MRNA Stock Closes Down On Profit-Taking Following 20% Weekly Rally And Hantavirus Buzz

• Moderna confirmed on Friday that it has been pursuing early-stage research into mRNA-based vaccines against hantaviruses.
• Bloomberg reported on Friday that Moderna’s hantavirus research is “early-stage and ongoing” and began well before the cruise-ship cluster was identified.
• No hantavirus vaccine is currently approved anywhere in the world, and human clinical trials for Moderna’s candidates have not yet begun.

Shares of Moderna (MRNA) rose as much as 7% on Monday before paring all gains after an American citizen was diagnosed with a hantavirus infection, for which the firm is reportedly developing a vaccine.

One U.S. citizen has tested mildly positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus, U.S. health officials said Sunday. The asymptomatic passenger was one of 17 Americans repatriated from the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius luxury cruise ship and was transported in a biocontainment unit upon arrival in Nebraska early Monday for monitoring at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s biocontainment facility. A second American on the same flight is showing mild symptoms but has not yet been confirmed positive, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Shares of the vaccine maker closed down 3% on Monday, likely due to investors taking profits after the stock rising 20% last week.  

Vaccination Development Efforts

Moderna confirmed on Friday that it has been pursuing early-stage research into mRNA-based vaccines against hantaviruses.

Bloomberg reported on Friday that Moderna’s hantavirus research is “early-stage and ongoing” and began well before the cruise-ship cluster was identified.

The company has conducted preclinical work on hantaviruses in collaboration with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and is partnering with the Vaccine Innovation Center at Korea University College of Medicine through its mRNA Access Program to develop a potential immunization, the report said.

No hantavirus vaccine is currently approved anywhere in the world, and human clinical trials for Moderna’s candidates have not yet begun.

How Did MRNA Retail Traders React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around MRNA jumped from ‘bullish’ to ‘extremely bullish’ over the past 24 hours, while message volume increased from ‘high’ to ‘extremely high’ levels.

A Stocktwits user pinned the drop in share price on Monday to profit-taking.

Another user said that they bought the shares, hoping that the virus spreads in the coming weeks.  

MRNA stock has more than doubled over the past 12 months. 

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