Key Points
- CEO Backer Marianne De sold 19,039 shares on Feb. 23 at an average price of $7.45 for roughly $141,840, leaving her with 1,035,466 shares — a 1.81% reduction in ownership.
- Vir beat Q4 estimates with EPS of ($0.31) (vs. ($0.42) est.) and revenue of $64.1M (vs. ~$19.9M), a ~418% YoY increase, but the company remains unprofitable with very wide negative margins and analysts forecast further negative EPS for the year.
- Vir announced a strategic collaboration with Astellas for oncology candidate VIR‑5500 that includes $335M upfront/near‑term payments and up to $1.37B in milestones, plus a 50/50 U.S. profit/loss split — a significant de‑risking and validation event for the program.
Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR - Get Free Report) CAO Brent Sabatini sold 1,829 shares of Vir Biotechnology stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.45, for a total value of $13,626.05. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 71,043 shares in the company, valued at $529,270.35. This represents a 2.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.
Brent Sabatini also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Friday, February 13th, Brent Sabatini sold 1,530 shares of Vir Biotechnology stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.79, for a total value of $11,918.70.
Vir Biotechnology Stock Performance
VIR stock opened at $9.49 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $1.32 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.00 and a beta of 1.69. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $6.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $5.99. Vir Biotechnology, Inc. has a 52 week low of $4.16 and a 52 week high of $10.29.
Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported ($0.31) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.42) by $0.11. Vir Biotechnology had a negative net margin of 638.88% and a negative return on equity of 47.14%. The company had revenue of $64.07 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.91 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.76) EPS. The company's revenue was up 417.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Vir Biotechnology, Inc. will post -3.92 EPS for the current year.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several brokerages have recently issued reports on VIR. Raymond James Financial upgraded Vir Biotechnology from an "outperform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $19.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday. HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $15.00 target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Tuesday, December 30th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $18.00 price objective on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Vir Biotechnology from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $19.88.
View Our Latest Research Report on VIR
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vir Biotechnology
A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VIR. ARCH Venture Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vir Biotechnology in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $65,100,000. Aberdeen Group plc lifted its holdings in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 51.6% during the third quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 1,526,265 shares of the company's stock worth $8,715,000 after buying an additional 519,374 shares during the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology in the second quarter valued at approximately $289,000. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc boosted its position in shares of Vir Biotechnology by 812.7% in the second quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 582,981 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,938,000 after acquiring an additional 519,107 shares during the period. Finally, Corton Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vir Biotechnology in the second quarter worth $114,000. 65.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Vir Biotechnology News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Vir Biotechnology this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Astellas strategic collaboration: Vir announced a global co‑development/co‑commercialization deal for prostate cancer candidate VIR‑5500 with $335M upfront/near‑term payments and up to $1.37B in milestones plus split U.S. economics — a major de‑risk and commercial validation for the program. Astellas and Vir Biotechnology Announce Global Strategic Collaboration
- Positive Sentiment: Encouraging Phase 1 VIR‑5500 data: Updated trial results show a favorable safety profile and meaningful activity (reported higher‑dose ORR of ~45%), underpinning the asset value and the Astellas deal. Vir Biotechnology Reports Positive Updated Phase 1 Results for VIR-5500
- Positive Sentiment: Quarterly beat and revenue acceleration: Q4 EPS beat estimates and revenue of $64.1M far exceeded expectations (~$19.9M), reflecting strong year‑over‑year growth and better near‑term commercial performance. Vir Biotechnology Q4 Earnings Highlights
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/target increases: Needham raised its price target (to $18) and other firms reiterated/upgraded coverage, supporting upside expectations. PT Raised to $18 at Needham
- Neutral Sentiment: Broad media amplification: Extensive coverage (Forbes, Seeking Alpha, MSN) is increasing visibility and trading volume but does not change fundamentals by itself. What's Happening With VIR Stock?
- Neutral Sentiment: Company disclosures: The earnings call transcript and slide deck provide added pipeline and cash‑position detail for investors to model future milestones and spend. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
- Negative Sentiment: Proposed public offering: Vir filed to sell additional common stock — proceeds would strengthen the balance sheet but the offering is dilutive and can weigh on near‑term shares. Proposed Public Offering
- Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Multiple insiders (including the CEO and several senior officers) reported stock sales on Feb. 23 — notable for sentiment and potential supply into the market. Insider Sales Report
- Negative Sentiment: Ongoing losses and wide negative margins: Despite revenue momentum and partnerships, Vir reported a sizable 2025 net loss and negative margins, making long‑term upside contingent on execution and milestone payments. 2025 Financial Results and Corporate Update
About Vir Biotechnology
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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