Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Vir Biotechnology has a consensus broker rating of “Moderate Buy” from nine analysts, with an average 1-year price target of about $20.88.
• Recent analyst updates were mostly positive, including higher price targets from Barclays, Needham, HC Wainwright, and Morgan Stanley, though Weiss Ratings maintained a sell rating.
• Insider selling has been notable, with CEO Marianne De Backer and Director Janet Napolitano both selling shares under pre-arranged plans, while the company also reported a weak quarterly earnings miss and ongoing losses.

Shares of Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the nine research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $20.8750.

Several research analysts have weighed in on VIR shares. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology from $26.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Needham & Company LLC upped their price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology from $14.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Friday, April 10th. HC Wainwright upped their price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology from $15.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology from $23.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th.

Insider Transactions at Vir Biotechnology

In other news, Director Janet Napolitano sold 3,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.45, for a total transaction of $30,240.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 21,216 shares in the company, valued at $200,491.20. This represents a 13.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Backer Marianne De sold 72,559 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 in the company, valued at approximately $8,685,008.20. This trade represents a 7.11% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 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. Insiders have sold a total of 120,138 shares of company stock worth $1,119,102 in the last 90 days. 2.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 25.9% during the 4th 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 last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the 3rd quarter worth $38,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 1,418.7% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 7,062 shares of the company's stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 6,597 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC increased its stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 23.0% during 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 during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.32% of the company's stock.

Vir Biotechnology Stock Performance

Vir Biotechnology stock opened at $9.16 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $1.54 billion, a PE ratio of -2.93 and a beta of 1.65. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $9.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $8.24. Vir Biotechnology has a twelve month low of $4.16 and a twelve month high of $11.66.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.85) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by ($0.84). The company had revenue of ($0.03) million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 posted ($0.88) EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Vir Biotechnology will post -1.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.

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