What's Going On With BioNTech (BNTX) Shares?

BioNTech SE – ADR BNTX shares are trading lower by 5.67% to $81.32 during Thursday’s session. Shares of various vaccine manufacturers are declining after Moderna Inc adjusted its 2024 outlook due to weak EU sales, indicated possible revenue deferrals for some international sales into 2025 and noted an ‘increasingly competitive environment’ for respiratory vaccines in the U.S.

Why This Matters To BNTX Investors

BioNTech is a key player in the mRNA vaccine market, particularly known for its COVID-19 vaccine developed in partnership with Pfizer Inc. Moderna’s announcement of low EU sales could signal broader market trends affecting mRNA vaccines, implying that BioNTech might also face similar challenges in the European market, where demand could be lower than anticipated.

Additionally, Moderna’s mention of potential revenue deferrals for international sales into 2025 suggests that global vaccination campaigns might be slowing down or facing logistical issues. This could affect BioNTech’s international sales and revenue projections, creating investor concerns about the company’s short-term financial performance and cash flow.

Read More: Why Ocugen (OCGN) Stock Is Falling

Moreover, the increasingly competitive environment for respiratory vaccines in the U.S. could be a significant factor. As competition intensifies, BioNTech may face pressure on its market share, pricing power, and profit margins. This competitive landscape includes not only Moderna but also other companies like Novavax and traditional pharmaceutical giants that are entering or expanding their presence in the respiratory vaccine market.

Investors might worry that BioNTech will need to increase spending on marketing, research and development to maintain its competitive edge, which could impact its profitability.

How To Buy BNTX Stock

By now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for BioNTech – be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company.

Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy ‘fractional shares,' which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share. For example, some stocks, like Berkshire Hathaway, can cost thousands of dollars to own just one share. However, if you only want to invest a fraction of that, brokerages will allow you to do so.

In the the case of BioNTech, which is trading at $86.2 as of publishing time, $100 would buy you 1.16 shares of stock.

If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to ‘go short' a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading – either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline.

According to data from Benzinga Pro, BNTX has a 52-week high of $125.83 and a 52-week low of $78.02.