Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. Invests $1.44 Million in Vir Biotechnology, Inc. $VIR

Key Points

• Hillsdale Investment Management opened a new position in Vir Biotechnology, buying 161,096 shares valued at about $1.44 million in the first quarter. The stake represented roughly 0.10% of the company.
• Several other institutions also adjusted their VIR holdings, and overall institutional ownership stands at 65.32%. Meanwhile, insider selling continued, with directors Janet Napolitano and Vicki L. Sato selling shares in recent Rule 10b5-1 transactions.
• Analysts remain mixed on Vir Biotechnology: Wall Street Zen and Weiss Ratings are bearish, while Morgan Stanley and Leerink Partners hold bullish views. The stock has a Moderate Buy consensus target of $20.88, though it last traded around $9.61.

Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 161,096 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,443,000. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. owned about 0.10% of Vir Biotechnology at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of VIR. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Vir Biotechnology by 25.9% in the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 6,761 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 1,390 shares in the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the third quarter worth approximately $38,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 1,418.7% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 7,062 shares of the company's stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 6,597 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 23.0% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 8,804 shares of the company's stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 1,646 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.32% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Janet Napolitano sold 3,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.45, for a total transaction of $30,240.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 21,216 shares in the company, valued at approximately $200,491.20. This represents a 13.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Vicki L. Sato sold 22,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.05, for a total value of $221,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 1,078,391 shares in the company, valued at $10,837,829.55. The trade was a 2.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 25,579 shares of company stock valued at $254,922. Insiders own 2.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Vir Biotechnology from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Vir Biotechnology from $23.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Leerink Partners lifted their price objective on Vir Biotechnology from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $20.88.

Vir Biotechnology Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ VIR opened at $9.61 on Thursday. Vir Biotechnology, Inc. has a 52 week low of $4.16 and a 52 week high of $11.66. The firm's fifty day moving average is $9.33 and its 200 day moving average is $8.70. The company has a market cap of $1.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.07 and a beta of 1.62.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.85) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.01) by ($0.84). The firm had revenue of ($0.03) million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $55.49 million. Vir Biotechnology had a negative net margin of 638.88% and a negative return on equity of 53.31%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned ($0.88) earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Vir Biotechnology, Inc. will post -1.81 earnings per share for the current year.

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.

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