Moderna, Inc. $MRNA Shares Sold by Tobam

Key Points

• Tobam cut its Moderna stake by 35.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 25,609 shares and ending the period with 46,189 shares valued at about $1.36 million.
• Insider selling continued, with Director Noubar Afeyan and President Stephen Hoge both selling shares; overall insiders sold 125,088 shares worth about $6.19 million last quarter.
• Wall Street remains cautious on Moderna, with a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $36.60, even as shares have been boosted recently by positive FDA backing for the company’s mRNA flu vaccine.

Tobam reduced its stake in shares of Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA - Free Report) by 35.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 46,189 shares of the company's stock after selling 25,609 shares during the period. Tobam's holdings in Moderna were worth $1,362,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new stake in Moderna during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Moderna in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. increased its holdings in Moderna by 3,775.0% in the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 1,240 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 1,208 shares in the last quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC lifted its position in shares of Moderna by 39.7% during the 4th quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 1,200 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Moderna by 148.3% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,341 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 801 shares during the period. 75.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Noubar Afeyan sold 9,263 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.84, for a total transaction of $433,878.92. Following the transaction, the director owned 3,924 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $183,800.16. This represents a 70.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, President Stephen Hoge sold 53,336 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the president owned 1,483,848 shares in the company, valued at approximately $76,225,271.76. This trade represents a 3.47% decrease in their position. 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. Insiders sold 125,088 shares of company stock valued at $6,193,713 over the last quarter. 10.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRNA has been the subject of several research reports. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Moderna from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Moderna in a report on Thursday. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Barclays lifted their price target on Moderna from $25.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $36.60.

Trending Headlines about Moderna

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: FDA advisers unanimously backed Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine, boosting confidence that the shot could win approval and become a new revenue driver if the agency follows the panel’s recommendation. Article: MRNA Up as Influenza Vaccine Wins Unanimous FDA Advisory Panel Backing
• Positive Sentiment: Investor sentiment was also helped by reports that Moderna’s shares have been surging on the flu-vaccine catalyst, with some traders positioning for further upside ahead of the FDA’s final ruling. Article: US FDA advisers vote in favor of Moderna's flu vaccine
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option buying signals that some investors are betting the rally can continue as the FDA review progresses. Article: Moderna, Inc. NASDAQ: MRNA - Get Free Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Moderna’s president sold shares under a pre-arranged trading plan, which is worth noting but does not necessarily indicate a change in the company’s outlook. Article: Moderna NASDAQ: MRNA President Sells $2,739,870.32 in Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock may stay volatile until the FDA makes its final decision on the flu vaccine by Aug. 5. Article: Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine faces FDA advisory panel scrutiny

Moderna Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MRNA opened at $63.96 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The company has a market capitalization of $25.38 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.85 and a beta of 1.05. Moderna, Inc. has a 52-week low of $22.28 and a 52-week high of $67.74. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $50.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $45.23.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The company reported ($3.40) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($3.02) by ($0.38). Moderna had a negative return on equity of 26.64% and a negative net margin of 143.55%.The company had revenue of $389.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $236.37 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($2.52) EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 260.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Moderna Company 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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