Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Reduces Position in Moderna, Inc. $MRNA

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. reduced its position in shares of Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) by 86.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,396 shares of the company’s stock after selling 95,302 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in Moderna were worth $398,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MRNA. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in Moderna in the third quarter valued at $392,000. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its holdings in shares of Moderna by 34.5% in the 3rd quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 39,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,022,000 after acquiring an additional 10,137 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Moderna by 50.0% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 16,246 shares of the company’s stock worth $420,000 after acquiring an additional 5,417 shares in the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Moderna by 50.2% during the 3rd quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,933 shares of the company’s stock worth $282,000 after acquiring an additional 3,652 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional lifted its stake in Moderna by 589.4% during the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 7,121 shares of the company’s stock worth $184,000 after purchasing an additional 6,088 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.33% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Noubar Afeyan sold 23,853 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director owned 3,924 shares in the company, valued at approximately $115,679.52. This trade represents a 85.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 10.90% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Moderna

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Five‑year Phase 2b data show intismeran (mRNA‑4157/V940) plus Merck’s KEYTRUDA cut risk of recurrence or death by ~49% in high‑risk resected melanoma — a clinically meaningful, durable result that boosts Moderna’s oncology credibility and could accelerate late‑stage trials/partnership value. Moderna, Merck’s skin cancer vaccine shows sustained benefit after five years
• Positive Sentiment: Moderna reiterated stronger-than-expected near‑term economics: raised 2025 revenue outlook, sizable cost reductions and updated operating expense targets — these guidance items and messaging on reaching breakeven help explain renewed buying interest. Moderna Pops 17%—Is There Life in MRNA, Down 90% from COVID High?
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity shows large‑size bets around Moderna — this indicates speculative positioning that can amplify moves but doesn’t by itself change fundamentals. Watch options skew and open interest for near‑term volatility signals. Moderna’s Options: A Look at What the Big Money is Thinking
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the pop, Moderna remains highly dependent on COVID vaccine sales (the vast majority of recent revenue) and faces a steep valuation reset — analysts’ consensus targets and prior commentary suggest downside risk if new product approvals or repeatable seasonal demand don’t materialize. Moderna Pops 17%—Is There Life in MRNA, Down 90% from COVID High?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MRNA shares. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Moderna in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Barclays cut their target price on Moderna from $31.00 to $25.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Moderna in a research report on Monday. Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of Moderna in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded Moderna from a “market perform” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Moderna currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $30.36.

Moderna Stock Up 2.8%

Shares of MRNA stock opened at $43.00 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $30.29 and its 200 day moving average price is $28.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.80 billion, a PE ratio of -5.33 and a beta of 1.17. Moderna, Inc. has a 52-week low of $22.28 and a 52-week high of $45.40.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported ($0.51) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($2.15) by $1.64. Moderna had a negative return on equity of 29.81% and a negative net margin of 139.61%.The company had revenue of $1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $893.29 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.03 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 45.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Moderna, Inc. will post -9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.