Aberdeen Group plc Acquires 330,031 Shares of Vir Biotechnology, Inc. $VIR

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc increased its stake in Vir Biotechnology by 90.9% during the first quarter, acquiring an additional 330,031 shares, bringing its total ownership to approximately 693,192 shares valued at $4.49 million.
• Several hedge funds have also significantly boosted their positions in Vir Biotechnology, with Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increasing its stake by 58% during the fourth quarter.
• The stock has faced challenges, missing quarterly earnings estimates with an EPS of ($0.80) compared to the expected ($0.72) and experiencing a revenue decline of 60.5% year-over-year.

Aberdeen Group plc lifted its position in shares of Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR - Free Report) by 90.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 693,192 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 330,031 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned about 0.50% of Vir Biotechnology worth $4,492,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 58.0% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,915,465 shares of the company's stock valued at $14,059,000 after purchasing an additional 703,360 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 55.3% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,715,083 shares of the company's stock valued at $12,589,000 after purchasing an additional 610,367 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 9.8% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,374,874 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,909,000 after purchasing an additional 122,219 shares in the last quarter. Baker BROS. Advisors LP bought a new stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $7,961,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 5.9% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 930,454 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,830,000 after purchasing an additional 51,530 shares in the last quarter. 65.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vir Biotechnology

In other news, EVP Mark Eisner sold 6,796 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.47, for a total value of $37,174.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 108,204 shares in the company, valued at $591,875.88. The trade was a 5.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Vicki L. Sato sold 22,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.10, for a total value of $112,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 1,298,391 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,621,794.10. This represents a 1.67% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 57,582 shares of company stock valued at $294,930 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 16.00% of the company's stock.

Vir Biotechnology Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:VIR opened at $4.36 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $5.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $6.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $605.69 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.09 and a beta of 1.18. Vir Biotechnology, Inc. has a 12-month low of $4.16 and a 12-month high of $14.45.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported ($0.80) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.72) by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $1.21 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.38 million. Vir Biotechnology had a negative net margin of 2,895.94% and a negative return on equity of 50.22%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 60.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($1.02) EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Vir Biotechnology, Inc. will post -3.92 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on VIR shares. Raymond James Financial started coverage on Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Friday, July 11th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $14.00 price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $30.25.

Vir Biotechnology Profile

Vir Biotechnology, Inc, an immunology company, develops therapeutic products to treat and prevent serious infectious diseases. Its clinical development pipeline consists of product candidates targeting hepatitis delta virus (HDV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The company's preclinical candidates include those targeting influenza A and B, coronavirus disease 2019, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (MPV), and human papillomavirus (HPV).

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