Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) Sets New 12-Month High Following Analyst Upgrade

Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday after Zacks Research upgraded the stock from a strong sell rating to a hold rating. The stock traded as high as $12.19 and last traded at $12.0840, with a volume of 649,995 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.02.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. HC Wainwright increased their price objective on Vir Biotechnology from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Vir Biotechnology from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $25.00 target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Vir Biotechnology currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $22.14.

Insider Activity at Vir Biotechnology

In other news, EVP Vanina de Verneuil sold 2,407 shares of Vir Biotechnology stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.10, for a total value of $26,717.70. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 110,193 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,223,142.30. The trade was a 2.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through 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. Insiders own 2.90% of the company’s stock.

Key Vir Biotechnology News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Needham raised its price target to $20 from $18 and maintained a Buy rating, signaling confidence in Vir’s potential. Needham rating
• Positive Sentiment: Vir plans to present topline Phase 3 ECLIPSE 1 results for its hepatitis delta therapies, elebsiran and tobevibart, at AASLD’s 2026 Liver Meeting. The clinical readout is a significant potential catalyst. ECLIPSE 1 data announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Q3 adjusted loss of $0.57 per share was narrower than analysts’ expected loss of about $0.75–$0.80 and improved from $1.17 a year earlier. Q3 earnings report
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Vir from “strong sell” to “hold,” a ratings improvement but not a bullish recommendation. Zacks ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Management said its cash runway is expected to extend into the second half of 2028, giving the company funding visibility as it advances clinical programs. Cash runway update
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly revenue was negative $0.19 million, below the $0.98 million consensus estimate and down 178.3% year over year, offsetting some of the earnings improvement. Q3 financial results

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in Vir Biotechnology by 65.7% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 136,146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,522,000 after purchasing an additional 53,987 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in Vir Biotechnology by 10.1% during the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 29,064 shares of the company’s stock worth $325,000 after acquiring an additional 2,669 shares during the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its position in Vir Biotechnology by 58.5% during the third quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 28,033 shares of the company’s stock worth $313,000 after buying an additional 10,346 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in Vir Biotechnology by 4.1% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 55,135 shares of the company’s stock worth $616,000 after purchasing an additional 2,164 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in Vir Biotechnology by 3.3% in the third quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 28,468 shares of the company’s stock valued at $318,000 after acquiring an additional 900 shares during the last quarter. 65.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vir Biotechnology Trading Up 9.8%

The stock has a market cap of $2.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.60 and a beta of 1.70. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $11.01 and its 200-day moving average is $9.58.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported ($0.57) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.75) by $0.18. The company had revenue of ($0.19) million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $0.98 million. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 178.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned ($1.17) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Vir Biotechnology, Inc. will post -1.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Vir Biotechnology

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.