Futures Marginally Higher as Geopolitical Risks Rise
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 6 days ago
0mins
Should l Buy MRNA?
Futures are marginally higher this morning as markets react to a week of elevated geopolitical risk and see-saw headlines around the Middle East conflict. Geopolitical headlines remain at the center of the tape. The conflict in the Middle East has entered its fifth day, with ongoing strikes and counter-strikes keeping energy markets on edge. There are reports Iran has made indirect contact about potential talks, which is feeding some risk appetite and helping futures trim earlier losses, but uncertainty around the durability of any de-escalation continues to drive positioning.The energy complex continues to surge, with crude oil prices well above recent ranges on heightened supply-risk fears tied to the Strait of Hormuz and broader regional tensions. Higher oil is translating into inflation concerns and weighing on multiple risk assets, particularly rate-sensitive sectors that already faced pressure this week.Global equity markets outside the U.S. are showing stress, with Asian markets taking a particularly severe hit. South Korea's benchmark index experienced one of its largest historical selloffs and other major Asian indices like Japan's Nikkei and Taiwan's TAIEX are trading materially lower as well.In pre-market trading, S&P 500 futures rose 0.38%, Nasdaq futures rose 0.59% and Dow futures rose 0.27%.Check out this morning's top movers from around Wall Street, compiled by The Fly.HIGHER -SSR Miningup 17% after announcing that it has entered into a binding memorandum of understanding to sell its 80% ownership stake in the Copler mine and related properties in Turkey for $1.5BModernaup 8% after entering into a settlement agreement with Arbutus Biopharmaand Genevant Sciences, a subsidiary of Roivant Sciences, resolving all litigation worldwideUP AFTER EARNINGS -Ross Storesup 6%Brown-Formanup 6%Bath & Body Worksup 4%Wix.comup 1%DOWN AFTER EARNINGS -Staar Surgicaldown 8%Abercrombie & Fitchdown 5%Daktronicsdown 4%National Visiondown 1%
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Analyst Views on MRNA
Wall Street analysts forecast MRNA stock price to fall
20 Analyst Rating
1 Buy
16 Hold
3 Sell
Hold
Current: 55.740
Low
17.00
Averages
32.47
High
63.00
Current: 55.740
Low
17.00
Averages
32.47
High
63.00
About MRNA
Moderna, Inc. is a biotechnology company. The Company is advancing a new class of medicines made of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). It is developing therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases and autoimmune diseases. mRNA medicines are designed to direct the body’s cells to produce intracellular, membrane or secreted proteins that have a therapeutic or preventive benefit with the potential to address a spectrum of diseases. The Company’s diverse development pipeline consists of 44 therapeutic and vaccine programs, 11 of which are in late-stage development. Its commercial products include Spikevax (its COVID vaccine) and mRESVIA (its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine). Additionally, it has achieved four positive Phase III data readouts for its COVID vaccine (mRNA-1283), its RSV vaccine for high-risk adults aged 18 to 59 (mRNA-1345), its seasonal flu+COVID vaccine (mRNA-1083), and its seasonal flu vaccine (mRNA-1010).
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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See More
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- Potential Gains for Moderna: With Prasad's departure, Moderna's mRNA-1010 vaccine could qualify for full approval in adults aged 65 and older, potentially sparing the company from conducting an additional costly vaccine efficacy study.
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See More
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See More
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- Regulatory Decision Controversy: During Prasad's tenure, he faced criticism for the FDA's rejection of uniQure's Huntington's disease gene therapy application, as the agency recommended a prospective randomized controlled study, adding regulatory uncertainty that could impact uniQure's market outlook.
- Clinical Trial Challenges: The FDA previously indicated that uniQure could pursue accelerated approval without a placebo control due to difficulties in enrolling Huntington's disease patients, reflecting regulatory flexibility for rare diseases, yet this has sparked ongoing debates about clinical trial design.
- Strong Market Reaction: Following the news of Prasad's departure, uniQure's shares reportedly jumped as much as 70% in after-hours trading, reflecting investor expectations for a potential easing of tensions between the company and the FDA, which could pave the way for future product approvals.
See More
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- Leadership Change: Dr. Vinay Prasad, head of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, is set to leave at the end of April, which may impact the agency's policy direction on vaccines and biotech drugs, particularly as new policies he implemented are still unfolding.
- Controversial Tenure: Prasad's tenure has been contentious, marked by staff complaints about his management style; however, his rehiring in August 2025 indicates a divide within the FDA regarding his leadership, potentially affecting the agency's stability.
- Vaccine Standards Reform: His departure follows strict reforms in vaccine standards at the FDA, sparking widespread industry debate that could have lasting implications for future vaccine approval processes, especially given his critical stance on the biopharmaceutical industry.
- Regulatory Direction Debate: Prasad's return ignited discussions about the FDA's regulatory direction, particularly due to his criticisms of certain FDA approval pathways, which may lead to decreased confidence in the agency's future policies and impact strategic planning for biopharmaceutical companies.
See More
