Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR)’s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Monday. The stock had previously closed at $12.21, but opened at $13.15. Vir Biotechnology shares last traded at $13.7770, with a volume of 2,704,003 shares traded.

Vir Biotechnology News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Vir said its hepatitis D combination therapy met the primary and secondary endpoints in a pivotal Phase 3 trial, with results showing sustained viral suppression. The data strengthen the case for advancing the treatment and were the main catalyst behind the stock’s recent rally. Vir hepatitis D drug succeeds in first pivotal study
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright raised its earnings estimates across several 2026 and 2027 periods, including improving its FY2026 forecast from a loss of $1.89 to $0.89 per share and FY2027 from a loss of $2.37 to $1.99. The analyst maintained a Buy rating and $22 price target, though Vir is still expected to report losses. HC Wainwright recommendations
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $28 from $25 and reiterated an Overweight rating, adding to bullish analyst support. Morgan Stanley recommendations

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on VIR shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Vir Biotechnology from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Zacks Research raised shares of Vir Biotechnology from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 4th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Monday, September 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $22.57.

Vir Biotechnology Stock Down 3.7%

The company’s 50-day moving average is $11.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.68. The company has a market capitalization of $2.25 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.44 and a beta of 1.70.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported ($0.57) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.75) by $0.18. The company had revenue of ($0.19) million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $0.98 million. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 178.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($1.17) earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Vir Biotechnology, Inc. will post -1.50 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vir Biotechnology

In other news, EVP Vanina de Verneuil sold 2,407 shares of Vir Biotechnology stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.10, for a total transaction of $26,717.70. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 110,193 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,223,142.30. The trade was a 2.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 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. Company insiders own 2.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vir Biotechnology

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VIR. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology in the 2nd quarter worth about $210,712,000. ARCH Venture Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the 2nd quarter valued at about $129,353,521. ADAR1 Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the 1st quarter valued at about $24,593,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the 2nd quarter valued at about $11,642,000. Finally, Avidity Partners Management LP bought a new stake in Vir Biotechnology in the 1st quarter worth approximately $8,512,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.32% of the company’s stock.

Vir Biotechnology Company Profile

Vir Biotechnology is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for infectious diseases and cancer. Its research draws on immunology and includes approaches such as monoclonal antibodies, small-interfering RNA therapies and T-cell-based treatments. The company’s pipeline has included programs targeting chronic hepatitis B and influenza, as well as investigational cancer therapies. Vir has also pursued research and development collaborations to advance its programs.