Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-six research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, fifteen have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $506.70.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $480.00 price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company cut Vertex Pharmaceuticals from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. BMO Capital Markets set a $545.00 target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America decreased their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $545.00 to $522.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $533.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 27th.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

NASDAQ VRTX opened at $503.20 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $467.89 and a two-hundred day moving average of $462.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 2.69 and a quick ratio of 2.35. The company has a market cap of $129.22 billion, a P/E ratio of -228.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.41. Vertex Pharmaceuticals 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, February 10th. The pharmaceutical company reported $3.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.99 by ($0.45). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 4.86% and a negative return on equity of 2.02%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Vertex Pharmaceuticals will post 15.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP David Altshuler sold 3,231 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $500.00, for a total value of $1,615,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 26,512 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,256,000. The trade was a 10.86 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 244 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $455.06, for a total value of $111,034.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 67,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,805,286.70. The trade was a 0.36 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,315 shares of company stock valued at $2,121,012. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Dunhill Financial LLC grew its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 70.6% during the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 58 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter worth $33,000. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Truvestments Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

About Vertex Pharmaceuticals

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.