Ticker: Moderna shares surge on cancer drug test; Amazon to expand drone delivery

Wall Street rose, ending a three-day losing streak. Moderna's shares surged 177% after positive vaccine trial results. Amazon plans to expand drone delivery to 500 U.S. cities by year-end. A Harvard study linked flight crew deaths to radiation-associated cancers. U.S. vaccine exemptions for kindergartners hit a record high.

Moderna (MRNA) shares fell 7.7% premarket after a 177% surge following positive trial results for its mRNA cancer vaccine. Five biotech stocks with imminent FDA catalysts are highlighted: Regeneron (REGN), Ultragenyx (RARE), Alnylam (ALNY), Merck (MRK), and Ionis (IONS). Each has recent approvals, upcoming data presentations, or earnings events that could impact their stock prices. Financial metrics and analyst targets are provided for each company. Bitcoin hit $72k after Trump's crypto legislat

Morgan Stanley upgraded Merck (MRK) to overweight, raising its price target to $179 from $116, citing a strong cancer drug pipeline. The bank believes Merck's pipeline, including drugs for oncology and inflammatory bowel disease, will offset the 2028 patent expiration of Keytruda. Merck shares have risen 45% year-to-date, with Keytruda generating over $16 billion in sales in the first half of 2023.

Moderna reported a Q2 2026 net loss of $782 million and a -145.2% net income margin for FY2025, despite progress in its mRNA cancer vaccine. Investors saw a 178% stock price increase, but the company remains unprofitable. Peers like Amgen and Vertex show stronger financials. Moderna's valuation is high, with significant volatility.

Amazon plans to expand Prime Air drone deliveries to 500 U.S. cities by year-end, with constraints on range and locations. Stripe acquires OpenRouter for $7.5B (per NYT) to enhance AI routing capabilities. Google's Alphabet agrees to a $12.2B share purchase deal with Marvell for custom AI chips, impacting Broadcom's stock. Other tech news includes Meta's child safety trial, OpenAI's IPO plans, and Rivian's e-bike spinoff valuation.

Deere shares rose 5.1% after reporting stronger-than-expected Q3 results, with EPS of $5.10 and net sales of $11B. CrowdStrike fell 2.8% following its CTO's departure. Advance Auto Parts dropped 15.9% due to lower normalized earnings. Etsy gained 3.9% after a BofA upgrade. Ultragenyx surged 11.1% on FDA approval for a gene therapy. Moderna fell 13% after a prior surge. Wolfspeed plunged 10.5% on wider-than-expected Q4 loss. Webull rose 13.8% on strong Q2 results.