Empowered Funds LLC Invests $4.42 Million in Moderna, Inc. $MRNA

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC acquired 63,142 Moderna shares during the second quarter, worth approximately $4.42 million. Institutional investors collectively own 75.33% of the company.
• Moderna reported a quarterly loss of $1.97 per share, slightly better than analysts’ expected $2.03 loss, while revenue of $145 million exceeded estimates of $102.93 million.
• Despite several analysts raising price targets, Wall Street’s overall rating remains “Hold,” with an average target of $80.53 compared with the reported share price of $140.34. Two insiders also sold shares under pre-arranged trading plans.

Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 63,142 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,422,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Moderna in the first quarter valued at approximately $415,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Moderna by 732.7% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 11,575 shares of the company's stock valued at $328,000 after buying an additional 10,185 shares during the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association bought a new position in shares of Moderna during the 1st quarter worth approximately $230,000. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its stake in shares of Moderna by 58.7% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 23,547 shares of the company's stock worth $668,000 after acquiring an additional 8,706 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Moderna by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 48,859 shares of the company's stock worth $1,348,000 after acquiring an additional 2,410 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.33% of the company's stock.

Moderna Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MRNA opened at $140.34 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $56.03 billion, a P/E ratio of -17.56 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a current ratio of 2.29, a quick ratio of 2.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. Moderna, Inc. has a 1-year low of $22.28 and a 1-year high of $176.66. The business's 50 day moving average is $78.73 and its 200-day moving average is $60.54.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported ($1.97) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($2.03) by $0.06. The business had revenue of $145.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($2.13) EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRNA has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Moderna from $40.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Moderna from $50.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Moderna in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Moderna from $39.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $80.53.

Insider Buying and Selling at Moderna

In other news, 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 completion of 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through 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 company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $173,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 67,468 shares in the company, valued at $3,373,400. This trade represents a 4.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 10.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines 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 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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