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Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: Moderna and Merck's
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For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – August 20, 2026 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas features Moderna (MRNA - Free Report) and Merck’s (MRK - Free Report)
From Covid to Cancer: Moderna Scores Melanoma Breakthrough
Wednesday, Moderna exploded, soaring more than 100% after the company released positive topline results from its pivotal Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial. In the study, Moderna’s individualized mRNA neoantigen therapy was combined with its partner Merck’s Keytruda.
When the two experimental drugs were combined, the Phase 3 study showed that the regimen significantly extended the time without the melanoma returning and significantly decreased the risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body. Melanoma is one of the deadliest forms of cancer and over 1.5 million Americans currently live with it.
Moderna Makes History
Moderna became prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the earliest vaccines approved. However, after a 20x move during the COVID-19 pandemic, shares have largely been left for dead, falling from a peak of $497 to $22.
That said, Moderna is back on Wall Street’s radar as it becomes the first biotech company with a successful Phase 3 trial for a personalized, tumor-targeted MRNA cancer vaccine. Moderna’s melanoma drug uses its unique mRNA technology to sequence and target up to 34 patient-specific neoantigen , training T-cells to attack recurring tumor cells.
Wall Street Applauds Moderna
Following Wednesday’s news, several Wall Street analysts upgraded Moderna. For instance, William Blair analyst Myles Minter noted that the positive readout provides Moderna with a clear line of sight to revenue diversification beyond its legacy COVID-19 vaccine franchise.
Why are Moderna Shares Up So Much?
Moderna shares exploded for a few reasons. First, the early Phase 3 news was completely unexpected. Second, the drug diversifies Moderna’s one-dimensional portfolio nearly overnight. Third, before Wednesday, nearly 50 million shares, or 14.1% of the stock’s float were sold short. In other words, Moderna bears were forced to cover their shorts, adding fuel to the fire.
Extreme Demand
At the time of this writing, Moderna shares are up 130% as volume tracks 6,000% above the 50-day average – a sign of extreme demand.
Bottom Line
Moderna’s breakthrough marks a pivotal turning point for both oncology and the biotech industry at large. By successfully applying individualized mRNA technology to train the immune system against recurring tumor cells, Moderna and Merck have opened an extraordinary new frontier in targeted cancer treatment.
Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.
Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: Moderna and Merck's
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – August 20, 2026 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas features Moderna (MRNA - Free Report) and Merck’s (MRK - Free Report)
From Covid to Cancer: Moderna Scores Melanoma Breakthrough
Wednesday, Moderna exploded, soaring more than 100% after the company released positive topline results from its pivotal Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial. In the study, Moderna’s individualized mRNA neoantigen therapy was combined with its partner Merck’s Keytruda.
When the two experimental drugs were combined, the Phase 3 study showed that the regimen significantly extended the time without the melanoma returning and significantly decreased the risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body. Melanoma is one of the deadliest forms of cancer and over 1.5 million Americans currently live with it.
Moderna Makes History
Moderna became prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the earliest vaccines approved. However, after a 20x move during the COVID-19 pandemic, shares have largely been left for dead, falling from a peak of $497 to $22.
That said, Moderna is back on Wall Street’s radar as it becomes the first biotech company with a successful Phase 3 trial for a personalized, tumor-targeted MRNA cancer vaccine. Moderna’s melanoma drug uses its unique mRNA technology to sequence and target up to 34 patient-specific neoantigen , training T-cells to attack recurring tumor cells.
Wall Street Applauds Moderna
Following Wednesday’s news, several Wall Street analysts upgraded Moderna. For instance, William Blair analyst Myles Minter noted that the positive readout provides Moderna with a clear line of sight to revenue diversification beyond its legacy COVID-19 vaccine franchise.
Why are Moderna Shares Up So Much?
Moderna shares exploded for a few reasons. First, the early Phase 3 news was completely unexpected. Second, the drug diversifies Moderna’s one-dimensional portfolio nearly overnight. Third, before Wednesday, nearly 50 million shares, or 14.1% of the stock’s float were sold short. In other words, Moderna bears were forced to cover their shorts, adding fuel to the fire.
Extreme Demand
At the time of this writing, Moderna shares are up 130% as volume tracks 6,000% above the 50-day average – a sign of extreme demand.
Bottom Line
Moderna’s breakthrough marks a pivotal turning point for both oncology and the biotech industry at large. By successfully applying individualized mRNA technology to train the immune system against recurring tumor cells, Moderna and Merck have opened an extraordinary new frontier in targeted cancer treatment.
Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.
Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.
See Stocks Free >>
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.