Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Moderna Call Options (NASDAQ:MRNA)

Key Points

• Moderna saw unusually heavy options activity on Thursday, with 98,186 call options traded — about 79% above normal volume. That suggests traders were positioning for more upside in the stock.
• Insiders have been selling shares, including President Stephen Hoge, who sold 53,336 shares for about $2.74 million under a pre-arranged trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 125,088 shares total.
• Moderna’s stock has rallied sharply, rising to $63.76 during the session and nearing its 52-week high of $67.74. The move comes amid optimism around its flu vaccine review and upcoming Science Day, though analysts still hold a consensus "Reduce" rating.

Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA - Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading on Thursday. Stock investors bought 98,186 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 79% compared to the typical volume of 54,997 call options.

Insider Transactions at Moderna

In related news, President Stephen Hoge sold 53,336 shares of the company'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 transaction, the president directly owned 1,483,848 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $76,225,271.76. This represents a 3.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Abbas Hussain sold 5,682 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.63, for a total value of $264,951.66. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 12,066 shares in the company, valued at approximately $562,637.58. The trade was a 32.01% 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. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 125,088 shares of company stock valued at $6,193,713. 10.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Moderna

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lingotto Investment Management LLP increased its holdings in Moderna by 33.7% in the 4th quarter. Lingotto Investment Management LLP now owns 498,693 shares of the company's stock worth $14,706,000 after acquiring an additional 125,598 shares during the last quarter. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC raised its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 163,031 shares during the period. Nicollet Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Moderna during the fourth quarter valued at about $897,000. Banco Santander S.A. lifted its holdings in Moderna by 22.1% during the third quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 215,894 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,577,000 after purchasing an additional 39,056 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sigma Planning Corp bought a new position in Moderna during the fourth quarter worth about $907,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.33% of the company's stock.

Moderna Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MRNA traded up $1.96 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $63.76. The company had a trading volume of 12,581,866 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,106,316. The stock has a market cap of $25.30 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.84 and a beta of 1.05. The company's 50 day moving average price is $50.05 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.83. The company has a current ratio of 2.41, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. Moderna has a 52-week low of $22.28 and a 52-week high of $67.74.

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

Trending Headlines about Moderna

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: FDA advisers voted in favor of Moderna’s flu vaccine for adults 50 and older, a key step that boosts approval odds and strengthens the investment case. Article: US FDA advisers vote in favor of Moderna's flu vaccine
• Positive Sentiment: Shares have extended a rally as investors focus on the flu vaccine review and broader pipeline optimism, including Moderna’s investor-day catalysts. Article: Moderna (MRNA) Soars 11% Ahead of Investor Day
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options trading showed heavy call buying, which suggests traders are betting on further upside in MRNA.
• Neutral Sentiment: Moderna plans to host its Science Day on June 25, which could provide another catalyst if management shares encouraging pipeline updates. Article: Moderna to Host Investor Event - Science Day
• Negative Sentiment: President Stephen Hoge sold shares under a pre-arranged trading plan, which may create a modest overhang even though it does not necessarily reflect changing fundamentals. Article: Moderna NASDAQ: MRNA President Sells $2,739,870.32 in Stock

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRNA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Moderna from $43.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Moderna from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Moderna in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Moderna from $25.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $33.00 target price on shares of Moderna in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $36.60.

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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