Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) Stock Price Down 3.4% – Here’s What Happened

Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR)’s stock price was down 3.4% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $5.83 and last traded at $5.7750. Approximately 264,970 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 83% from the average daily volume of 1,572,854 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.98.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on VIR. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Wednesday, September 3rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $12.00 price objective for the company. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $15.00 target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Tuesday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $17.30.

Vir Biotechnology Price Performance

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $6.00 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $5.50. The company has a market capitalization of $811.77 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.62 and a beta of 1.34.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($1.17) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.70) by ($0.47). The business had revenue of $0.24 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.98 million. Vir Biotechnology had a negative net margin of 2,963.54% and a negative return on equity of 50.76%. Vir Biotechnology’s quarterly revenue was up .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($1.56) EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Vir Biotechnology, Inc. will post -3.92 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Vir Biotechnology

In related news, major shareholder Endurance (Cayman) Ltd Svf sold 466,242 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.05, for a total transaction of $2,820,764.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 15,621,369 shares in the company, valued at $94,509,282.45. This represents a 2.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 3,031,666 shares of company stock worth $18,292,045. Insiders own 16.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vir Biotechnology

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Clarius Group LLC lifted its position in Vir Biotechnology by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Clarius Group LLC now owns 619,312 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,536,000 after purchasing an additional 1,777 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 1.0% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 228,949 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,154,000 after purchasing an additional 2,300 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its position in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 15.3% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 19,317 shares of the company’s stock worth $125,000 after buying an additional 2,566 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in Vir Biotechnology by 25.8% in the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 13,159 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 2,700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its holdings in Vir Biotechnology by 7.7% in the 2nd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 55,076 shares of the company’s stock worth $277,000 after buying an additional 3,948 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.32% of the company’s stock.

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.