Optas LLC Raises Holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Optas LLC increased its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 7.9% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 874 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Optas LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $352,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mutual Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 3,710 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,751,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.8% during the third quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 804 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $374,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 5.7% in the third quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 410 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $191,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the period. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 892 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $415,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 70.6% during the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 58 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

NASDAQ VRTX opened at $482.28 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $124.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -242.35, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 2.47 and a quick ratio of 2.20. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $434.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $462.62. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 1 year low of $377.85 and a 1 year high of $519.88.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.38 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $2.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.69 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.67 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post -1.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on VRTX shares. Scotiabank upped their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $430.00 to $433.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $473.00 to $476.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $562.00 to $586.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Raymond James reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $550.00 to $460.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vertex Pharmaceuticals currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $502.58.

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.