Nasdaq-100 Index Component Adjustment Announced! Popular Stocks Palantir and MicroStrategy Added

On Saturday, the Nasdaq-100 Index announced its annual component adjustment, adding three companies: Palantir, MicroStrategy, and Axon. Illumina, Supermicro, and Moderna will be removed. Earlier market expectations had pointed to several large-cap firms—including Palantir Technologies, MicroStrategy, Equinix, CME Group, Interactive Brokers, and Coinbase Global—as likely candidates for inclusion. Notably, data analytics firm Palantir relocated its listing from the NYSE to the Nasdaq on November 26—a move widely interpreted by the market as a strategic effort to bolster its eligibility for Nasdaq-100 inclusion. On November 29—the index’s evaluation date—Palantir’s market capitalization stood at $152 billion. Inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 Index is expected to bring significant benefits to the listed company.

What Does Moderna’s One-Day Surge of 177% Mean for the Global Pharmaceutical Industry?

Introduction: Moderna’s market capitalization surged by $44.5 billion in a single day—driven by its core asset shifting from an ‘unverifiable hypothesis’ to a ‘verifiable asset.’ Increased certainty enabled the market to price in, within one day, the valuation it had withheld over the prior four years due to uncertainty. By Chen Kai | Published by Lishi Business Review On August 19, 2026, U.S. equities witnessed an exceptionally rare candlestick pattern in pharmaceutical stocks: Moderna soared 176.97%, with its share price jumping from $62.96 the previous trading day to $174.38. Trading volume reached approximately 187 million shares—nearly half its float—and its market capitalization surged by roughly $44.5 billion, rising from $25.1 billion to $69.6 billion. This marked one of the largest single-day gains ever recorded among S&P 500 constituents this century. The catalyst was Moderna’s joint announcement with Merck & Co. of top-line results from a Phase III clinical trial. The impact extended far beyond a single company: Merck rose 12.6%—its largest single-day gain since March 2009—and its market cap crossed $375.5 billion; Eli Lilly hit a new all-time high, becoming the first pharmaceutical company in history to surpass $1.2 trillion in market capitalization; and the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index surged 6.39%, posting its biggest single-day gain in six years. The next day, Chinese capital markets followed suit: the Vaccine ETF hit its daily trading limit; Sanyuan Gene surged 30% within one minute of opening; over 20 pharmaceutical stocks—including Walvax Biotech and CanSino—rose 20% to their daily limits; and Hong Kong–listed Bio-Thera Solutions briefly spiked nearly 90% intraday. Then came the second act everyone anticipated: on August 20, Moderna closed down 23.55%, and China’s pharmaceutical rally was dubbed a ‘one-day wonder’ by media outlets. Yet the story did not end there. Nine days later, on August 28, two diametrically opposed developments emerged on the same day: Moderna rebounded strongly, while BioNTech—another mRNA-based cancer vaccine developer—announced the failure of its comparable vaccine. This sharp contrast—up versus down—rendered the market’s understanding of mRNA cancer vaccines unusually precise and clear-cut. 1 First, understand: What exactly succeeded this time? The molecule that triggered everything is intismeran autogene (development code V940/mRNA-4157), an ‘individualized neoantigen therapy’ co-developed by Moderna and Merck. It is almost the opposite of conventional vaccines: rather than preventing disease, it treats existing cancer. Its mechanism operates in two main steps: Step 1—‘Profiling’: After surgical removal of a tumor, the tumor tissue undergoes genomic sequencing to identify up to 34 unique mutations capable of activating the immune system—these are called ‘neoantigens,’ present exclusively on cancer cells and as distinctive as fingerprints. These neoantigens are encoded into a synthetic mRNA strand, delivered into the human body via lipid nanoparticles. Step 2—‘Releasing the brakes’: Once inside the body, the mRNA directs the production of neoantigen proteins, thereby training T-cells to recognize and eliminate residual cancer cells remaining after surgery. Concurrently, Merck’s PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda is administered to lift the tumor’s suppression of the immune system. One step identifies the target; the other releases the immune system’s brakes. From tumor biopsy to vaccine manufacturing takes about six weeks—with a dedicated production line for each patient.

Moderna to Replace Warner Bros. Discovery on Nasdaq 100

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Moderna will replace Warner Bros. Discovery on the Nasdaq 100 index effective October 9, following a sixfold share price increase to a $75 billion valuation.

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