[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] As concerns grow over the spread of hantavirus, medical and vaccine-related stocks that drew attention during the COVID-19 pandemic have moved back to the forefront of the market.

On May 12 (local time), blockchain outlet BeInCrypto reported that Moderna, Emergent BioSolutions and BioNTech entered a reassessment phase in May 2026, each following a different trajectory.

Moderna was the first to react. Its shares rose 36.08 percent to $59.45 on May 11 from $43.69 on May 1. Trading volume also increased, and it was analysed as showing real buying rather than short-covering.

Drivers cited for the surge included first-quarter revenue of $389 million, up 260 percent from a year earlier, an announcement of hantavirus vaccine cooperation with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, and Phase 3 data for its mRNA-1010 influenza vaccine published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Technical analysis cited a daily close above $54.91 as a signal of a breakout from a handle zone, and a move above $60.96 as confirmation of a bullish trend. If $51.17 breaks, the bullish scenario wavers, and a fall below $43.69 would invalidate the pattern entirely.

Emergent BioSolutions, by contrast, is focusing on confirming a bottom rather than a full rebound. The company produced Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine worth $480 million at its Baltimore Bayview facility in 2021, but has faced pressure for years to re-rate its shares after an incident that contaminated 15 million doses.

The stock fell 44.36 percent to $7.53 from $14.07 earlier this year. Annual revenue guidance announced in March of $720 million to $760 million fell short of market expectations, and first-quarter revenue also slipped 30 percent from a year earlier to $156.1 million. Technical analysis said an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern is forming, but the structure weakens below $8.33 and the rebound pattern is invalidated if it falls under $7.53. A close above $10.02 was cited as a signal confirming a breakout.

BioNTech is being discussed as a contrarian trading opportunity despite weak results. It jointly developed the COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty with Pfizer and supplied 2.6 billion doses to 165 countries in 2021, posting peak annual revenue of 18.98 billion euros.

Recent moves, however, are closer to a bearish pattern. Since March, the stock has been forming a head-and-shoulders pattern with the neckline set at $92.39. First-quarter net loss per share announced on May 5 was $2.28, and revenue was $138 million, down 28.21 percent from a year earlier, but it maintained annual revenue guidance of $2.328 billion to $2.678 billion.

The put-call ratio stood at 2.23 based on volume and 1.15 based on open interest, indicating excessive bearish positioning. Analysis said that if $92.39 holds as support, it could become a catalyst for a short squeeze. If that support breaks, downside targets were cited at $86.64, $79.31 and $72.36. A break of the right-shoulder zone and a move above $100.47 would start the contrarian scenario, and a rise above $113.55 would fully invalidate the bearish pattern.

This trend is drawing attention because the hantavirus issue is seen as more than a short-term catalyst. It is also stimulating the market by affecting pandemic preparedness, mRNA platforms, bi الدفاع demand and shifts in investor positioning. The three stocks are grouped under the same theme, but Moderna has already posted an early rise on results and cooperation news, while Emergent and BioNTech still face key variables that will determine direction: confirming a bottom and whether bearish pressure eases, respectively.