Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) Reaches New 12-Month High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Moderna shares reached a new 52-week high of $225.63, reflecting a sharp rally; the stock has risen well above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: seven analysts rate Moderna a Buy, 13 rate it Hold, and five rate it Sell. The average rating is “Hold,” with an average price target of $78.17—far below the recent trading price.
• Moderna beat quarterly revenue and earnings expectations, but it remains unprofitable, with negative margins and analysts expecting a full-year loss. Insiders sold $16.9 million of shares over the past three months, while institutional investors own 75.33% of the stock.

Shares of Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday. The stock traded as high as $225.63 and last traded at $221.2880, with a volume of 377,183 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $225.00.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on MRNA shares. Argus upgraded shares of Moderna from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $180.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 28th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Moderna in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Brookline Capital Markets reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Moderna in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $78.17.

Moderna Trading Down 0.5%

The stock has a market capitalization of $89.37 billion, a P/E ratio of -27.93 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 2.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $140.07 and its 200-day moving average price is $85.16.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The company reported ($1.97) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($2.03) by $0.06. Moderna had a negative return on equity of 28.30% and a negative net margin of 141.43%. The company had revenue of $145.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $102.93 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($2.13) earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Shannon Klinger sold 3,471 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.95, for a total transaction of $485,766.45. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 74,129 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,374,353.55. This represents a 4.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 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. Also, CFO James M. Mock sold 34,836 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.49, for a total value of $4,685,093.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 59,375 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,985,343.75. The trade was a 36.98% 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. Insiders sold a total of 118,882 shares of company stock valued at $16,862,280 in the last three months. 10.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Moderna

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Moderna during the 2nd quarter worth $2,142,877,000. Theleme Partners LLP acquired a new stake in Moderna in the 2nd quarter valued at about $564,272,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in Moderna by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,461,574 shares of the company's stock valued at $172,384,000 after buying an additional 103,977 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in Moderna by 59.3% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,392,693 shares of the company's stock valued at $121,549,000 after purchasing an additional 891,072 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Merck & Co. Inc. acquired a new position in Moderna in the 2nd quarter valued at $161,642,545. 75.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Moderna

Moderna, Inc is a biotechnology company that develops medicines and vaccines using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. Its platform is designed to instruct cells to produce proteins that can help prevent or treat disease, supporting the company's work across infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, autoimmune conditions, and cardiovascular diseases.

Moderna's commercial products include Spikevax, an mRNA vaccine for COVID-19, and mRESVIA, an mRNA vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in older adults.

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