Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology from $14.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays upped their target price on Vir Biotechnology from $26.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Raymond James Financial upgraded Vir Biotechnology from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $19.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $18.00 target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Vir Biotechnology from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $19.89.

Vir Biotechnology Trading Down 2.5%

NASDAQ VIR opened at $9.09 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $7.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $6.07. Vir Biotechnology has a 12 month low of $4.16 and a 12 month high of $10.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.27 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.88 and a beta of 1.69.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) last posted its 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. The firm had revenue of $64.07 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.91 million. Vir Biotechnology had a negative net margin of 638.88% and a negative return on equity of 49.31%. The business’s revenue was up 417.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($0.76) EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Vir Biotechnology will post -3.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vir Biotechnology

In related news, major shareholder Endurance (Cayman) Ltd Svf sold 191,854 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.98, for a total transaction of $1,147,286.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Vicki L. Sato sold 42,377 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.75, for a total transaction of $413,175.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 1,144,391 shares in the company, valued at $11,157,812.25. This represents a 3.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 369,400 shares of company stock worth $2,592,241 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 16.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. ARCH Venture Management LLC purchased a new stake in Vir Biotechnology during the 2nd quarter valued at about $65,100,000. Aberdeen Group plc lifted its position in Vir Biotechnology by 51.6% in the third quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 1,526,265 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,715,000 after purchasing an additional 519,374 shares during the last quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 812.7% during the second quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 582,981 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,938,000 after purchasing an additional 519,107 shares during the period. Corton Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the second quarter valued at approximately $114,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology in the second quarter worth approximately $63,000. 65.32% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Vir Biotechnology News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Astellas agreed to a collaboration on Vir’s prostate‑cancer asset (VIR‑5500) that includes up‑front and potential milestone payments totaling up to ~$1.7B, materially de‑risking that program and improving commercialization prospects. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results surprised to the upside: EPS and roughly $64M revenue beat consensus, signaling stronger commercial traction and likely underpinning recent analyst optimism. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have raised targets and ratings following the results and deal flow (Needham moved its target to $18), supporting upside from fundamentals despite volatility. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will present at TD Cowen and Leerink in early March — useful for additional color and Q&A but not an immediate earnings/cash catalyst. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Increased media/peer comparisons (head‑to‑head coverage) have raised visibility and trading volume; this can amplify moves but doesn’t change Vir’s underlying cashflow or pipeline. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Vir priced an underwritten offering of 17,647,058 shares at $8.50 (~$150M gross), which strengthens the balance sheet but is dilutive and increased near‑term share supply — a clear short‑term negative for the stock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Market coverage singled out the discounted offering as the proximate cause of the post‑rally pullback, triggering selling and higher volatility. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insider sales were disclosed last week (including CEO and other senior officers/directors), increasing visible supply and feeding negative sentiment alongside the offering. Individual filings and summaries are available in SEC/insider reports. Read More.

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.