for successful approval, manufacturing and adoption. Any disappointing detailed data or regulatory delays could lead to volatility.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRNA has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $130.00 price objective on shares of Moderna in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Wednesday. William Blair raised shares of Moderna from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "underperform" rating and issued a $25.00 price objective on shares of Moderna in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Moderna has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $56.56.

Insider Buying and Selling at Moderna

In other news, insider Shannon Thyme Klinger sold 3,471 shares of Moderna 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 transaction, the insider 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 SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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 on 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 completion of the transaction, 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 position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 10.80% of the company's stock.

Moderna 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.

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