Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-eight analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $501.83.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on VRTX. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Scotiabank raised their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $426.00 to $430.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $473.00 to $476.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $503.00 to $500.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 23rd.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vertex Pharmaceuticals

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VRTX. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 70.6% during the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 58 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. purchased a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter worth about $33,000. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

NASDAQ:VRTX opened at $438.40 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $112.90 billion, a P/E ratio of -220.30, a P/E/G ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.40. The business’s 50-day moving average is $434.56 and its 200 day moving average is $463.49. 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 has a 12 month low of $377.85 and a 12 month high of $519.88.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.61 by $0.77. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 1.91% and a negative net margin of 4.52%. The firm had revenue of $2.77 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.69 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.67 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals will post -1.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Company 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.