NVAX Stock Outruns Moderna As Vaxcyte’s Shot Clears A Late-Stage Test

• Moderna shares rose about 7% while BioNTech edged 1% higher.
• Reports of a suspected plague outbreak in Russia also triggered vaccine sectorwide optimism. 
• Novavax relies on partnerships to sell its vaccines.

Shares of Novavax Inc. (NVAX) jumped 20% on Monday, clocking its best session since January, as a rival’s strong trial result lifted vaccine stocks amid speculation about a plague outbreak in Russia.

Moderna shares rose about 7%, a move also tied to its pending addition to the Nasdaq-100, while BioNTech edged 1% higher after Vaxcyte announced positive trial results for its pneumonia vaccine. Separately, reports of a suspected plague outbreak in Russia also triggered sectorwide optimism.

PCVX’s Trial Sets The Tone

Vaxcyte said earlier on Monday that its experimental pneumonia vaccine, VAX-31, met the main goals of a late-stage study in adults 50 and older.

The shot is designed to cover 31 strains of the bacteria that cause pneumococcal disease, which can lead to pneumonia, meningitis and bloodstream infections. In the study, immune responses were at least comparable to Pfizer’s Prevnar 20 and Merck’s Capvaxive on the strains those vaccines already cover, and stronger on three strains unique to VAX-31. Vaxcyte said the safety profile was consistent across the age groups tested.

Vaxcyte shares rose 31% in regular trading and revived interest in vaccine makers.

Why Novavax Drew A Bid

Novavax’s own story is about partnerships. In late August, the company said partners Sanofi and Takeda had won approval for an updated version of its protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, Nuvaxovid, in the United States, the European Union and Japan ahead of the 2026–2027 season. In the U.S., the shot is cleared for people 65 and older and for those 12 to 64 with a condition that raises the risk of severe illness.

Sanofi holds the commercial rights in most markets and is carrying the vaccine into the fall season in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada. Novavax no longer sells it itself. It collects royalties on partner sales and is still due a $75 million manufacturing technology-transfer payment, which it has said it expects in the fourth quarter.

Plague Outbreak Concerns

Over the weekend, reports circulated that a Russian lab worker has died from a possible case of pneumonic plague while working at the Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia. The reports are unconfirmed.

According to a report from Axios, President Trump said on Monday that the U.S. will help Russia in case of a pneumonic plague outbreak. Axios also reported that the White House is monitoring the outbreak. Novavax, however, has no plague vaccine.

How Did NVAX Retail Traders React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around NVAX stock stayed within the bullish territory at the time of writing, while message volume rose from normal to high levels.

A Stocktwits user noted that NVAX rallied during the Covid-19 pandemic, suggesting a similar rally could follow a plague outbreak.

Another voiced optimism for more big pharmaceutical companies partnering with Novavax for its Matrix-M technology.

NVAX stock has gained 87% year-to-date. 

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