After years of layoffs, cash burn and political attacks on its core technology, Moderna's melanoma vaccine data notched the biotech company a much-needed win.

Retail investors talked up five hot stocks during the week (Aug. 17 to Aug. 21) on X and Reddit's r/WallStreetBets, driven by retail hype, earnings, AI infrastructure momentum, and corporate news flow.

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Shares of Moderna Inc (NASDAQ:MRNA) had their best day in history as a public company this week, with the stock soaring on positive news from a Phase 3 trial with Merck & Co (NYSE:MRK). The news was a major win for investors in the stock who have seen pressure on financials and shares since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For years, Moderna, Inc‘s (NASDAQ:MRNA) biggest challenge wasn't developing new medicines — it was convincing investors that it could thrive after COVID-19. The company's vaccine transformed it into one of the world's most recognizable biotech names, but as the pandemic demand faded, so did its revenue and stock price.

The mRNA trade is whipsawing for a third straight session as the market keeps repricing a single trial readout with no fresh clinical information hitting the tape Friday.

Moderna jumped 177% on a cancer-vaccine first, plus retail's reversal

It's not every day that a company already worth billions sees its shares nearly triple in a single trading session. Welcome to the world of biotech, because that's exactly what happened to Moderna Inc. NASDAQ: MRNA on Wednesday of this week, after the Massachusetts-based company stunned the market with a breakthrough that sent its stock rocketing to a multi-year high.

Moderna shares rise to close out a week of wild swings, while crypto stocks extend their recent rally.

Moderna has made progress with two important products this year. The company boasts other promising pipeline candidates.