Why Did MRNA, MRK, TGT Stocks Jump To 52-Week Highs Today?
Aashika Suresh
Thu, August 20, 2026 at 9:35 AM GMT+5:30
4 min read
- MRK
-0.99% - TGT
+0.09% - MRNA
-19.63%
MRNA stock jumped nearly 177% at the close on Wednesday after it said that its mRNA cancer treatment, developed with Merck, met the primary goal in a pivotal late-stage melanoma study
Meanwhile, MRK stock jumped more than 12% on the same catalyst
TGT stock closed up more than 4% higher on Wall Street price target hikes after it posted strong second-quarter results
Shares of Moderna Inc. (MRNA), Merck & Co Inc. (MRK), and Target Corp. (TGT) surged to 52-week highs on Wednesday on positive trial results, as well as Wall Street optimism
MRNA stock jumped nearly 177% at the close on Wednesday after it said that its mRNA cancer treatment, developed with Merck, met the primary goal in a pivotal late-stage melanoma study. Meanwhile, MRK stock jumped more than 12% on the same catalyst
TGT stock closed up more than 4% higher on Wall Street price target hikes after it posted strong second-quarter results
Moderna, Merck Gain From Positive Cancer Treatment Trial Results
MRNA stock rocketed to a 52-week high of $176.66 on Wednesday, posting its steepest climb on record, after it posted trial results from a cancer treatment developed alongside Merck
Meanwhile, MRK stock surged to an annual high of $153.50, posting the most gains since March 2009
Moderna and Merck’s Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial found that Intismeran Autogene combined with Keytruda significantly improved recurrence-free and distant metastasis-free survival in patients with high-risk melanoma following surgery
The 1,137-patient trial marks the first positive Phase 3 result for a personalized neoantigen therapy and Moderna’s mRNA cancer treatment
Intismeran is tailored to each patient’s tumor mutations to help the immune system target cancer cells. The results build on Phase 2b data showing a 49% reduction in recurrence or death and a 59% reduction in distant metastasis or death
The companies are continuing to evaluate overall survival and are testing the treatment across nine additional trials covering several cancers, including lung, bladder, kidney, pancreatic and gastric cancers
Retail sentiment on Stocktwits for MRNA stock and MRK stock jumped from ‘bearish’ to ‘extremely bullish’ over 24 hours amid ‘extremely high’ message volumes
MRNA stock has gained more than 465% so far in 2026, while MRK stock is up nearly 43%
Target Gains Wall Street Thumbs Up On Strong Q2 Results
TGT stock surged to a 52-week high of $161.98 on Wednesday, putting it on track for a fourth consecutive week of gains after it received a series of Wall Street price target updates following its strong Q2 results
