Engineers Gate Manager LP Cuts Holdings in Moderna, Inc. $MRNA

Key Points

• Engineers Gate Manager LP cut its Moderna stake by 91.5% in the second quarter, selling 76,374 shares and retaining 7,085 shares valued at approximately $496,000. Institutional investors overall own 75.33% of Moderna.
• Moderna insiders have also reduced their holdings, with executives selling 118,882 shares worth $16.9 million over the past 90 days. Recent transactions were conducted under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, including sales for tax-withholding obligations.
• Despite reporting better-than-expected quarterly revenue and EPS, Moderna remains unprofitable, with analysts assigning an average “Hold” rating and a $76.72 price target—well below the stock’s reported $182.11 price.

Engineers Gate Manager LP decreased its holdings in Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA - Free Report) by 91.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,085 shares of the company's stock after selling 76,374 shares during the period. Engineers Gate Manager LP's holdings in Moderna were worth $496,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Moderna in the second quarter worth about $2,142,877,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new position in shares of Moderna in the 4th quarter worth approximately $378,299,000. Theleme Partners LLP purchased a new position in shares of Moderna in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $564,272,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Moderna during the 4th quarter worth approximately $79,707,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Moderna by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,461,574 shares of the company's stock worth $172,384,000 after acquiring an additional 103,977 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.33% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Moderna

In other news, CFO Jamey Mock sold 34,836 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.49, for a total value of $4,685,093.64. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 59,375 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,985,343.75. This represents a 36.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Shannon Klinger sold 3,471 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.95, for a total value of $485,766.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 74,129 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,374,353.55. The trade was 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. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 118,882 shares of company stock worth $16,862,280. 10.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Moderna Trading Down 0.2%

NASDAQ MRNA opened at $182.11 on Thursday. Moderna, Inc. has a 12-month low of $22.28 and a 12-month high of $192.31. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $106.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $72.94. The company has a current ratio of 2.29, a quick ratio of 2.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a market cap of $72.70 billion, a P/E ratio of -22.79 and a beta of 1.10.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported ($1.97) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($2.03) by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $145.00 million for 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 revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($2.13) EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on MRNA shares. Bank of America upgraded shares of Moderna from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. CLSA upgraded Moderna to an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, August 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Moderna from $40.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded Moderna from an "underperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Moderna presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $76.72.

Key Stories Impacting Moderna

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Positive melanoma vaccine results remain the main catalyst. Moderna and Merck’s personalized cancer vaccine, intismeran autogene, met key Phase 3 endpoints in high-risk melanoma when used with Keytruda. Investors are now looking ahead to a detailed data presentation and additional late-October updates, which could support the potential for a major commercial oncology opportunity. MRNA Hits 52-Week High: How Melanoma Study Results Keep Rally Going
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are responding to Moderna’s expanding pipeline. CEO Stéphane Bancel said the company “has never been” just a COVID-19 vaccine business, highlighting opportunities in cancer, respiratory diseases and other mRNA applications. That message has helped reinforce confidence that future growth can extend beyond declining pandemic-related revenue. Moderna CEO's Surprising Comment Gives Clues About Where Drugmaker Is Going Next
• Positive Sentiment: Reported FDA approval of an mRNA flu vaccine adds commercial validation. Coverage of the newly approved vaccine is strengthening expectations that Moderna can build a meaningful respiratory-vaccine franchise alongside its oncology programs. mRNA flu vaccine wins FDA approval, promising a faster shot
• Positive Sentiment: Broader biotechnology and AI links are supporting the growth narrative. Moderna co-founder Bob Langer’s advisory role with an AI-focused drug developer adds to investor interest in the company’s scientific network, though it is not a direct near-term revenue driver. Moderna Tied To AI Drug Push As Bob Langer Takes New Advisory Role
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks are becoming more prominent. After an exceptionally large one-year gain, some analysts argue MRNA now looks expensive and that much of the cancer-pipeline optimism is already reflected in the stock. Any disappointing clinical data, regulatory delay or slower commercial adoption could trigger substantial volatility. Moderna Stock Looks Very Expensive As Shares Surge Over 1 Year

Moderna Profile

Moderna, Inc is a biotechnology company that develops messenger RNA (mRNA) medicines and vaccines. Its platform is designed to provide cells with instructions to produce proteins that may help prevent or treat infectious diseases, cancer and other medical conditions.

The company's commercial products include Spikevax, an mRNA vaccine for COVID-19, and mRESVIA, an mRNA vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in older adults. Moderna also maintains a pipeline of investigational programs in areas such as seasonal influenza, cytomegalovirus, oncology and rare diseases.

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Moderna serves markets in the United States and internationally through regulatory approvals, commercial partnerships and distribution arrangements.

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