Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) Upgraded to “Hold” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report released on Wednesday,Zacks reports.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on Vir Biotechnology from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley set a $25.00 target price on Vir Biotechnology in a report on Thursday, August 6th. HC Wainwright raised their target price on Vir Biotechnology from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Monday, September 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vir Biotechnology presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $22.14.

Vir Biotechnology Price Performance

VIR opened at $11.02 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $11.01 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $9.58. Vir Biotechnology has a 1-year low of $4.82 and a 1-year high of $12.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.75 and a beta of 1.70.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported ($0.57) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.75) by $0.18. The company had revenue of ($0.19) million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $0.98 million. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 178.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($1.17) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Vir Biotechnology will post -1.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vir Biotechnology

In other news, EVP Vanina de Verneuil sold 2,407 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.10, for a total value of $26,717.70. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 110,193 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,223,142.30. This represents a 2.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 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. 2.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Fiduciary Financial Advisors acquired a new position in Vir Biotechnology in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Vir Biotechnology during the third quarter worth about $97,000. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology during the first quarter valued at about $112,000. Amundi increased its position in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 52.8% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 15,315 shares of the company’s stock valued at $137,000 after acquiring an additional 5,294 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 223.1% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 15,355 shares of the company’s stock valued at $138,000 after acquiring an additional 10,603 shares during the last quarter. 65.32% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Vir Biotechnology

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

• Positive Sentiment: Needham raised its price target to $20 from $18 and reiterated a Buy rating. Zacks Research also upgraded VIR from Strong Sell to Hold, a less negative view. Analyst ratings
• Positive Sentiment: Vir reported a third-quarter loss of $0.57 per share, narrower than analysts’ expected loss of $0.75–$0.80 and the $1.17 loss a year earlier. The company also said its cash runway extends into the second half of 2028. Q3 results and corporate update
• Neutral Sentiment: Vir plans to present Phase 3 hepatitis delta data for elebsiran and tobevibart at AASLD’s 2026 meeting. The data could be a significant catalyst, but its effect on the stock will depend on the results. AASLD data presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue came in at negative $0.19 million, below analysts’ estimate of $0.98 million, and was down sharply year over year. The revenue shortfall may have overshadowed the narrower-than-expected loss. Q3 earnings coverage

Vir Biotechnology Company Profile

Vir Biotechnology, Inc is a clinical-stage immunology company focused on developing medicines to prevent and treat serious infectious diseases and other immune-related conditions. The company uses antibody engineering, immunologic approaches and other technologies to identify and advance therapies designed to harness or modify the immune system.

Vir’s research and development programs have included treatments and vaccines for hepatitis B, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza and other infectious diseases.