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Moderna Inc., a biotechnology company catapulted to notoriety after it produced a highly effective COVID-19 vaccine, is set to join the S&P 500 index, a seal of approval that will put the stock in countless index-tracking and actively managed funds and retirement accounts.
Shares of Moderna
MRNA,
rallied 8% in the extended session Thursday after the announcement. The stock has gained 149% this year, compared with gains of 16% for the S&P 500
SPX,
in the same period.
Moderna will replace Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
ALXN,
at the opening on July 21, S&P Dow Jones Indices, the index manager, said in a statement.
Boston-area Moderna was a scrappy biotech startup relatively unknown before its successful COVID-19 vaccine, approved last year in the U.S. on an emergency basis for adults. The shot, like the one from Pfizer Inc.
PFE,
uses messenger-RNA technology. Both vaccines have shown efficacy of more than 90%.
AstraZeneca Plc.
AZN,
which also has developed a COVID-19 vaccine alongside Oxford University, is buying Alexion and the the $39 billion deal is expected to close soon. The companies announced the deal in December.
