Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Sells 24,187 Shares of Moderna, Inc. $MRNA

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lowered its stake in shares of Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) by 5.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 390,028 shares of the company’s stock after selling 24,187 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Moderna were worth $12,036,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Moderna Price Performance

Shares of Moderna stock opened at $54.35 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.41. Moderna, Inc. has a 52-week low of $22.28 and a 52-week high of $59.55. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $51.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $39.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.67 and a beta of 1.05.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported ($3.40) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($3.02) by ($0.38). The firm had revenue of $389.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $236.37 million. Moderna had a negative net margin of 143.55% and a negative return on equity of 26.64%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 260.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($2.52) EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.57 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Moderna from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. UBS Group upped their target price on Moderna from $36.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Moderna from $43.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Moderna in a report on Monday, February 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $37.00 price objective on shares of Moderna and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $35.73.

Trending Headlines about Moderna

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Moderna’s mRNA seasonal flu vaccine candidate, mRNA-1010, posted positive Phase 3 results and outperformed the standard-dose flu shot in adults 50 and older, boosting confidence in the company’s vaccine pipeline. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: The New England Journal of Medicine publication of the Phase 3 flu data adds credibility and increases the odds of regulatory traction, with filings already under review in the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Australia. Access Newswire article
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports highlighted that the flu shot appeared more effective than standard vaccines, reinforcing the view that Moderna could expand beyond COVID into a larger recurring respiratory-vaccine franchise. Benzinga article
• Positive Sentiment: Investor enthusiasm also increased on news of an unusual surge in call-option activity, suggesting traders are positioning for further upside.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage linking Moderna to hantavirus outbreak concerns may be helping the stock in the short term, but the long-term commercial impact is unclear and more speculative than fundamental. Barrons article
• Negative Sentiment: Some of the early gains faded as traders took profits after the initial excitement around the flu data and related headlines, showing that near-term volatility remains high. Benzinga article

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Moderna news, 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 sale, the director owned 12,066 shares in the company, valued at approximately $562,637.58. This trade represents a 32.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, President Stephen Hoge sold 160,009 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.84, for a total value of $7,814,839.56. Following the transaction, the president owned 1,457,427 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $71,180,734.68. This represents a 9.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate 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.