Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) EVP Mark Bunnage Sells 2,021 Shares

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) EVP Mark Bunnage sold 2,021 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $460.43, for a total value of $930,529.03. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 12,914 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,945,993.02. This represents a 13.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 0.8%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock traded up $3.78 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $465.02. The stock had a trading volume of 1,816,913 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,542,259. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a one year low of $362.50 and a one year high of $519.68. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $459.11 and its 200 day moving average is $427.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $117.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.79 and a beta of 0.30.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The pharmaceutical company reported $5.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.05 by ($0.02). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 31.35% and a return on equity of 23.51%. The company had revenue of $3.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.18 billion. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VRTX has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays upgraded shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $414.00 to $606.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Scotiabank initiated coverage on Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Thursday, November 13th. They issued a “sector outperform” rating and a $495.00 price target for the company. Evercore raised their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $475.00 to $530.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Leerink Partners boosted their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $456.00 to $525.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $522.68.

Institutional Trading of Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VRTX. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 650 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $295,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 545 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $247,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Childress Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Childress Capital Advisors LLC now owns 730 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $331,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 1,280 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $570,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Central Pacific Bank Trust Division raised its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 5,026 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,279,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Here are the key news stories impacting Vertex Pharmaceuticals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue and outlook: Vertex reported solid Q4 revenue (~$3.19B) with management forecasting 2026 revenue roughly in line with street expectations and reiterating growth from its cystic fibrosis portfolio and newer medicines — a near-term reassurance for revenue trajectory. Vertex Pharma forecasts 2026 revenue in-line, expects growth in cystic fibrosis treatments
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline expansion: Vertex announced a partnership with WuXi to broaden its autoimmune program beyond cystic fibrosis — a strategic move that supports longer-term growth expectations and analyst bullishness on pipeline upside. Vertex Partners With WuXi To Broaden Autoimmune Pipeline Beyond Cystic Fibrosis
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance roughly in line: The company updated FY‑2026 revenue guidance to about $13.0–13.1B (in line with consensus); EPS guidance details were limited in the release, leaving investors focused on execution rather than a big surprise. Vertex Q4 press release / slides
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst momentum/valuation coverage: Multiple analysts maintain bullish price targets (median target near $545), and commentary that VRTX is a long‑term momentum/valuation story likely helped sentiment despite mixed line‑items. Why Vertex is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Negative Sentiment: Small EPS miss and mixed beat: Reported EPS was $5.03 (slightly below consensus ~$5.05–5.07) — a modest disappointment even as revenue was essentially in-line/solid; some outlets noted the stock dipped on the headline EPS number. Vertex Q4 Earnings Miss Estimates (Zacks)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Several senior executives (multiple EVPs and the CAO) sold shares around Feb. 11 — a visible round of insider selling that can concern some investors even if sales may be routine or for diversification. QuiverQuant summary including insider trades

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc is a Boston-based biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies for serious diseases. Founded in 1989, Vertex built its reputation on research-driven drug development and is best known for its work in cystic fibrosis (CF), where its portfolio of small-molecule CFTR modulators transformed standards of care for many people with the disease. The company operates research and development, manufacturing and commercial organizations and serves patients and healthcare systems in multiple international markets.

Vertex’s marketed products center on CFTR modulators that target the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis rather than just treating symptoms.