Moderna, Inc. $MRNA Shares Acquired by Empowered Funds LLC

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC increased its Moderna stake by 143.5% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 33,436 shares worth approximately $1.7 million. Institutional investors collectively own 75.33% of the company.
• Moderna reported a quarterly loss of $1.97 per share, slightly better than analyst expectations, while revenue of $145 million exceeded forecasts and rose 2.1% year over year. The company remains loss-making, with analysts expecting a full-year loss of $6.20 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $42.13, below the stock’s reported $59.17 price. Recent insider activity was also negative, as executives sold a combined 119,406 shares worth about $5.9 million over the quarter.

Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA - Free Report) by 143.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 33,436 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 19,704 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC's holdings in Moderna were worth $1,699,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in Moderna during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $899,000. Lingotto Investment Management LLP increased its holdings in Moderna by 33.7% during the 4th quarter. Lingotto Investment Management LLP now owns 498,693 shares of the company's stock worth $14,706,000 after purchasing an additional 125,598 shares during the last quarter. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC raised its position in shares of Moderna by 14.4% in the 4th quarter. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC now owns 1,291,465 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,085,000 after purchasing an additional 163,031 shares in the last quarter. Nicollet Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Moderna in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $897,000. Finally, Capital World Investors purchased a new position in shares of Moderna during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $378,299,000. 75.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Moderna Stock Performance

Moderna stock opened at $59.17 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $23.62 billion, a PE ratio of -7.41 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $60.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $53.12. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $22.28 and a 12 month high of $85.60.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported ($1.97) earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $145.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $102.93 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($2.13) earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRNA has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Monday. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Moderna from $41.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Moderna from $34.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Moderna from $49.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $42.13.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Moderna news, President Stephen Hoge sold 53,336 shares of the firm'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 transaction, the president owned 1,483,848 shares of the company's stock, valued at $76,225,271.76. This trade represents a 3.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Noubar Afeyan sold 9,263 shares of Moderna stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.84, for a total value of $433,878.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 3,924 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $183,800.16. The trade was a 70.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 119,406 shares of company stock worth $5,928,762 over the last quarter. 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: The FDA approved mFLUSIVA, Moderna’s mRNA-based seasonal influenza vaccine, for adults ages 50 and older. It is the first mRNA flu vaccine approved in the United States and Moderna’s fourth FDA-approved product, supporting the company’s effort to diversify beyond COVID-19. The company expects limited retail availability in the coming weeks. US FDA approves first mRNA flu shot from Moderna
• Positive Sentiment: On its second-quarter earnings call, Moderna maintained its 2026 growth target while lowering cost guidance. The combination of preserved revenue expectations and lower spending could improve cash runway and reduce concerns about the company’s post-pandemic revenue decline. Management also highlighted upcoming milestones for flu, oncology and rare-disease programs. Moderna Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Cost Cuts and Pipeline Milestones
• Positive Sentiment: Moderna began a Phase 1 Canadian trial of an investigational mRNA vaccine for Bundibugyo ebolavirus, a strain without an approved vaccine. Although early-stage, the program reinforces the breadth of Moderna’s infectious-disease platform and its partnerships with CEPI and Canadian public-health authorities. Moderna Starts Phase 1 Canada Trial For Bundibugyo Ebola mRNA Vaccine
• Neutral Sentiment: The flu approval is a meaningful commercial opportunity, but Moderna still needs CDC recommendations, distribution and physician adoption to translate the regulatory win into material revenue. The initial authorization is limited to adults 50 and older, with established flu vaccines already competing for the upcoming season. Moderna Gets FDA Approval for mRNA Flu Vaccine, But CDC Input Still Uncertain
• Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to face substantial execution risk: COVID-related revenue has fallen sharply from pandemic highs, Moderna remains loss-making, and future valuation depends heavily on successful Phase 3 oncology results and broader pipeline commercialization. Some brokerages maintain a “Reduce” view, limiting the immediate impact of the positive headlines.

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.

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