Retail purchases of Moderna and Pfizer stock hit an 8-month high as Delta infections accelerate

Moderna COVID-19 is given to a Boston resident. Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty ImagesVanda Research reported Wednesday that retail investors bought the most stock in Moderna, Pfizer and Pfizer stocks in eight months.As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, individuals have collectively purchased $180 million worth of shares.Moderna's stock value has increased since mid-July, when it was included in the S&P 500 Index.Check out more stories from Insider's business page.Vanda Research figures on Wednesday revealed that individual investors have purchased more stock in Moderna or Pfizer than they did in the last year due to the spreading of the Delta strain coronavirus.The stocks saw $180 million in net inflows over the past 10 days. This is the highest amount since all the companies announced positive COVID-19 trial results in November. Pfizer's announcement of November 9 was the most significant.Moderna shares rose 20% Tuesday, July 21st. This was the day that the biotech company joined the S&P 500 benchmark index to acknowledge the stock's rapid growth. Pfizer shares have surged by over 9% since last week, trading at record highs of $45, following the company's 2021 guidance regarding COVID vaccine sales.Vanda stated that the rally was being turbocharged by the "increase in global cases" of the delta variant, FDA approval imminent and rising vaccine prices.This week, the Financial Times reported that Moderna and Pfizer raised the prices for their COVID vaccines as part of their new supply agreements with the European Union. The higher prices come at a time when coronavirus infection rates are rising worldwide, mainly due to the highly transmissible Delta strain. The dominant strain in America is Delta. According to the Washington Post, the country reports more than 75,000 COVIDs per day. This is higher than the low point of approximately 11,000 cases per day six weeks back.The Food and Drug Administration has increased its timeline to approve the coronavirus vaccine, Pfizer and BioNTech. The goal is to complete the process by next month's beginning, The New York Times reported Tuesday. The report stated that Moderna, which is the second most commonly used vaccine in the US is still submitting data after its June filing for final approval.Vanda said that Pfizer and Stock in Moderna were the standouts in a summer slump in US equity purchases by retail investor which dropped to their lowest level since May.