Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) Shares Climb 5.3% on Earnings Beat

Key Points

• Moderna beat quarterly estimates: It reported EPS of $0.38 versus expectations for a $1.10 loss, while revenue rose 29.2% year over year to $1.31 billion. Shares climbed 5.3% after the results.
• The company raised its 2026 outlook: Moderna now expects revenue growth of 15%–25% and revenue of $2.2 billion–$2.4 billion, citing stronger-than-expected demand for COVID-19 vaccines, particularly overseas.
• Potential growth drivers and risks remain: Canada authorized Moderna’s seasonal flu and combined flu-COVID vaccines for adults 50 and older, while the earnings beat’s reliance on COVID vaccine sales and reduced R&D spending raise questions about longer-term growth.

Shares of Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA - Get Free Report) traded up 5.3% on Friday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $267.50 and last traded at $254.19. Approximately 16,261,017 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 29% from the average session volume of 12,646,072 shares. The stock had previously closed at $241.46.

The company reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.10) by $1.48. Moderna had a negative return on equity of 28.30% and a negative net margin of 141.43%. The business had revenue of $1.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $890.25 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted ($0.51) EPS. Moderna's quarterly revenue was up 29.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

More Moderna News

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Moderna reported third-quarter earnings of $0.38 per share, versus expectations for a loss of about $1.10, while revenue rose 29% year over year to $1.31 billion—well above estimates. Strong overseas COVID-19 vaccine sales, including sales linked to government deals, drove the beat. Reuters report on Moderna's revenue forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its 2026 revenue-growth outlook to 15%–25%, from a previous forecast of up to 10%. The company also expects revenue of $2.2 billion–$2.4 billion, above the cited analyst consensus of $2.1 billion. CNBC report on Moderna's outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Canada authorized Moderna’s mRNA seasonal flu vaccine and its combined flu-COVID vaccine for adults 50 and older, creating a potential new commercial opportunity beyond standalone COVID shots. Health Canada vaccine authorization announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Moderna and GSK settled a patent dispute involving Moderna’s COVID and RSV shots, potentially removing a source of legal uncertainty. Reuters report on the patent settlement
• Negative Sentiment: The earnings strength was led by COVID vaccine sales, so sustaining growth may depend on continued demand. Moderna also cut R&D spending, which can support near-term costs but raises a question about investment in its longer-term pipeline. The Motley Fool earnings reaction

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Moderna from $89.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Moderna from an "underperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lowered shares of Moderna from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $40.00 to $81.00 in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Brookline Capital Markets reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and set a $150.00 target price (up from $60.00) on shares of Moderna in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $107.10.

Insider Activity at Moderna

In other Moderna news, President Stephen Hoge sold 40,294 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.13, for a total transaction of $5,807,574.22. Following the completion of the sale, the president directly owned 1,525,858 shares in the company, valued at approximately $219,921,913.54. This trade represents a 2.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO James M. 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 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. 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 have sold a total of 197,251 shares of company stock worth $33,875,904 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 10.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Moderna

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP bought a new stake in Moderna in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Allied Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Moderna in the second quarter valued at about $30,000. CENTRAL TRUST Co boosted its stake in Moderna by 36.5% in the third quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 172 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Next Level Wealth Planning LLC bought a new position in shares of Moderna during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Archer Investment Corp bought a new position in shares of Moderna during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.33% of the company's stock.

Moderna Stock Up 5.3%

The stock's 50-day moving average price is $189.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $90.46. 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 capitalization of $101.48 billion, a P/E ratio of -31.81 and a beta of 1.16.

Moderna Company Profile

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.

The company's commercial products include Spikevax, a vaccine against COVID-19, and mRESVIA, a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Moderna also researches potential mRNA-based vaccines and treatments for infectious diseases, cancer, and rare diseases.

Founded in 2010 as Moderna Therapeutics, the company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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