Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $35.67.

VIR has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Vir Biotechnology from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $10.00 to $20.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Barclays raised their price objective on Vir Biotechnology from $26.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Vir Biotechnology from $10.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Finally, Leerink Partners raised their price target on Vir Biotechnology from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th.

Vir Biotechnology Price Performance

NASDAQ:VIR opened at $7.37 on Tuesday. Vir Biotechnology has a 12 month low of $6.56 and a 12 month high of $14.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion, a PE ratio of -1.88 and a beta of 1.17. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $9.53 and its 200 day moving average price is $8.47.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported ($0.76) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.85) by $0.09. The business had revenue of $12.37 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.14 million. Vir Biotechnology had a negative return on equity of 36.71% and a negative net margin of 678.40%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Vir Biotechnology will post -3.92 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vir Biotechnology

In other news, Director George A. Scangos sold 10,964 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.81, for a total value of $107,556.84. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 708,295 shares in the company, valued at $6,948,373.95. This represents a 1.52 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Verneuil Vanina De sold 7,373 shares of Vir Biotechnology stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.14, for a total value of $67,389.22. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 79,460 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $726,264.40. This trade represents a 8.49 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 30,859 shares of company stock valued at $326,458 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 15.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vir Biotechnology

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of VIR. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its position in Vir Biotechnology by 29.2% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 181,325 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,331,000 after acquiring an additional 40,954 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the 4th quarter worth about $991,000. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its position in Vir Biotechnology by 74.8% during the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 74,800 shares of the company’s stock worth $549,000 after purchasing an additional 32,000 shares in the last quarter. Stonepine Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Vir Biotechnology in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,205,000. Finally, Sphera Funds Management LTD. raised its holdings in Vir Biotechnology by 523.4% in the fourth quarter. Sphera Funds Management LTD. now owns 581,829 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,271,000 after buying an additional 488,500 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.32% of the company’s stock.

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).