Needham & Company LLC Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) Stock

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) had its target price 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 presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC’s target price indicates a potential upside of 142.26% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and set a $15.00 price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Barclays set a $26.00 price target on Vir Biotechnology in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Tuesday. Raymond James Financial upgraded 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Monday, December 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $17.86.

Vir Biotechnology Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of VIR opened at $7.43 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.06 and a beta of 1.69. Vir Biotechnology has a 52-week low of $4.16 and a 52-week high of $9.84. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $6.74 and a 200 day moving average price of $5.95.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported ($0.31) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.42) by $0.11. The business had revenue of $64.07 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.91 million. Vir Biotechnology had a negative return on equity of 50.76% and a negative net margin of 2,963.54%.The company’s revenue was up 417.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.76) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Vir Biotechnology will post -3.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vir Biotechnology news, Director Vicki L. Sato sold 22,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.71, for a total value of $169,620.00. Following 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, major shareholder Endurance (Cayman) Ltd Svf sold 191,854 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $82,098,965.52. This represents a 1.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 448,815 shares of company stock worth $2,804,824. 16.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vir Biotechnology

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VIR. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 262,211 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,572,000 after purchasing an additional 2,515 shares during the last quarter. Virtus Investment Advisers LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 82.4% during the 4th quarter. Virtus Investment Advisers LLC now owns 39,764 shares of the company’s stock worth $240,000 after buying an additional 17,966 shares during the last quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL purchased a new position in shares of Vir Biotechnology in the 4th quarter worth $414,000. Polymer Capital Management US LLC acquired a new position in Vir Biotechnology in the fourth quarter valued at $202,000. Finally, Quadrature Capital Ltd purchased a new stake in Vir Biotechnology during the fourth quarter valued at about $300,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.32% of the company’s stock.

More Vir Biotechnology News

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

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.