Novavax (NVAX) vs Vir Biotechnology (VIR)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Vir Biotechnology (VIR) has outperformed Novavax (NVAX) over the past year, gaining 103.5% versus a gain of 21.7%. Over five years, VIR leads with a -70.5% price change compared with -93.1% for NVAX. Vir Biotechnology is the larger company by market cap ($1.85 billion vs $1.80 billion), about 1.0 times the size.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | NVAX | VIR |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $10.91 | $10.96 |
| Market cap | $1.80B | $1.85B |
| 1-day change | -2.80% | -4.86% |
| YTD return | +66.96% | +91.04% |
| 1-year return | +21.69% | +103.53% |
| 5-year return | -93.07% | -70.53% |
| EPS (TTM) | $-1.58 | $-1.76 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 52-week high | $13.39 | $11.94 |
| 52-week low | $6.20 | $4.82 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -18.55% | -8.21% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | strong_buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +28.37% | +89.60% |
| Average volume | 5.16M | 1.90M |
| Shares outstanding | 164.95M | 169.22M |
| Employees | 749 | 367 |
| Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| Industry | Biotechnology: Biological Products (No Diagnostic Substances) | Biotechnology: Biological Products (No Diagnostic Substances) |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- VIR has outperformed NVAX by 81.8 percentage points over the past year.
About Novavax
NVAX stock →Novavax, Inc., a biotechnology company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of vaccines to prevent serious infectious diseases in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company commercializes Nuvaxovid, a COVID-19 vaccine; and R21 Matrix-M adjuvant malaria vaccine.
Health Care · Biotechnology: Biological Products (No Diagnostic Substances) · 749 employees
About Vir Biotechnology
VIR stock →Vir Biotechnology, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, discovers and develops therapeutic products to treat and prevent serious infectious diseases in the United States and internationally. Its clinical development pipeline consists of product investigational therapies targeting hepatitis delta virus (HDV) and other solid tumors.
Health Care · Biotechnology: Biological Products (No Diagnostic Substances) · 367 employees
NVAX vs VIR FAQ
Which is bigger, Novavax or Vir Biotechnology?
Vir Biotechnology (VIR) is larger, with a market capitalization of $1.85B compared with $1.80B for Novavax (NVAX).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, NVAX or VIR?
VIR returned +103.53% over the past 12 months, compared with +21.69% for NVAX (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Are Novavax and Vir Biotechnology in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Biotechnology: Biological Products (No Diagnostic Substances) industry within the Health Care sector.