Moderna shares surged up to 12% in premarket trading on Monday after a U.S. passenger tested positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship. The company confirmed it is conducting early-stage preclinical research on the virus in collaboration with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and Korea University. The outbreak has drawn heightened attention after three deaths were reported among the passengers, though the WHO assesses the public health risk as low.
Intel rallied 6.6% on reports of a preliminary agreement to manufacture chips for Apple devices. While neither company has officially confirmed the deal, Bank of America raised its price target on Intel to $96 from $56, though it maintained an Underperform rating. Micron Technology added 3.3% and SK Hynix jumped 12% as Samsung’s labor union engaged in post-mediation talks to avoid a walkout; Jefferies estimated a strike could impact 3% of global memory chip production. Broader market sentiment was dampened by renewed Middle East tensions after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the conflict with Iran “isn’t over.”
Even with the rallies, analysts at Evercore ISI cautioned that Moderna “tends to trade on outbreak headlines well beyond the underlying commercial implications” and sees “no meaningful revenue opportunity” from hantavirus. Inovio Pharmaceuticals rose 13%, Novavax 3%, and Emergent Biosolutions 4% in sympathy. For crypto markets, the moves in traditional equities had no direct impact, but they highlight the sensitivity of risk assets to both geopolitical flare-ups and pandemic-era sentiment triggers.
