Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR – Get Free Report) and GeoVax Labs (NASDAQ:GOVX – Get Free Report) are both small-cap healthcare companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings and profitability.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
65.3% of Vir Biotechnology shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 6.1% of GeoVax Labs shares are held by institutional investors. 2.9% of Vir Biotechnology shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of GeoVax Labs shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Profitability
This table compares Vir Biotechnology and GeoVax Labs’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Vir Biotechnology | -638.88% | -29.99% | -23.62% |
| GeoVax Labs | N/A | -743.64% | -394.74% |
Earnings & Valuation
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Vir Biotechnology | $68.56 million | 27.67 | -$437.99 million | ($1.86) | -6.03 |
| GeoVax Labs | $2.49 million | 1.05 | -$21.47 million | ($11.34) | -0.03 |
GeoVax Labs has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Vir Biotechnology. Vir Biotechnology is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than GeoVax Labs, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Volatility & Risk
Vir Biotechnology has a beta of 1.63, suggesting that its stock price is 63% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, GeoVax Labs has a beta of 3.66, suggesting that its stock price is 266% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Vir Biotechnology and GeoVax Labs, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Vir Biotechnology | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2.88 |
| GeoVax Labs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
Vir Biotechnology currently has a consensus target price of $21.57, indicating a potential upside of 92.43%. GeoVax Labs has a consensus target price of $150.00, indicating a potential upside of 42,034.83%. Given GeoVax Labs’ higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe GeoVax Labs is more favorable than Vir Biotechnology.
Summary
Vir Biotechnology beats GeoVax Labs on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Vir Biotechnology
Vir Biotechnology, Inc., an immunology company, develops therapeutic products to treat and prevent serious infectious diseases. Its clinical development pipeline consists of product candidates targeting hepatitis delta virus (HDV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The company’s preclinical candidates include those targeting influenza A and B, coronavirus disease 2019, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (MPV), and human papillomavirus (HPV). The company has grant agreements with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and National Institutes of Health; an option and license agreement with Brii Biosciences Limited; a collaboration and license agreement with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; license agreements with MedImmune, LLC; collaboration with WuXi Biologics (Hong Kong) Limited and Glaxo Wellcome UK Ltd.; and a collaborative research agreement with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals S.A, as well as license agreement with Sanofi for three clinical-stage masked T-cell engagers (TCEs) and exclusive use of the protease-cleavable masking platform for oncology and infectious diseases. It also has a manufacturing agreement with Samsung Biologics Co.,Ltd. The company was incorporated in 2016 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
About GeoVax Labs
GeoVax Labs, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, develops human vaccines and immunotherapies against infectious diseases and solid tumor cancers using modified vaccinia ankara virus-like particle vaccine platform. It is developing various preventive vaccines against (COVID-19), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); Zika virus; malaria; and hemorrhagic fever viruses, such as Ebola, Sudan, Marburg, and Lassa, as well as therapeutic vaccines for HIV, chronic Hepatitis B infections, and solid tumor cancers. The company is developing GEO-CM04S1, a vaccine candidate that is in Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of preventive COVID-19; Gedeptin, a novel patented product/technology for the treatment of solid tumors, and Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; and GEO-CM02, a pan-coronavirus vaccine. In addition, it is developing GEO-ZM02, a vaccine candidate, which is in preclinical trial for the treatment of GEO-ZM02, a vaccine candidate, which is in preclinical trial for the treatment of Zika; GEO-MM02 treatment for malaria; other infectious disease vaccines for the treatment of fever viruses, such as Ebola, Sudan, and Marburg; GEO-LM01 for the treatment of Lassa fever. It has collaboration and partnership agreements with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Defense; Emory University; and the Burnet Institute. GeoVax Labs, Inc. was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Smyrna, Georgia.
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