Updates

** Shares of Moderna MRNA.O rise 18.6% to over two-month high of $57.55

** Stock set for its biggest daily percentage rise in over 3 years, if gains hold

** Moderna tells Reuters it has conducted preclinical research on hantaviruses in collaboration with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases

** Vaccine maker says research is in early stages

** Moderna signed a research agreement in 2023 with Korea University to develop an mRNA-based vaccine for hantavirus partnered, under its mRNA Access Program

** Hantavirus is a rodent-borne virus that can infect people and cause illness

** However, Evercore analysts said on Thursday that hantavirus is a low-incidence, structurally small market, and view any potential outsized moves as sentiment driven, not fundamental

** By Friday afternoon, more than 12 million MRNA shares traded, twice their 25-day moving average of 5.77 mln

** Including session's moves, stock has nearly doubled YTD