Moderna Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:MRNA)

Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) saw unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Stock traders purchased 112,509 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 32% compared to the average daily volume of 85,335 call options.

Moderna Stock Down 2.4%

NASDAQ MRNA opened at $52.52 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 3.22, a current ratio of 3.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Moderna has a 52 week low of $22.28 and a 52 week high of $59.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.22 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a fifty day moving average of $43.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $32.26.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 13th. The company reported ($2.11) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($2.79) by $0.68. Moderna had a negative net margin of 145.16% and a negative return on equity of 30.15%. The business had revenue of $678.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $611.14 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($2.91) earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 33.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Moderna will post -9.61 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore set a $35.00 target price on shares of Moderna in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Piper Sandler increased their price target on Moderna from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Leerink Partners reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of Moderna in a report on Friday, January 30th. Wolfe Research restated an “underperform” rating and issued a $17.00 price objective on shares of Moderna in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Moderna in a research note on Monday, February 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $32.33.

Insider Activity at Moderna

In other Moderna news, Director Noubar Afeyan sold 23,853 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.48, for a total value of $703,186.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 3,924 shares in the company, valued at $115,679.52. This represents a 85.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, President Stephen Hoge sold 160,009 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.84, for a total transaction of $7,814,839.56. Following the completion of the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 184,366 shares of company stock valued at $8,531,936 over the last three months. 10.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Moderna

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Moderna by 21.9% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 2,153 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after buying an additional 387 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in Moderna during the 4th quarter valued at $240,000. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in Moderna during the 4th quarter valued at $2,425,000. Hamilton Wealth LLC bought a new position in Moderna in the 4th quarter valued at $3,098,000. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its position in Moderna by 143.3% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 68,256 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,013,000 after acquiring an additional 40,202 shares during the last quarter. 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.