Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR) Receives $20.44 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $20.4444.

Several brokerages recently weighed in on VIR. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $18.00 price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on Vir Biotechnology from $14.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Vir Biotechnology from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised Vir Biotechnology from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $19.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th.

Insider Activity at Vir Biotechnology

In other Vir Biotechnology news, CEO Backer Marianne De sold 14,762 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.53, for a total transaction of $140,681.86. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,020,704 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,727,309.12. This represents a 1.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Vicki L. Sato sold 22,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.51, for a total transaction of $209,220.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 1,122,391 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,673,938.41. The trade was a 1.92% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 177,546 shares of company stock worth $1,522,174 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 16.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vir Biotechnology

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 25.9% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 6,761 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,390 shares in the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the third quarter valued at about $38,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the second quarter valued at about $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 153.8% in the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 8,085 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 4,899 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.32% of the company’s stock.

Vir Biotechnology Price Performance

NASDAQ:VIR opened at $9.10 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $8.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $6.58. Vir Biotechnology has a one year low of $4.16 and a one year high of $10.94. The company has a market cap of $1.27 billion, a PE ratio of -2.88 and a beta of 1.65.

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 the consensus estimate of ($0.42) by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $64.07 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.91 million. Vir Biotechnology had a negative net margin of 638.88% and a negative return on equity of 49.31%. The company’s revenue was up 417.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.76) EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Vir Biotechnology will post -3.92 EPS for the current 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.