Investors Weigh Moderna Against Recursion in Biotech Landscape
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 50 minutes ago
0mins
Source: Fool
- Moderna Financial Performance: In FY 2025, Moderna reported revenue exceeding $1.9 billion, a 40% decline from the previous year, resulting in a net loss of approximately $2.8 billion, reflecting financial pressure amid decreasing vaccine demand.
- Recursion Growth Potential: Recursion Pharmaceuticals generated approximately $74.7 million in revenue for FY 2025, marking a 27% year-over-year increase, despite a net loss of nearly $645 million, highlighting the tension between high investment in AI drug discovery and potential returns.
- Competitive Pressure Analysis: Moderna faces intense competition from large pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Sanofi, with regulatory policy changes potentially significantly impacting demand, while industry-wide uncertainty regarding mRNA intellectual property adds to future risks.
- Valuation Comparison: Moderna offers a lower sales multiple and a more established revenue base, whereas Recursion represents a higher-growth, earlier-stage investment with a price-to-sales ratio of 26.8, indicating market expectations for its future potential.
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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: 72.500
Low
17.00
Averages
32.47
High
63.00
Current: 72.500
Low
17.00
Averages
32.47
High
63.00
About MRNA
Moderna, Inc. is a biotechnology company advancing a new class of medicines made of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). It is engaged in developing medicines across infectious disease vaccines, oncology therapeutics and rare disease therapeutics. Its platform incorporates advances across three components, mRNA, delivery, and the manufacturing process, to advance its medicines. Its products are Spikevax and mNEXSPIKE (its COVID vaccines), and mRESVIA (its vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)). It also has a diverse development pipeline that consists of 35 therapeutic and vaccine programs, six of which are in late-stage development. It has regulatory filings under review for its seasonal flu+COVID vaccine (mRNA-1083) in Europe and Canada and for its seasonal flu vaccine (mRNA-1010) in the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia. Its rare disease programs are Propionic acidemia (mRNA-3927); Methylmalonic acidemia (mRNA-3705), and Cystic Fibrosis (mRNA-3692/VX-522).
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.
- Pipeline Expansion: Moderna is expanding into treatments for cancer and other diseases, providing a new long-term investment rationale despite many programs being years away from commercialization.
- Strong Stock Performance: Moderna's stock has surged nearly 150% this year, making it one of the best performers in the S&P 500, although it remains below its pandemic peak of $484 in August 2021.
- Science Day Strategy Reveal: At last week's Science Day, Moderna presented a detailed roadmap for the next decade, highlighting the growth of its cancer pipeline and new vaccine programs, indicating a clear path to profitability.
- Significant Cancer Treatment Progress: Moderna has made notable advancements in mid and late-stage trials for various cancers, particularly the expected results from a late-stage study of its Intismeran combined with Merck's Keytruda for melanoma, marking a significant strategic shift for the company.
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- Moderna Financial Performance: In FY 2025, Moderna reported revenue exceeding $1.9 billion, a 40% decline from the previous year, resulting in a net loss of approximately $2.8 billion, reflecting financial pressure amid decreasing vaccine demand.
- Recursion Growth Potential: Recursion Pharmaceuticals generated approximately $74.7 million in revenue for FY 2025, marking a 27% year-over-year increase, despite a net loss of nearly $645 million, highlighting the tension between high investment in AI drug discovery and potential returns.
- Competitive Pressure Analysis: Moderna faces intense competition from large pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Sanofi, with regulatory policy changes potentially significantly impacting demand, while industry-wide uncertainty regarding mRNA intellectual property adds to future risks.
- Valuation Comparison: Moderna offers a lower sales multiple and a more established revenue base, whereas Recursion represents a higher-growth, earlier-stage investment with a price-to-sales ratio of 26.8, indicating market expectations for its future potential.
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- Revenue and Loss Comparison: Moderna reported over $1.9 billion in revenue for FY 2025, a 40% decline year-over-year, resulting in a net loss of approximately $2.8 billion, indicating the financial pressures faced during its transformation.
- R&D Investment and Partnerships: By collaborating with companies like Merck, Moderna is expanding its pipeline into immuno-oncology and rare diseases, yet it must rely on these partnerships to drive research and commercialization amid fierce competition from giants like Pfizer.
- Recursion's Growth Potential: Recursion generated approximately $74.7 million in revenue for FY 2025, a 27% increase, but recorded a net loss of nearly $645 million, highlighting the high investment and risk profile in AI drug discovery, with future operations dependent on partnerships with firms like Roche.
- Market Outlook and Risks: While Moderna's mRNA platform has proven effective, declining demand for COVID vaccines has impacted its revenue, and Recursion faces uncertainties with its AI platform and potential cybersecurity risks, necessitating careful evaluation of both companies' long-term investment value.
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- PANW Stock Surge: Palo Alto Networks (PANW) stock jumped over 3% to a 52-week high of $358.10, driven by Wells Fargo and BTIG raising their price targets to $420 and $380 respectively, reflecting strong confidence in product demand and likely enhancing the company's market share in cybersecurity.
- AAL Stock Rise: American Airlines Group (AAL) stock closed up 0.44%, reaching an annual high of $18.47, buoyed by falling global oil prices and robust travel demand, with Bernstein and BofA analysts raising their price targets to $23 and $19, indicating a positive outlook for the company's performance.
- MRNA Stock Climb: Moderna (MRNA) stock increased over 3%, hitting a new high of $73.91, following the announcement of a new strategy at Science Day to expand its mRNA platform to include infectious disease vaccines, cancer vaccines, and rare disease therapeutics, which is expected to drive future revenue growth.
- Market Sentiment Shift: As PANW, AAL, and MRNA stocks rise, retail investor sentiment has shifted from neutral to bullish, particularly with MRNA surging 134.93% in 2026, highlighting significant market interest in its new products and strategies.
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- Product Line Expansion: Moderna's stock has surged nearly 150% over the past year, making it one of the best performers in the S&P 500, reflecting strong market confidence in its new product lines, although it remains below the pandemic peak of $484 in 2021.
- Cancer Treatment Progress: The company's efforts in cancer therapies have garnered investor attention, with mid and late-stage trials targeting melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer underway, with significant study results expected later this year that could drive new growth.
- Vaccine Development Advances: Moderna's experimental flu vaccine received a recommendation from the FDA advisory committee, with a regulatory decision expected on August 5, while its combination Covid and flu vaccine has been approved by the European Commission, enhancing the diversity of its product portfolio.
- Future Outlook: Cramer highlighted that Moderna has presented a clear roadmap to profitability for the first time, emphasizing its potential in cancer and vaccine sectors, and while it may take years to realize, the company's future outlook remains optimistic, advising investors to wait for the right buying opportunity.
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- Advisory Committee Revival: The FDA is reviving its Advisory Committee meetings under new leadership to reassess controversial decisions made during Marty Makary's tenure, which is expected to enhance the transparency and scientific rigor of drug approvals.
- Replimune and Capricor Reviews: Replimune (REPL) and Capricor Therapeutics (CAPR) are set for FDA advisory committee reviews at the end of July, with Replimune's RP1 targeting melanoma and Capricor's Deramiocel aimed at Duchenne muscular dystrophy, potentially impacting their market performance.
- Moderna Vaccine Endorsement: Moderna (MRNA) has received unanimous backing from the FDA's Vaccines Advisory Committee for its flu vaccine mRNA-1010, currently under review with a target action date of August 5, indicating strong competitive positioning in the vaccine market.
- Hims & Hers Market Potential: Hims & Hers Health (HIMS) is expected to benefit from an upcoming advisory committee meeting, which could allow it to capture one-fifth of the telehealth peptide market projected to reach $2.2 billion by 2027, although market performance remains uncertain.
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