Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) EVP Sells $142,547.30 in Stock

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 310 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $459.83, for a total transaction of $142,547.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 64,021 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,438,776.43. The trade was a 0.48 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ:VRTX traded down $2.02 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $453.20. 1,137,886 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,577,772. The company has a quick ratio of 2.20, a current ratio of 2.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a one year low of $377.85 and a one year high of $519.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $116.71 billion, a PE ratio of -227.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.41. The business’s 50 day moving average is $435.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $461.85.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The pharmaceutical company reported $3.54 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.99 by ($0.45). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 1.91% and a negative net margin of 4.52%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post -1.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on VRTX. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $408.00 to $424.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $533.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 27th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $480.00 price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $450.00 to $459.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $402.00 to $407.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $505.96.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bryce Point Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at $1,741,000. Columbia Asset Management lifted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 33.9% during the 4th quarter. Columbia Asset Management now owns 802 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $323,000 after acquiring an additional 203 shares during the period. Groupama Asset Managment grew its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 26.7% in the 4th quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 43,479 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $17,363,000 after purchasing an additional 9,149 shares during the period. May Hill Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter valued at $261,000. Finally, Nemes Rush Group LLC grew its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC now owns 4,858 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,956,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the period. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.