What Happened?
Shares of biotechnology company Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) jumped 4% in the afternoon session after the broader biotech sector experienced a strong rebound, lifting shares of companies within the industry.
According to RBC Capital Markets, the sector's positive momentum was helped by good clinical data, successful new drug launches, and a significant increase in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity. The brokerage noted that M&A deals in 2025 had more than doubled compared to the previous year, with expectations for deal-making to remain strong. Separately, Moderna announced that it would present at the 44th annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in January.
After the initial pop the shares cooled down to $30.88, up 3% from previous close.
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What Is The Market Telling Us
Moderna’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 52 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.
The previous big move we wrote about was 12 days ago when the stock gained 6.4% on the news that a major long-term study from France indicated that its COVID-19 vaccine was safe and effective.
The nationwide study, which was the first of its kind to look at long-term risk, analyzed data from approximately 28 million people. Researchers found that individuals who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine had a roughly 75% lower risk of dying from COVID compared to those who were unvaccinated. The study also revealed a 25% lower risk of death from any cause for the vaccinated group. These results provided strong evidence for the long-term safety of the mRNA vaccines, reassuring investors about the company's key product.
Moderna is down 26.5% since the beginning of the year, and at $30.88 per share, it is trading 35% below its 52-week high of $47.53 from January 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Moderna’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $214.44.
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