Gallagher Capital Advisors LLC Purchases 11,652 Shares of Moderna, Inc. $MRNA

Gallagher Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 11,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,244,000. Moderna accounts for 1.1% of Gallagher Capital Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Moderna in the 2nd quarter worth about $2,142,877,000. Theleme Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of Moderna during the second quarter valued at about $564,272,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Moderna by 4.4% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,461,574 shares of the company’s stock worth $172,384,000 after buying an additional 103,977 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Moderna by 59.3% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,392,693 shares of the company’s stock worth $121,549,000 after buying an additional 891,072 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Merck & Co. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Moderna in the second quarter valued at approximately $161,642,545. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.33% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Moderna

Here are the key news stories impacting Moderna this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cancer-vaccine initiative drives investor enthusiasm: Reports that the NIH plans to expedite cancer-vaccine development, along with details of a planned national effort, led investors to view Moderna as a major potential beneficiary because of its mRNA platform and oncology ambitions. Moderna stock jumps on planned national cancer vaccine effort
• Positive Sentiment: Nasdaq-100 inclusion supports demand: Moderna rejoined the Nasdaq-100, replacing Warner Bros. Discovery. The change may prompt buying by index-tracking funds and increases the company’s visibility with institutional investors after its substantial long-term share-price recovery. Moderna returns to the Nasdaq-100
• Positive Sentiment: Broad biotech rally adds momentum: Vaccine and biotechnology stocks rose broadly, with Moderna among the prominent gainers. Sector-wide strength likely amplified the company-specific rally. Biotech stocks rally
• Neutral Sentiment: Pipeline narrative is expanding beyond COVID-19: Coverage highlighted Moderna’s development of flu vaccines and cancer therapies, reinforcing the company’s strategy to build additional commercial franchises. However, these programs remain dependent on clinical, regulatory and commercial execution. The science and politics of the new mRNA flu vaccine
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution concerns remain: Morgan Stanley maintained a Hold rating, while reports emphasized the challenge of manufacturing a potential cancer franchise at scale. These issues could limit further gains if clinical progress does not translate into sales and profits. Moderna gets a Hold from Morgan Stanley
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling is a cautionary signal: Coverage noted that insiders have trimmed holdings as the stock has surged, potentially signaling profit-taking or caution after the steep rally. Moderna insiders trim holdings

Insider Transactions at Moderna

In other news, insider Shannon Klinger sold 3,471 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.95, for a total transaction of $485,766.45. Following the sale, the insider owned 74,129 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,374,353.55. This trade represents a 4.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 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 40,294 shares of Moderna stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.13, for a total transaction of $5,807,574.22. Following the sale, the president directly owned 1,525,858 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $219,921,913.54. This represents a 2.57% 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 have sold 118,882 shares of company stock valued at $16,862,280 in the last quarter. Insiders own 10.80% of the company’s stock.

Moderna Stock Up 14.2%

MRNA stock opened at $225.00 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.29, a quick ratio of 2.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The company’s 50 day moving average is $140.07 and its 200 day moving average is $84.92. The stock has a market cap of $89.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -28.16 and a beta of 1.09. Moderna, Inc. has a 1-year low of $22.28 and a 1-year high of $225.00.

Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported ($1.97) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($2.03) by $0.06. Moderna had a negative net margin of 141.43% and a negative return on equity of 28.30%. The business had revenue of $145.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $102.93 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($2.13) earnings per share. Moderna’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Moderna, Inc. will post -6.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on MRNA shares. Brookline Capital Markets reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Moderna in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Moderna from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Moderna from $48.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $130.00 price objective on shares of Moderna in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Argus raised Moderna from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, August 28th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $78.17.

About Moderna

Moderna, Inc is a biotechnology company that develops medicines and vaccines using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. Its platform is designed to instruct cells to produce proteins that can help prevent or treat disease, supporting the company’s work across infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, autoimmune conditions, and cardiovascular diseases.

Moderna’s commercial products include Spikevax, an mRNA vaccine for COVID-19, and mRESVIA, an mRNA vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in older adults.