Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) Receives Average Recommendation of "Reduce" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts give Moderna an average recommendation of "Reduce" from 20 brokerages (5 sell, 13 hold, 2 buy) with a 12‑month average target price of about $32.33.
• Moderna settled long‑running LNP patent litigation—removing a major legal overhang—but the deal may cost up to $2.25B (with $950M fronted), renewing concerns about cash burn and near‑term finances.
• The company beat the latest quarterly estimates (revenue $678M; EPS -$2.11) but revenue is down ~33% year‑over‑year, the business remains unprofitable, and notable insider selling has occurred recently.

Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Reduce" by the twenty brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, thirteen have given a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $32.3333.

Several analysts have commented on MRNA shares. Jefferies Financial Group set a $37.00 target price on shares of Moderna and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday. TD Cowen restated a "hold" rating on shares of Moderna in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Moderna from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Moderna in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $25.00 price objective for the company. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $36.00 target price on shares of Moderna in a research report on Monday, February 16th.

More Moderna News

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Settlement clears legal overhang: Moderna reached deals to resolve long‑running LNP patent litigation, which investors interpret as removing a major uncertainty that had been capping the stock. The market initially reacted positively to news the dispute is resolved. Moderna to pay up to $2.25B to end mRNA vaccine patent fight Moderna fronts $950M to settle yearslong COVID patent litigation
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish options flow: Unusually heavy call buying (112,509 calls, ~32% above typical volume) signals short‑term bullish positioning by traders and could support intraday upside if flows continue. (No external link provided)
• Positive Sentiment: Retail interest and momentum: Retail chatter and short‑term momentum have helped lift the stock recently (double‑digit weekly moves and large YTD gains cited by coverage), which can amplify volatility around news. Reddit Traders Are Cheering Moderna While Bears Watch the Cash Burn
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and narrative pieces: Several outlets are revisiting Moderna’s investment case (pipeline potential, oncology vaccine upside) and whether today’s price is a buying opportunity — useful context but not immediate catalysts. Moderna Stock (MRNA): Is It a Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market bounce context: Coverage grouping Moderna with other volatile names notes technical bounces and differing Wall Street views — helpful for traders but mixed for longer‑term investors. These 3 Stocks Just Bounced From Lows — What Wall Street Thinks Comes Next
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory uncertainty: Reports highlighting recent FDA reversals and tougher scrutiny on new drug applications have increased investor concern that future approvals (e.g., respiratory or flu programs) could face delays or setbacks. That regulatory risk is pressuring the stock today. FDA reversals leave investors worrying about the fates of other experimental drugs
• Negative Sentiment: Cash/cost impact of the settlement: While the settlement removes legal overhang, it carries a material cash burden (Moderna may pay up to ~$2.25B and is fronting $950M), which renews concerns about cash burn and near‑term finances—an important negative for fundamental investors. Moderna to Pay Up to $2.25B to Settle Patent Suit Over Covid-19 Vaccine Technology

Moderna Stock Down 2.4%

Shares of Moderna stock opened at $52.52 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $20.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.22 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 3.29 and a quick ratio of 3.22. Moderna has a 52-week low of $22.28 and a 52-week high of $59.55. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $43.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of $32.26.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 13th. The company reported ($2.11) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($2.79) by $0.68. The firm had revenue of $678.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $611.14 million. Moderna had a negative return on equity of 30.15% and a negative net margin of 145.16%.The firm's revenue was down 33.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($2.91) earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Moderna will post -9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Stephen Hoge sold 160,009 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.84, for a total value of $7,814,839.56. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 1,457,427 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $71,180,734.68. This trade represents a 9.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Noubar Afeyan sold 23,853 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.48, for a total value of $703,186.44. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 3,924 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $115,679.52. This trade represents a 85.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 184,366 shares of company stock valued at $8,531,936. 10.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Moderna

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board boosted its holdings in shares of Moderna by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 15,700 shares of the company's stock worth $463,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. Cromwell Holdings LLC raised its holdings in Moderna by 39.7% in the 4th quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 1,200 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in Moderna by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 6,785 shares of the company's stock worth $200,000 after acquiring an additional 348 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in Moderna by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 13,732 shares of the company's stock worth $405,000 after acquiring an additional 353 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in Moderna by 19.0% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 2,347 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 375 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.33% of the company's stock.

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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