International pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co announced the successful end of its clinical trial of the world’s first oral COVID-19 antiviral drug molnupiravir in the simple form of a pill. The company has claimed that molnupiravir effectively decreases the risk of hospitalization and death of sick individuals who have just contracted the virus or have advanced symptoms by half.
Moreover, the company also suggested that molnupiravir could be used to prevent the contraction of the coronavirus. But what is most important at this stage is that fact that the clinical trials of molnupiravir showed high effectiveness against different COVID-19 variants, including the terrifying Delta variant. This seems to be good news for antivaxers or for anybody who is looking for an alternative prevention method from COVID-19 other than the vaccine.
Whether you agree or disagree with having the vaccine, it is worthwhile to consider this information as a means of expanding your investment portfolio with Merck stocks. Additionally, COVID-19 major vaccine producers Pfizer and Moderna stocks may suffer if the new pill is officially registered.
Let’s take a look at Pfizer and Moderna’s price charts.
Both stocks suffered a 50% correction from their peaks in August. Although, Pfizer business model is more diversified than that of Moderna’s, the technical picture shows that the upward trend for Pfizer stocks is more in danger. The reason for such fears is that over the last three consecutive trading sessions its stocks closed below the trend support line that started in February 2021. So, if Pfizer stock prices fail to recover above the $43.20-44 correction, they are likely to continue towards the $38.20-39.20 area. In this area, two important technical lines cross – one is the support line of the upward trend that started in March 2020 and the second – former resistance line that connects September 2020 and May, June 2021 highs. Pfizer and BioNTEch may have a trump of positive opinion by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for the administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as a booster shot six months after the second dose, but this factor is already priced in.
The Moderna stock prices chart seems to be more complex as it shows that the March 2020 long-term upward trend is supported by the upward trend that started in May 2021 in the area of $319-321. Even the correction from the peak of $496.71 closely echoes the ABC correction structure, where A and C waves are equal. And if so, Moderna stocks may recover both not only to recent highs, but to new all-time highs. Such a scenario might be activated if prices hold above the downward channel from August 10. In this case new targets may open at $563-565.
Technical perspectives of Merck stocks will be reviewed in the coming comments.