Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) Price Target Raised to $18.00

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) had its price target increased by equities researchers at Needham & Company LLC from $14.00 to $18.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC’s price target suggests a potential upside of 142.26% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on VIR. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Tuesday. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $15.00 price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Vir Biotechnology from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $19.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays set a $26.00 price target on Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Monday, December 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vir Biotechnology presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $17.86.

Vir Biotechnology Price Performance

NASDAQ:VIR opened at $7.43 on Tuesday. Vir Biotechnology has a 1-year low of $4.16 and a 1-year high of $9.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.03 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.06 and a beta of 1.69. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $6.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $5.95.

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 50.76% and a negative net margin of 2,963.54%.The company had revenue of $64.07 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.91 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.76) earnings per share. Vir Biotechnology’s revenue for the quarter was up 417.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Vir Biotechnology will post -3.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Vicki L. Sato sold 22,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.71, for a total transaction of $169,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,144,391 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,823,254.61. This represents a 1.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Endurance (Cayman) Ltd Svf sold 191,854 shares of the company’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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 13,728,924 shares in the company, valued at $82,098,965.52. The trade was a 1.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 448,815 shares of company stock worth $2,804,824 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 16.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vir Biotechnology

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VIR. ARCH Venture Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology in the second quarter worth $65,100,000. Aberdeen Group plc increased its stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 51.6% during the third quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 1,526,265 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,715,000 after buying an additional 519,374 shares during the period. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc increased its position in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 812.7% in the 2nd quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 582,981 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,938,000 after purchasing an additional 519,107 shares during the last quarter. Corton Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the 2nd quarter worth $114,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the 2nd quarter worth $63,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.32% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Vir Biotechnology

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

• Positive Sentiment: Vir announced a global collaboration with Astellas to co?develop and co?commercialize VIR?5500, receiving $335M upfront/near?term and eligibility for up to $1.37B more plus tiered royalties; Astellas will lead ex?US commercialization and Vir splits U.S. profit/loss 50/50 — a transformational partnership that de?risks development and provides near?term cash. Astellas and Vir Biotechnology Announce Global Strategic Collaboration
• Positive Sentiment: Updated Phase 1 data for VIR?5500 show the candidate is well tolerated with encouraging activity signals in heavily pretreated metastatic castration?resistant prostate cancer — clinical data that supports the Astellas valuation and buyer interest. Vir Biotechnology Reports Positive Updated Phase 1 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Financials: Q4 results beat expectations — EPS loss of $0.31 vs. a $0.42 consensus loss and revenue of $64.1M (well above estimates). The revenue jump (up ~418% y/y) and the earnings beat provided an additional catalyst for the stock re?rating. Vir Biotechnology Reports Q4 Loss, Beats Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction and coverage: multiple outlets report a large after?hours/pre?market surge (reported +58% to +65% in some outlets) driven by the Astellas deal and the Phase?1 update — increased investor attention/liquidity can amplify moves. What’s Happening With VIR Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary and details are available in the company’s earnings call and transcript; investors should review the call/slides for milestones, timing, and cash?use guidance discussed on the call. Vir Biotechnology (VIR) Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability risk remains material: Vir reported a very negative net margin and negative ROE, and analysts still expect substantial full?year losses — the company is being re?rated on pipeline value rather than current earnings. Vir Biotechnology earnings: Losses persist

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.