Moderna Raises 2026 Revenue Outlook as CEO Sees Growing Acceptance of New Vaccines

Moderna reported third-quarter revenue and earnings well above analyst expectations and raised its full-year sales growth guidance, forecasting 2026 revenue growth of 15% to 25%, compared with a previous ceiling of 10%. According to Sina Finance, CEO Stéphane Bancel said acceptance of the company’s new vaccines was increasing, citing new product launches and geographic diversification as drivers of the quarter’s performance. The company’s next-generation mRNA COVID-19 vaccine received U.S. approval in May 2025, and its contribution is now building. Bancel said COVID-19 vaccine procurement contracts are mostly finalized in the first quarter of each year, so the product’s initial scale was limited after its launch last year. Moderna’s standalone flu vaccine, approved in the United States in August, is also expected to have a limited initial U.S. rollout in 2026 because of the timing of its approval. LSEG analyst estimates showed earnings of $0.38 per share, compared with expectations of a $1.25 per-share loss, and revenue of $1.31 billion, versus $885.1 million expected. Third-quarter revenue rose 29% to $1.31 billion, supported by higher overseas COVID-19 vaccine sales and deliveries under long-term government contracts. U.S. revenue was $780 million, while international revenue was $533 million. Net income was $162 million, or $0.38 per share, compared with a net loss of $200 million, or $0.51 per share, a year earlier. Weeks earlier, Moderna and partner Merck released trial data on combining a personalized cancer vaccine with Keytruda for some melanoma patients. Some data leaked on social media days before researchers were set to present the results at a European medical conference, prompting investors to sell Moderna shares. Bancel called the market reaction unexpected and said feedback from long-term investors and analysts who reviewed the complete data had also been positive. He added that frontline clinicians rated the trial data highly, with many hoping to use the treatment in routine care.