Vir Biotechnology, Inc. $VIR Shares Acquired by Squarepoint Ops LLC

Key Points

• Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its Vir Biotechnology stake by 384.9% in the second quarter, ending with 126,141 shares worth approximately $1.29 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 65.32% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $21.57. Ratings include one Strong Buy, six Buys, and one Sell.
• Vir reported second-quarter EPS of $0.47, beating estimates of $0.33, while revenue reached $238.95 million versus expectations of $135.88 million. Despite the revenue growth, the company posted a negative net margin of 638.88% and analysts forecast a full-year loss of $1.84 per share.

Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its position in Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR - Free Report) by 384.9% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 126,141 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 100,128 shares during the quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC owned approximately 0.07% of Vir Biotechnology worth $1,285,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Vir Biotechnology during the second quarter worth approximately $210,712,000. ARCH Venture Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vir Biotechnology during the 2nd quarter worth $129,353,521. ADAR1 Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Vir Biotechnology in the first quarter valued at $24,593,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Vir Biotechnology by 1.7% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,579,678 shares of the company's stock valued at $23,107,000 after acquiring an additional 43,401 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its stake in Vir Biotechnology by 10,878.9% in the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 1,480,828 shares of the company's stock valued at $13,268,000 after acquiring an additional 1,467,340 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.32% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on VIR shares. Morgan Stanley set a $25.00 target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Leerink Partners increased their price target on shares of Vir Biotechnology from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Vir Biotechnology from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vir Biotechnology presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $21.57.

Vir Biotechnology Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ VIR opened at $10.52 on Thursday. The firm's 50-day moving average is $9.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.59. The company has a market capitalization of $1.78 billion, a PE ratio of -5.66 and a beta of 1.63. Vir Biotechnology, Inc. has a 12-month low of $4.78 and a 12-month high of $11.94.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $238.95 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $135.88 million. Vir Biotechnology had a negative return on equity of 29.99% and a negative net margin of 638.88%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 19582.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.80) EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Vir Biotechnology, Inc. will post -1.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vir Biotechnology Profile

Vir Biotechnology, Inc is a clinical-stage immunology company focused on developing therapies for serious infectious diseases and cancer. The company uses technologies involving antibodies, T cells, small interfering RNA and other immune-based approaches to discover and develop treatments designed to harness or enhance the body's immune response.

Vir's development programs have included therapies for hepatitis B, influenza, human immunodeficiency virus and other infectious diseases, as well as oncology applications.

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