Empowered Funds LLC Invests $4.42 Million in Moderna, Inc. $MRNA

Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 63,142 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,422,000.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MRNA. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Moderna during the first quarter worth approximately $415,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Moderna by 732.7% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 11,575 shares of the company’s stock valued at $328,000 after acquiring an additional 10,185 shares in the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new position in Moderna in the 1st quarter valued at $230,000. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its position in shares of Moderna by 58.7% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 23,547 shares of the company’s stock valued at $668,000 after acquiring an additional 8,706 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in shares of Moderna by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 48,859 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,348,000 after acquiring an additional 2,410 shares during the period. 75.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRNA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Moderna in a research report on Friday. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Argus raised shares of Moderna from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Moderna from $67.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Moderna from $40.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Moderna from $41.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Moderna currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $80.53.

Moderna Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of MRNA stock opened at $140.34 on Tuesday. Moderna, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $22.28 and a fifty-two week high of $176.66. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $78.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $60.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 2.18 and a current ratio of 2.29. The company has a market cap of $56.03 billion, a PE ratio of -17.56 and a beta of 0.91.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported ($1.97) EPS for the quarter, topping 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $102.93 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($2.13) EPS. Moderna’s revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Moderna News

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Moderna and Merck reported encouraging results from their cancer-vaccine collaboration, supporting Moderna’s strategy to expand beyond COVID-19 vaccines into personalized oncology treatments. The results have attracted positive attention from market commentator Jim Cramer and helped drive investor enthusiasm. Jim Cramer Called Moderna Inc. and Merck’s Trial Results Encouraging
• Positive Sentiment: Recent clinical evidence has provided a major boost to the broader mRNA sector after a difficult period for the technology. Coverage highlights the potential medical and commercial significance of Moderna’s cancer-vaccine work, particularly as the company seeks to establish growth drivers beyond respiratory vaccines. After a Rough Stretch, mRNA Gets a Boost
• Positive Sentiment: Moderna received FDA approval for updated Spikevax and mNEXSPIKE COVID-19 vaccines targeting the latest SARS-CoV-2 subvariant, as well as mFlusiva, its first mRNA influenza vaccine for adults aged 50 and older. The approvals broaden its respiratory portfolio and could improve the company’s long-term commercial opportunity in seasonal vaccines. What Do Moderna FDA Vaccine Approvals Mean for Its Respiratory Push?
• Positive Sentiment: Argus upgraded Moderna to “Buy,” adding a more bullish analyst view following the company’s clinical and regulatory developments. Argus Upgrades Moderna to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading volume increased significantly after the analyst upgrade, indicating heightened investor interest and strong momentum in MRNA shares. However, heavy activity can also reflect short-term speculation following the stock’s steep rally. Moderna Sees Large Volume Increase After Analyst Upgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts overall maintain an average “Hold” rating, signaling that Wall Street remains cautious despite the recent clinical progress. The stock’s rapid appreciation has also raised concerns about valuation and the risk of profit-taking if additional trial results do not meet high expectations. Moderna Receives Average Rating of Hold

Insider Transactions at Moderna

In other news, insider Shannon Thyme Klinger sold 3,471 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $173,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 67,468 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,373,400. This represents a 4.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal 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. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, President Stephen Hoge sold 53,336 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.37, for a total transaction of $2,739,870.32. Following the completion of the sale, the president owned 1,483,848 shares in the company, valued at approximately $76,225,271.76. The trade was a 3.47% 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 own 10.80% of the company’s stock.

About Moderna

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.