Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) Receives Buy Rating from Needham & Company LLC

Needham & Company LLC reissued their buy rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) in a research report report published on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $14.00 price objective on the stock.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $24.00 price target on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $15.00 price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $16.00.

Vir Biotechnology Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of Vir Biotechnology stock opened at $7.28 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $6.53 and its 200-day moving average price is $5.78. Vir Biotechnology has a 12-month low of $4.16 and a 12-month high of $10.09. The company has a market cap of $1.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.02 and a beta of 1.69.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Jason O’byrne sold 6,799 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.56, for a total value of $37,802.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 110,701 shares in the company, valued at approximately $615,497.56. This represents a 5.79% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, major shareholder Endurance (Cayman) Ltd Svf sold 235,971 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.38, for a total value of $1,505,494.98. Following the transaction, the insider owned 14,110,209 shares in the company, valued at $90,023,133.42. This trade represents a 1.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 917,858 shares of company stock worth $5,737,192. Corporate insiders own 16.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vir Biotechnology

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 2,088.4% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 268,297 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,739,000 after acquiring an additional 256,037 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the 1st quarter valued at $359,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in Vir Biotechnology by 43.6% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 742,674 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,813,000 after purchasing an additional 225,544 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP raised its position in Vir Biotechnology by 245.6% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 466,737 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,024,000 after purchasing an additional 331,701 shares during the period. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in Vir Biotechnology by 15.3% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 19,317 shares of the company’s stock worth $125,000 after purchasing an additional 2,566 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.32% of the company’s stock.

Vir Biotechnology Company Profile

Vir Biotechnology, Inc is a clinical‐stage immunology company dedicated to developing therapies that prevent and treat serious infectious diseases. The company leverages a suite of proprietary technology platforms—ranging from antibody isolation and screening tools to cell‐based assays and bioinformatics—to identify and advance antiviral and antibacterial candidates. Its scientific approach centers on harnessing the human immune system through monoclonal antibodies and immunomodulatory agents.

The company’s pipeline includes product candidates targeting influenza A, COVID‐19, HIV, hepatitis B, and tuberculosis.