UBS Group AG Purchases 203,203 Shares of Vir Biotechnology, Inc. $VIR

Key Points

• UBS Group AG nearly doubled its stake in Vir Biotechnology during the fourth quarter, buying 203,203 additional shares to bring its total holdings to 417,965 shares valued at about $2.52 million.
• Vir Biotechnology’s latest quarterly results were weak, with the company reporting an EPS loss of ($0.85) versus expectations of a near-flat loss, and revenue far below estimates at ($0.03 million) versus $55.49 million expected.
• Despite mixed analyst views, the stock currently carries a Moderate Buy consensus rating, with a consensus target price of $20.25, while the shares recently traded around $9.38.

UBS Group AG increased its position in shares of Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR - Free Report) by 94.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 417,965 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 203,203 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned 0.30% of Vir Biotechnology worth $2,520,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. 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. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Vir Biotechnology during the third quarter worth about $38,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Vir Biotechnology during the second quarter worth about $35,000. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its position 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 purchasing an additional 4,899 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its position in Vir Biotechnology by 23.0% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 8,804 shares of the company's stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 1,646 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.32% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on VIR. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology from $26.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Morgan Stanley set a $23.00 target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Friday, May 8th. Leerink Partners reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $20.00 target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $18.00 price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $20.25.

Vir Biotechnology Stock Performance

Vir Biotechnology stock opened at $9.38 on Wednesday. Vir Biotechnology, Inc. has a 52-week low of $4.16 and a 52-week high of $11.66. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $9.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $7.84. The firm has a market cap of $1.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.00 and a beta of 1.70.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.85) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by ($0.84). Vir Biotechnology had a negative return on equity of 53.31% and a negative net margin of 638.88%.The firm had revenue of ($0.03) million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $55.49 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.88) EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Vir Biotechnology, Inc. will post -2.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vir Biotechnology news, Director Vicki L. Sato sold 22,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.05, for a total transaction of $221,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 1,078,391 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,837,829.55. This trade represents a 2.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Backer Marianne De sold 72,559 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.16, for a total transaction of $664,640.44. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 948,145 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,685,008.20. The trade was a 7.11% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 146,270 shares of company stock worth $1,364,825. 2.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VIR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.