Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) Raised to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

VIR has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $18.00 target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Vir Biotechnology from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $19.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Leerink Partners reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $20.00 price target on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Thursday. Finally, HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and issued a $15.00 price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $19.89.

Vir Biotechnology Trading Down 2.5%

Vir Biotechnology stock opened at $9.09 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.27 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.88 and a beta of 1.69. Vir Biotechnology has a 1-year low of $4.16 and a 1-year high of $10.94. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $7.01 and a 200-day moving average of $6.07.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported ($0.31) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.42) by $0.11. Vir Biotechnology had a negative return on equity of 49.31% and a negative net margin of 638.88%.The company had revenue of $64.07 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.91 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned ($0.76) EPS. Vir Biotechnology’s revenue was up 417.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Vir Biotechnology will post -3.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vir Biotechnology

In related news, major shareholder Endurance (Cayman) Ltd Svf sold 191,854 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.98, for a total transaction of $1,147,286.92. Following the sale, the insider owned 13,728,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $82,098,965.52. The trade was a 1.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Backer Marianne De sold 19,039 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.45, for a total transaction of $141,840.55. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,035,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,714,221.70. This represents a 1.81% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 369,400 shares of company stock valued at $2,592,241. Insiders own 16.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vir Biotechnology

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology in the second quarter worth $35,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new position in Vir Biotechnology in the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in 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 valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 1,390 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Vir Biotechnology by 1,418.7% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 7,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 6,597 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. increased its stake in Vir Biotechnology by 153.8% during the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 8,085 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 4,899 shares in the last quarter. 65.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Vir Biotechnology News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vir Biotechnology this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Astellas agreed to a collaboration on Vir’s prostate‑cancer asset (VIR‑5500) that includes up‑front and potential milestone payments totaling up to ~$1.7B, materially de‑risking that program and improving commercialization prospects. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results surprised to the upside: EPS and roughly $64M revenue beat consensus, signaling stronger commercial traction and likely underpinning recent analyst optimism. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have raised targets and ratings following the results and deal flow (Needham moved its target to $18), supporting upside from fundamentals despite volatility. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will present at TD Cowen and Leerink in early March — useful for additional color and Q&A but not an immediate earnings/cash catalyst. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Increased media/peer comparisons (head‑to‑head coverage) have raised visibility and trading volume; this can amplify moves but doesn’t change Vir’s underlying cashflow or pipeline. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Vir priced an underwritten offering of 17,647,058 shares at $8.50 (~$150M gross), which strengthens the balance sheet but is dilutive and increased near‑term share supply — a clear short‑term negative for the stock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Market coverage singled out the discounted offering as the proximate cause of the post‑rally pullback, triggering selling and higher volatility. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insider sales were disclosed last week (including CEO and other senior officers/directors), increasing visible supply and feeding negative sentiment alongside the offering. Individual filings and summaries are available in SEC/insider reports. Read More.

Vir Biotechnology Company Profile

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.