Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (VIR) vs Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | VIR | -7.6% revenue growth vs MRNA's -53.3% |
| Quality / Margins | MRNA | -140.3% net margin vs VIR's -6.4% |
| Stability / Safety | MRNA | Beta 1.25 vs VIR's 1.49, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | MRNA | +73.0% vs VIR's +8.3% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | MRNA | -25.7% ROA vs VIR's -43.7%, ROIC -27.0% vs -40.3% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Vir Biotechnology is a commercial-stage immunology company that develops antibody-based therapies to treat and prevent serious infectious diseases. It generates revenue primarily through product sales of its COVID-19 antibody treatment Xevudy and collaboration payments from partners like GSK and Brii Biosciences. The company's key advantage lies in its antibody engineering platform that can identify and optimize potent antibodies against challenging viral targets.
Moderna is a biotechnology company that develops messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, cancer, and other serious conditions. It generates revenue primarily from vaccine sales—notably its COVID-19 vaccine—with additional income from research collaborations and government grants. The company's key advantage is its proprietary mRNA technology platform, which enables rapid development of new vaccines and therapeutics compared to traditional methods.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
MRNA leads in 4 of 6 categories — strongest in Valuation Metrics and Profitability & Efficiency. 1 category is tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
MRNA is the larger business by revenue, generating $2.2B annually — 32.4x VIR's $69M. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from -140.3% (MRNA) to -6.4% (VIR). On growth, VIR holds the edge at +4.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | VIRVir Biotechnology… | MRNAModerna, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $69M | $2.2B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$456M | -$3.3B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$438M | -$3.1B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$392M | -$2.7B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +100.0% | +11.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -6.8% | -155.9% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -6.4% | -140.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -5.7% | -119.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +4.2% | -45.2% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +59.2% | -16.6% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | VIRVir Biotechnology… | MRNAModerna, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.3B | $20.9B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.2B | $19.8B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -2.88x | -5.78x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 18.49x | 6.55x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.65x | 1.89x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
MRNA delivers a -33.4% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-33 in annual profit, vs $-57 for VIR. MRNA carries lower financial leverage with a 0.07x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to VIR's 0.24x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), MRNA scores 4/9 vs VIR's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | VIRVir Biotechnology… | MRNAModerna, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -57.2% | -33.4% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -43.7% | -25.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -40.3% | -27.0% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -42.8% | -28.9% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.24x | 0.07x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$47M | -$1.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $234M | $1.9B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $187M | $747M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | -393.13x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in MRNA five years ago would be worth $3,403 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $1,362 for VIR. Over the past 12 months, MRNA leads with a +73.0% total return vs VIR's +8.3%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors VIR at -26.4% vs MRNA's -27.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | VIRVir Biotechnology… | MRNAModerna, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +53.0% | +73.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +8.3% | +73.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -60.1% | -61.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -86.4% | -66.0% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -35.2% | +188.0% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -26.4% | -27.2% |
Risk & Volatility
MRNA is the less volatile stock with a 1.25 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than VIR's 1.49 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. MRNA currently trades 97.0% from its 52-week high vs VIR's 83.1% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | VIRVir Biotechnology… | MRNAModerna, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.49x | 1.25x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $10.94 | $55.20 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $4.16 | $22.28 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +83.1% | +97.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 66.1 | 71.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.5M | 10.8M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates VIR as "Buy" and MRNA as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 126.3% upside for VIR (target: $21) vs -34.9% for MRNA (target: $35).
| Metric | VIRVir Biotechnology… | MRNAModerna, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $20.57 | $34.89 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 12 | 27 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vir Biotechnology, … (VIR) | 100 | 17.13 | -82.9% |
| Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) | 100 | 142.4 | +42.4% |
Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) returned -66% over 5 years vs Vir Biotechnology, … (VIR)'s -86%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vir Biotechnology, … (VIR) | $149000.00 | $69M | +45910.7% |
| Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) | $108M | $3.2B | +2851.2% |
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vir Biotechnology, … (VIR) | -468.8% | -6.4% | +98.6% |
| Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) | -199.5% | -111.3% | +44.2% |
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vir Biotechnology, … (VIR) | -10.02 | -3.16 | +68.5% |
| Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) | -3.79 | -9.27 | -144.6% |
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Vir Biotechnology, Inc. generated $-397M FCF in 2025 (-471% vs 2021). Moderna, Inc. generated $-4B FCF in 2024 (-130% vs 2021).
VIR vs MRNA: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is VIR or MRNA a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (VIR) a "Buy" — based on 12 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — VIR or MRNA?
Over the past 5 years, Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) delivered a total return of -66.0%, compared to -86.4% for Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (VIR). A $10,000 investment in MRNA five years ago would be worth approximately $3K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MRNA returned +188.0% versus VIR's -35.2%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — VIR or MRNA?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) is the lower-risk stock at 1.25β versus Vir Biotechnology, Inc.'s 1.49β — meaning VIR is approximately 19% more volatile than MRNA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 7% versus 24% for Vir Biotechnology, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — VIR or MRNA?
Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) is the more profitable company, earning -111.3% net margin versus -638.9% for Vir Biotechnology, Inc. — meaning it keeps -111.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MRNA leads at -123.3% versus -682.7% for VIR. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — VIR leads at 82.9%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Which pays a better dividend — VIR or MRNA?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
06Is VIR or MRNA better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.25), +188.0% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (MRNA: +188.0%, VIR: -35.2%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
07What are the main differences between VIR and MRNA?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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