Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Vir Biotechnology, Inc. has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from eight analysts, with an average 1-year price target of $30.25.
• Institutional investors own 65.32% of the company's stock, indicating strong confidence in Vir Biotechnology's future potential.
• The company's latest earnings report showed revenues down 94.6% year-over-year, with a reported loss of ($0.88) earnings per share, missing estimates by ($0.05).

Shares of Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR - Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the eight research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $30.25.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on VIR. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Vir Biotechnology from $28.00 to $21.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and set a $14.00 target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Raymond James Financial began coverage on Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Friday, July 11th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vir Biotechnology

In other Vir Biotechnology news, EVP Mark Eisner sold 6,796 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.47, for a total transaction of $37,174.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 108,204 shares in the company, valued at approximately $591,875.88. The trade was a 5.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Vicki L. Sato sold 22,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.10, for a total transaction of $112,200.00. Following the sale, the director owned 1,298,391 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,621,794.10. The trade was a 1.67% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 35,582 shares of company stock valued at $185,150 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 16.00% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vir Biotechnology

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 524.3% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,111 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 5,972 shares during the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the 2nd quarter worth about $50,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 26.2% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 10,459 shares of the company's stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 2,171 shares during the period. Finally, FORA Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Vir Biotechnology in the 1st quarter valued at about $70,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.32% of the company's stock.

Vir Biotechnology Stock Performance

Shares of Vir Biotechnology stock traded down $0.04 during trading on Friday, reaching $5.03. The company's stock had a trading volume of 809,884 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,084,500. The business's fifty day moving average price is $5.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $6.67. The firm has a market cap of $695.35 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.19 and a beta of 1.18. Vir Biotechnology has a one year low of $4.32 and a one year high of $14.45.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported ($0.88) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.83) by ($0.05). Vir Biotechnology had a negative return on equity of 47.46% and a negative net margin of 2,769.04%. The firm had revenue of $3.03 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.59 million. During the same period last year, the business earned ($0.48) earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 94.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Vir Biotechnology will post -3.92 EPS for the current year.

Vir Biotechnology Company 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).