Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) Sees Large Volume Increase on Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR) saw strong trading volume on Wednesday after Barclays raised their price target on the stock from $26.00 to $30.00. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the stock. 3,194,544 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 4% from the previous session’s volume of 3,075,935 shares.The stock last traded at $10.6560 and had previously closed at $9.49.

VIR has been the topic of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Vir Biotechnology from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $19.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $15.00 target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Tuesday, December 30th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $18.00 price target on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vir Biotechnology has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $19.88.

Insider Activity at Vir Biotechnology

In other news, CEO Backer Marianne De sold 19,039 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.45, for a total value of $141,840.55. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,035,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,714,221.70. This represents a 1.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 191,854 shares of Vir Biotechnology stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.98, for a total value of $1,147,286.92. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 13,728,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $82,098,965.52. The trade was a 1.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 350,368 shares of company stock worth $2,207,008 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 16.00% of the company’s stock.

Key Vir Biotechnology News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vir Biotechnology this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Astellas collaboration materially de‑risks and commercializes VIR‑5500 — Astellas agreed to a global co‑development/co‑commercialization partnership with ~$335M upfront and up to ~$1.37B in milestones, validating the program and providing near‑term cash and regulatory/commercial heft. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Updated Phase‑1 VIR‑5500 data supportive — The company reported a favorable safety profile and meaningful activity (higher‑dose ORR ≈45%), which underpins the Astellas deal valuation and pipeline upside. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat revenue estimates — Vir reported EPS better than street loss expectations and revenue (~$64.1M) well above consensus, showing stronger near‑term commercial performance and improving investor confidence. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades / price‑target increases — Several firms raised or reiterated buy ratings and lifted targets (Needham moved its PT higher), which supports further upside momentum. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Widespread media coverage amplifies visibility and volume but doesn’t change fundamentals by itself — extensive press (Forbes, Seeking Alpha, MSN) is driving retail interest and heavier trading. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company disclosures provide more modeling detail — the earnings transcript and slides give updated cash, pipeline and milestone assumptions for valuation work. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Proposed public offering announced — management filed to sell additional common stock; proceeds would boost the balance sheet but dilute existing holders and can pressure the stock near term. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by multiple senior executives — CEO and several officers disclosed sales on Feb. 23; while sales can be for personal reasons, clustered insider dispositions can signal sentiment and add supply into the market. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Large net losses and negative margins remain — despite revenue growth and partnerships, Vir’s significant 2025 net loss means future stock performance depends on execution, milestones and successful commercial roll‑outs. Read More.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vir Biotechnology

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Vir Biotechnology in the third quarter valued at about $38,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Vir Biotechnology by 25.9% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 6,761 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 1,390 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in Vir Biotechnology by 1,418.7% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 7,062 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 6,597 shares during the period. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. grew its stake in Vir Biotechnology by 153.8% during the third quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 8,085 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 4,899 shares in the last quarter. 65.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vir Biotechnology Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $6.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $6.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.40 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.16 and a beta of 1.69.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported ($0.31) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.42) by $0.11. Vir Biotechnology had a negative net margin of 638.88% and a negative return on equity of 49.31%. The business had revenue of $64.07 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.91 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.76) EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 417.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Vir Biotechnology, Inc. will post -3.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Vir Biotechnology

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.