Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) Downgraded to "Sell" Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Vir Biotechnology from “hold” to “sell,” adding to a mixed analyst picture that still averages to a “Moderate Buy” with a consensus price target of $20.25.
• The company reported a much weaker-than-expected quarter, posting EPS of -$0.85 versus the expected -$0.01 and revenue of -$0.03 million versus estimates of $55.49 million.
• Insider selling has continued, with directors and executives selling shares over the past 90 days, including 257,816 shares totaling about $2.38 million, while institutional investors still own 65.32% of the stock.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on VIR. Barclays raised their price target on Vir Biotechnology from $26.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Morgan Stanley set a $23.00 price target on Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Friday. Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on Vir Biotechnology from $14.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Evercore restated an "outperform" rating and set a $18.00 price target on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $20.25.

Vir Biotechnology Stock Performance

VIR opened at $9.12 on Friday. Vir Biotechnology has a one year low of $4.16 and a one year high of $11.66. The company has a market cap of $1.47 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.91 and a beta of 1.70. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $9.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $7.56.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.85) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.01) by ($0.84). The business had revenue of ($0.03) million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 previous year, the company posted ($0.88) EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Vir Biotechnology will post -1.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vir Biotechnology news, Director Vicki L. Sato sold 22,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.05, for a total transaction of $221,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 1,078,391 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,837,829.55. This trade represents a 2.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Brent Sabatini sold 7,711 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.12, for a total value of $70,324.32. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 61,902 shares of the company's stock, valued at $564,546.24. The trade was a 11.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 257,816 shares of company stock valued at $2,377,698 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 16.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Vir Biotechnology

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Vir Biotechnology by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,579,678 shares of the company's stock worth $23,107,000 after acquiring an additional 43,401 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank lifted its position in Vir Biotechnology by 30.1% during the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 231,500 shares of the company's stock worth $2,074,000 after acquiring an additional 53,500 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in Vir Biotechnology by 7.1% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 584,047 shares of the company's stock worth $5,233,000 after acquiring an additional 38,490 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its position in Vir Biotechnology by 19.8% during the 1st quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 16,163 shares of the company's stock worth $145,000 after acquiring an additional 2,668 shares during the period. Finally, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Vir Biotechnology during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,443,000. 65.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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