HC Wainwright Issues Optimistic Outlook for VIR Earnings

Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR) – Investment analysts at HC Wainwright lifted their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for Vir Biotechnology in a research note issued on Wednesday, March 4th. HC Wainwright analyst P. Trucchio now expects that the company will earn $0.73 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of ($0.57). HC Wainwright has a “Buy” rating and a $20.00 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for Vir Biotechnology’s current full-year earnings is ($3.92) per share. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for Vir Biotechnology’s Q3 2026 earnings at ($0.56) EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at ($0.45) EPS, FY2026 earnings at ($0.81) EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at ($0.37) EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at ($0.64) EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at ($0.47) EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at ($0.51) EPS, FY2027 earnings at ($1.99) EPS, FY2028 earnings at ($1.65) EPS, FY2029 earnings at ($1.24) EPS and FY2030 earnings at ($0.30) EPS.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on VIR. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Vir Biotechnology from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Leerink Partners reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Raymond James Financial raised Vir Biotechnology from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $19.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on Vir Biotechnology from $14.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $20.44.

Vir Biotechnology Price Performance

Shares of Vir Biotechnology stock opened at $9.55 on Friday. Vir Biotechnology has a 1 year low of $4.16 and a 1 year high of $10.94. The firm has a market cap of $1.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.02 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a 50-day moving average of $7.34 and a 200 day moving average of $6.24.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported ($0.31) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.42) by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $64.07 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.91 million. Vir Biotechnology had a negative net margin of 638.88% and a negative return on equity of 49.31%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 417.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.76) EPS.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vir Biotechnology

In other news, Director Vicki L. Sato sold 22,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.51, for a total value of $209,220.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 1,122,391 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,673,938.41. This represents a 1.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Verneuil Vanina De sold 13,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.82, for a total transaction of $134,534.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 112,982 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,109,483.24. The trade was a 10.81% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 177,546 shares of company stock worth $1,522,174. 16.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vir Biotechnology

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Vir Biotechnology by 25.9% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 6,761 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,390 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 23.0% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 8,804 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 1,646 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 7.8% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 23,525 shares of the company’s stock worth $142,000 after purchasing an additional 1,705 shares during the last quarter. Clarius Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 0.3% in the third quarter. Clarius Group LLC now owns 619,312 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,536,000 after purchasing an additional 1,777 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 1.0% during the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 228,949 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,154,000 after purchasing an additional 2,300 shares in the last quarter. 65.32% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Vir Biotechnology

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

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright materially raised its FY2026 outlook (now -$0.81 vs prior -$2.16) and flipped Q2 2026 to a $0.73 EPS forecast, signaling expectations for much stronger near‑term results; the firm retained a “Buy” rating and $20 price target.
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright also nudged several 2026 quarterly estimates higher (Q3/Q4 2026 less negative), which supports the narrative of improving near‑term fundamentals and likely helped lift sentiment.
• Positive Sentiment: Management change: Vir named CEO Marianne De Backer as President, expanding her responsibilities — a governance move that can be read as streamlining decision‑making and execution. Vir Biotechnology Names CEO Marianne De Backer as President
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright maintained its Buy rating and $20 target — a supportive endorsement but already priced in by some investors given previous coverage.
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright trimmed longer‑term forecasts: FY2027 was lowered (to -$1.99 from -$1.90) and FY2028/FY2029 estimates were reduced (e.g., FY2028 to -$1.65 from -$1.40; FY2029 to -$1.24 from -$1.13), reflecting weaker medium‑term profitability expectations that could cap upside if sustained.

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.