Behind the Scenes of Moderna's Latest Options Trends

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Moderna MRNA.

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.

Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with MRNA, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 11 uncommon options trades for Moderna.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 63% bullish and 27%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 5 are puts, for a total amount of $416,465, and 6 are calls, for a total amount of $243,109.

Projected Price Targets

Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $25.0 to $180.0 for Moderna over the last 3 months.

Volume & Open Interest Trends

In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for Moderna options trades today is 2801.22 with a total volume of 3,398.00.

In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for Moderna's big money trades within a strike price range of $25.0 to $180.0 over the last 30 days.

Moderna 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot

Largest Options Trades Observed:

About Moderna

Moderna is a commercial-stage biotech that was founded in 2010 and had its initial public offering in December 2018. The firm's mRNA technology was rapidly validated with its covid vaccine, which was authorized in the United States in December 2020. Moderna had 40 mRNA development candidates in clinical development as of September 2024. Programs span a wide range of therapeutic areas, including infectious disease, oncology, cardiovascular disease, and rare genetic diseases.

In light of the recent options history for Moderna, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.

Present Market Standing of Moderna

• Currently trading with a volume of 4,514,474, the MRNA's price is up by 0.12%, now at $33.32.
• RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching oversold.
• Anticipated earnings release is in 64 days.

What Analysts Are Saying About Moderna

5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $49.6.

Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move

Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access. * An analyst from Barclays has revised its rating downward to Equal-Weight, adjusting the price target to $45. * Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from UBS keeps a Buy rating on Moderna with a target price of $78. * In a cautious move, an analyst from Goldman Sachs downgraded its rating to Neutral, setting a price target of $51. * An analyst from RBC Capital downgraded its action to Sector Perform with a price target of $40. * Maintaining their stance, an analyst from B of A Securities continues to hold a Underperform rating for Moderna, targeting a price of $34.

Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Moderna with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.