Stock Markets March 3, 2026

After-hours movers: Moderna settles, retail and software names react in extended trading

Moderna and small biotechs jump on settlement; select retailers and cloud names move after earnings and guidance

By Derek Hwang MRNA ROIV ABUS CRWD GTLB
After-hours movers: Moderna settles, retail and software names react in extended trading
MRNA ROIV ABUS CRWD GTLB

Equity moves in after-hours trading tracked a mix of legal resolution and earnings updates. Moderna, Roivant Sciences and Arbutus Biopharma rallied following a $2.25 billion global settlement tied to lipid nanoparticle delivery technology used in COVID-19 vaccines. Retailer Ross Stores and cloud storage company Box gained after quarterly beats, while CrowdStrike and GitLab slipped on results and guidance.

Key Points

  • A $2.25 billion global settlement involving Moderna, Genevant and Arbutus lifted Moderna, Roivant Sciences and Arbutus Biopharma in after-hours trading.
  • Retailer Ross Stores and cloud storage provider Box rose after reporting quarterly results that beat consensus estimates on EPS and revenue.
  • Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike reported in-line results with 23% revenue growth but slid slightly; GitLab’s guidance missed consensus and shares fell.

Stocks that moved notably in after-hours trading reflected a combination of legal settlements and quarterly financial results that diverged from expectations.

Biotech and pharma names led gains after a major legal settlement was announced. Moderna (MRNA) rose 10%, Roivant Sciences (ROIV) climbed 6% and Arbutus Biopharma (ABUS) surged 15% after a $2.25 billion global settlement to resolve all U.S. and international enforcement actions related to Moderna’s unauthorized use of Genevant’s and Arbutus’ lipid nanoparticle delivery technology in its COVID-19 vaccines, including Spikevax.

In cybersecurity, CrowdStrike (CRWD) slipped 1.25% despite reporting quarterly results that were in line with expectations and providing guidance that matched the market view. The company reported total revenue of $1.31 billion, a 23% increase from $1.06 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025.

Developer operations platform GitLab Inc (GTLB) declined about 3% after its forward-looking outlook disappointed investors. GitLab projected fiscal 2027 EPS of $0.76 to $0.80, below the consensus estimate of $1.03.

Retailer Ross Stores (ROST) was a notable gainer, rising 6% after reporting fourth-quarter earnings per share of $2.00, which exceeded the consensus estimate of $1.88 by $0.12. Revenue for the quarter came in at $6.64 billion versus the consensus estimate of $6.38 billion.

Box (BOX) also moved higher, up roughly 3% following quarterly results that topped estimates. The company reported fourth-quarter EPS of $0.49, $0.15 above the consensus of $0.34, while revenue reached $305.9 million compared with the consensus estimate of $304.28 million.

Packaged foods maker B&G Foods (BGS) climbed 10% after issuing fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $0.55 to $0.65, above the consensus forecast of $0.51.


Context and market impact

The after-hours activity shows legal outcomes can drive outsized moves in biotech names when settlements resolve cross-border enforcement actions, while retailer and software names continue to react to the interplay of earnings beats and forward guidance. Revenue beats at Ross and Box supported gains in consumer discretionary and enterprise software segments, respectively, while guidance shortfalls pressured GitLab and modestly affected CrowdStrike despite solid revenue growth at the latter.


Promotional note included in the original release

The original release included a promotional segment noting that an AI-based stock selection tool, ProPicks AI, evaluates Ross Stores among thousands of companies using over 100 financial metrics to identify stocks with attractive risk-reward profiles. That segment described the AI as objective and cited prior winners, and invited readers to check whether ROST appears in current strategies.

Risks

  • Legal and regulatory outcomes can materially affect biotech and pharmaceutical equities - as shown by the large settlement that moved Moderna and related names.
  • Forward guidance shortfalls can drive negative share reactions in software and cloud sectors - illustrated by GitLab’s guidance miss and CrowdStrike’s modest decline despite revenue growth.
  • Earnings expectations and consensus estimates remain a key uncertainty for retail and packaged foods sectors, where beats or misses on EPS and revenue influence after-hours price moves.

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