Howland Capital Management LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Howland Capital Management LLC raised its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 2.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,725 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after buying an additional 39 shares during the quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $695,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC now owns 172,821 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $69,595,000 after purchasing an additional 4,664 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter worth $435,899,000. Advisory Resource Group grew its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 24.9% during the fourth quarter. Advisory Resource Group now owns 2,461 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $991,000 after acquiring an additional 491 shares during the period. Arlington Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 7.0% during the fourth quarter. Arlington Financial Advisors LLC now owns 535 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $215,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Finally, Apollon Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 48.5% during the fourth quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,172 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $4,901,000 after acquiring an additional 3,976 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on VRTX. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $437.00 to $451.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Friday, January 31st. UBS Group boosted their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $562.00 to $586.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $533.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Vertex Pharmaceuticals from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $502.58.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ VRTX opened at $469.32 on Friday. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $377.85 and a fifty-two week high of $519.88. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $435.87 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $462.68. The company has a quick ratio of 2.20, a current ratio of 2.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The firm has a market cap of $120.86 billion, a PE ratio of -235.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.41.

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.