New York, June 29, 2026, 07:03 EDT
- Moderna, Inc. NASDAQ:MRNA traded at $67.63 before the open, up 0.54%. Shares finished Friday with a 12.59% gain.
- The stock is trading near its 52-week high. But analysts on Google Finance give an average 12-month target of $45.42.
- Short interest was 16.15% of float as of June 15. Volume on Friday was more than double the average, adding pressure.
- The FDA is set to decide on Moderna’s mRNA flu shot on Aug. 5.
Moderna, Inc. NASDAQ:MRNA heads into Monday’s U.S. session with its shares now outpacing most analyst targets, leaving the main story a stock issue instead of a scientific one. The stock traded at $67.63 in premarket at 7:01 a.m. EDT, up 0.54%, after jumping 12.59% to $67.27 on Friday. Volume hit 14.46 million shares Friday, 203% of the 65-day average.
Moderna was one of the few large healthcare plays to rally Friday, as the rest of the market drifted lower. The S&P 500 slipped 0.05% and the Nasdaq lost 0.24%, according to Reuters, but Moderna shares shot up nearly 13% after its investor event. Early Monday, U.S. futures traded stronger, with S&P 500 E-minis up 0.68% and Nasdaq 100 E-minis up 1.02% at 5:00 a.m. ET. Reuters
Analysts haven’t caught up to the move. In the last three months, Google Finance lists 16 analysts on Moderna: one Buy, 13 Holds, two Sells. The average 12-month price target is $45.42, which is 32.48% under where shares closed Friday. The top target stands at $77, just 14.46% above the current price.
| Analyst screen | Rating / target | Implied move from $67.27 |
|---|---|---|
| Average 12-month target | $45.42 | -32.48% |
| Highest target | $77.00 | +14.46% |
| Lowest target | $33.00 | -50.94% |
| Eliana Merle, Barclays, June 29 | Hold / $48.00 | -28.6% |
| Edward Tenthoff, Piper Sandler, June 26 | Buy / $77.00 | +14.5% |
| Salveen Richter, Goldman Sachs, June 25 | Hold / $49.00 | -27.2% |
This is notable since Friday’s jump didn’t just follow the pipeline news. The move put the stock close to most analyst targets, with only the highest one on Google Finance showing more room to run. Barclays on Monday kept its Hold and a $48 target. Piper Sandler stuck with Buy on Friday and raised its target to $77.
| Stock marker | Latest figure |
|---|---|
| Premarket quote at 7:01 a.m. EDT | $67.63 |
| Closed Friday at | $67.27 |
| Change Friday | +12.59% |
| Friday’s volume | 14.46 million shares |
| Volume vs. 65-day average | 203% |
| Range over last 52 weeks | $22.28-$69.29 |
| Total market value | $26.69 billion |
| Short interest outstanding | 58.66 million shares |
| Percent of float shorted | 16.15% |
Moderna told investors it doesn’t want to be seen as just a vaccine stock anymore. CEO Stéphane Bancel said last week the company is working to build “a platform capable of repeatedly creating new medicines,” and that Moderna is “applying our mRNA platform expertise” in other programs now. On its Science Day page, Moderna says mRNA-6007, an in vivo CAR-T project, will target systemic lupus erythematosus first and aims to deplete B cells using targeted lipid nanoparticles. Moderna Moderna
Timing is the big challenge. Moderna has four approved products and is looking at possible launches in 2027 and 2028, including a flu plus COVID shot, a seasonal flu vaccine, and a norovirus shot. The company also expects key clinical readouts this year for intismeran autogene and a propionic acidemia treatment.
Moderna’s Science Day update said mRNA-2808 is in a Phase 1/2 trial for multiple myeloma. mRNA-2151 is heading for early-stage work in ovarian cancer. The company expects to start a Phase 1/2 trial of mRNA-4194 in Lynch syndrome this summer. Data for mRNA-1195 in multiple sclerosis is set for the second half of 2026.
The next event is regulatory. FDA advisers on June 18 all agreed that Moderna’s mFlusiva flu shot’s benefits outweigh its risks for adults 50 and up. Reuters said an FDA decision could come by Aug. 5. If cleared, it would be the first U.S. flu vaccine using mRNA tech.
Citi’s Geoff Meacham doesn’t expect mFlusiva to generate real revenue before the back half of 2027, with Moderna missing out on the 2026 U.S. flu vaccine contracting window. Jefferies’ Andrew Tsai is projecting $750 million in U.S. sales from Moderna’s flu shot and COVID-flu combo by 2030, according to Reuters.
The August FDA decision is now a test for the stock’s valuation and the product itself. Shares have already surged, up 128.11% year-to-date, according to MarketWatch, and 16.15% of the float is sold short.
