1259 ET - Moderna's finding that the mRNA-based vaccine it made with Merck successfully prevented cancer from spreading or returning in melanoma patients is "a big de-risking event for its personalized therapy approach," Wolfe Research analysts write in a note, upgrading the stock to peer perform from underperform. The market's ebullient response may suggest that some traders misunderstood the vaccine as a preventative treatment, they write, and Moderna may still not reach profitability until 2030. Still, the recent data, as well as Moderna's cost-cutting efforts and its patent litigation settlement with Arbutus Biopharma and Genevant Sciences GmbH, lead to a balanced risk/reward at the stock's current levels, the analysts write. Moderna's stock gains 14% to $158.10 and has nearly tripled in value over the past month.