Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Shares Purchased by Diversify Advisory Services LLC

Diversify Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 2.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,946 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after buying an additional 131 shares during the quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $2,026,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 18.8% in the second quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 5,892 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $2,761,000 after acquiring an additional 932 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.9% during the second quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 38,326 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $17,964,000 after purchasing an additional 1,085 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 6.5% in the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 94,794 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $44,432,000 after purchasing an additional 5,827 shares during the last quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 14.8% in the 2nd quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 2,881 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,350,000 after purchasing an additional 372 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Profund Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 12.1% in the 2nd quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 29,546 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $13,849,000 after purchasing an additional 3,194 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

VRTX stock opened at $422.00 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $440.94 and a 200-day moving average of $466.09. The company has a current ratio of 2.47, a quick ratio of 2.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 12-month low of $377.85 and a 12-month high of $519.88.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.61 by $0.77. The firm had revenue of $2.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.69 billion. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 1.91% and a negative net margin of 4.52%. Vertex Pharmaceuticals’s revenue was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.67 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post -1.9 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Raymond James reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Oppenheimer downgraded shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $473.00 to $476.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. HC Wainwright dropped their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $600.00 to $535.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $562.00 to $586.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $490.38.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Profile

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, a biotechnology company, engages in developing and commercializing therapies for treating cystic fibrosis (CF). It markets TRIKAFTA/KAFTRIO for people with CF with at least one F508del mutation for 2 years of age or older; SYMDEKO/SYMKEVI for people with CF for 6 years of age or older; ORKAMBI for CF patients 1 year or older; and KALYDECO for the treatment of patients with 1 year or older who have CF with ivacaftor.