Novavax Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NASDAQ:NVAX)

Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX) saw some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Investors purchased 24,027 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 99% compared to the typical daily volume of 12,104 call options.

Key Novavax News

Here are the key news stories impacting Novavax this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Novavax signed a non‑exclusive license with Pfizer for Matrix‑M (up to two disease areas): $30M upfront, up to $500M in milestones and mid‑single‑digit royalties — a clear near‑term cash infusion and large upside if milestones are achieved. Novavax Grants License for Use of Matrix-M Adjuvant to Pfizer
• Positive Sentiment: Market reacted positively to the Pfizer licensing news with shares trading up and headlines noting a pop after the announcement, reflecting short‑term investor enthusiasm. Novavax Pops on Pfizer Licensing Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option activity — about 24,027 calls traded (≈99% above typical call volume) — signals bullish positioning from options traders expecting further upside or volatility near catalysts. (no direct link)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: BTIG reaffirmed a Buy with a $19 price target, highlighting upside versus current levels; H.C. Wainwright also reiterated a Buy, noting licensing expansion as a positive. Novavax: Expanding Matrix-M Licensing Partnerships Drive Upside Potential and Support Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and coverage pieces are circulating that reassess NVAX based on the Pfizer deal; these provide models but reach different conclusions depending on milestone probability assumptions. Assessing Novavax (NVAX) Valuation After Pfizer Matrix M Licensing Deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry commentary explains Pfizer’s rationale for paying up for Matrix‑M and discusses how licensing fits broader vaccine strategies — useful context but not an immediate price driver. Here’s Why Pfizer Is Willing To Pay $500 Million For Novavax’s Matrix-M
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America reiterated a Sell and flagged execution risks, long‑dated cash flows and COVID market headwinds—cautioning that milestone timing and pandemic vaccine demand could limit near‑term profitability; BofA set a $7 price target. Novavax: Execution Risks, Long-Dated Cash Flows, and COVID Market Headwinds Undermine Profitability Outlook

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Novavax

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Novavax in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Shah Capital Management grew its stake in Novavax by 23.3% in the fourth quarter. Shah Capital Management now owns 14,558,780 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $97,835,000 after purchasing an additional 2,747,000 shares during the period. Stonehage Fleming Financial Services Holdings Ltd bought a new position in Novavax in the fourth quarter worth $126,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Novavax by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 976,388 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $6,561,000 after buying an additional 57,705 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Novavax during the 3rd quarter valued at $138,000. Institutional investors own 53.04% of the company’s stock.

Novavax Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ NVAX opened at $9.90 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $7.06 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $7.69. Novavax has a twelve month low of $5.01 and a twelve month high of $10.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.53 and a beta of 2.37. The company has a quick ratio of 2.24, a current ratio of 2.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.93.

Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.25) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.08) by ($0.17). The firm had revenue of $70.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $55.63 million. Novavax had a net margin of 32.10% and a negative return on equity of 217.02%. The firm’s revenue was down 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.76) EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Novavax will post -1.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on NVAX. B. Riley restated a “buy” rating and issued a $16.00 target price (down previously from $18.00) on shares of Novavax in a report on Monday, November 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Novavax in a report on Monday, December 29th. HC Wainwright lifted their target price on Novavax from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Novavax from $7.00 to $6.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on Novavax in a research report on Friday, October 24th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $18.00 target price for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Novavax has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $11.25.

Novavax Company Profile

Novavax, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, that specializes in the discovery, development and commercialization of next-generation vaccines to prevent serious infectious diseases. Founded in 1987, the company has built a platform based on recombinant nanoparticle technology and its proprietary Matrix-M™ adjuvant to enhance immune responses.

The company’s lead product is NVX-CoV2373, a protein-based vaccine designed to elicit a robust immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.