NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 05:15 ET — Market closed
- Novavax shares closed up 6.1% on Friday at $7.13, extending a rebound into the new year.
- Singapore health authorities said the JN.1 Novavax/Nuvaxovid vaccine is available at selected GP clinics from Jan 2 through May 31.
- Traders are now looking for clarity on demand signals and the company’s next earnings timing.
Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) shares rose 6.1% on Friday to close at $7.13, outperforming in a mixed U.S. session as traders latched onto fresh signs of overseas demand for its updated COVID-19 shot. The stock traded about 38% below its 52-week high of $11.55 set on Jan. 7 last year, according to MarketWatch data.
The move matters because it ties the stock to a concrete, near-term distribution window in a government-backed program. Singapore’s Communicable Diseases Agency said the JN.1 Novavax/Nuvaxovid vaccine will be offered at selected general practitioner clinics under the National Vaccination Programme from Jan. 2 to May 31, following approval for people aged 12 and above.
Singapore positioned the Novavax shot as an alternative to LP.8.1 mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which remain available under the program, Channel News Asia reported. The government-backed offering is free for eligible residents, the report said, giving Novavax exposure to a channel that can move volumes even when private demand is uneven.
Officials also flagged a hard stop. Singapore’s Ministry of Health said the current batch of Novavax vaccines will expire on May 31 and that the JN.1 formulation will not be supplied after those stocks run out, meaning the shot will no longer be available under the program after that date.
Novavax’s product is a protein-based vaccine, which uses a manufactured piece of the virus to train the immune system, rather than the genetic instructions used in mRNA shots. That difference has helped Novavax attract some demand from people looking for a non-mRNA option, though overall COVID-19 booster uptake has cooled from pandemic peaks.
Friday’s pop does not, by itself, change the bigger math investors are debating: whether Novavax can turn periodic tenders and seasonal boosters into durable revenue. The Singapore program’s defined end-date also means investors will be watching for any follow-on procurement decisions elsewhere.
On Wall Street, brokerages tracked by MarketBeat show a split view, with Novavax carrying an average “hold” recommendation and a 12-month average price target of $11.25. The dispersion underscores how sensitive the stock remains to incremental demand signals and execution updates. MarketBeat
Technically, NVAX is still trading in the middle of its past year’s range. The stock has moved between $5.01 and $11.55 over the last 52 weeks, according to Investing.com, leaving traders focused on whether the rally can build above the $7 area rather than fade back toward recent lows.
Before next session: U.S. markets reopen on Monday, and traders will watch whether Friday’s move holds without fresh headlines. Momentum names in biotech can reverse quickly when volume thins, and NVAX has a history of sharp, news-driven swings.
The next scheduled company catalyst is less clear-cut than usual. Earnings calendars are not aligned: Nasdaq and Zacks place the next report around Feb. 26, while Investing.com and TipRanks list early March dates, including March 4, and the company has not posted an updated 2026 earnings event on its investor calendar.
