Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) Upgraded to “Outperform” at Oppenheimer

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) was upgraded by analysts at Oppenheimer from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report released on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm currently has a $540.00 target price on the pharmaceutical company’s stock. Oppenheimer’s target price indicates a potential upside of 16.12% from the company’s previous close.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. UBS Group upped their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $545.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $455.00 to $546.00 in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Evercore boosted 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, Scotiabank assumed coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. They set a “sector outperform” rating and a $495.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $525.55.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 0.8%

NASDAQ VRTX opened at $465.02 on Friday. Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a twelve month low of $362.50 and a twelve month high of $519.68. The stock has a market cap of $117.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.79 and a beta of 0.30. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $459.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $427.55.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The pharmaceutical company reported $5.03 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.05 by ($0.02). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 23.51% and a net margin of 31.35%.The business had revenue of $3.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.18 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.98 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Vertex Pharmaceuticals will post 15.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, EVP Jonathan Biller sold 1,925 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 $886,327.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,819 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,585,692.17. The trade was a 8.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Edward Morrow Atkinson III sold 1,751 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $460.43, for a total transaction of $806,212.93. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 22,046 shares in the company, valued at $10,150,639.78. This trade represents a 7.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 99,352 shares of company stock worth $45,037,314. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Chesapeake Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 110.0% during the 3rd quarter. Chesapeake Asset Management LLC now owns 63 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the period. Access Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Colonial Trust Co SC boosted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 118.8% in the third quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 70 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Vertex Pharmaceuticals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and product momentum — Vertex reported Q4 revenue of ~$3.19B (≈+9.5% YoY), which many outlets framed as a beat or in-line with expectations and supports confidence in its CF franchise and near-term cash flow. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst backing and long-term targets — Several analysts maintain bullish ratings and above-current price targets (median targets well above the share price), which provides longer-term upside support for the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline diversification — Company commentary and reporting highlighted partnership/expansion efforts (broader autoimmune work) that could reduce concentration risk over time. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: 2026 guidance roughly in-line — Management’s revenue guidance (~$13.0–13.1B) came in close to consensus, which limits downside from surprise guidance but doesn’t materially raise expectations. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Full materials available — Investors can review the earnings slide deck and call transcript for details on product and pipeline trends to refine estimates. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Small EPS miss and mixed metric comparisons — EPS came in marginally below consensus (~$5.03 vs. ~$5.05–$5.07) and some feeds showed revenue slightly under certain Street models, prompting short-term selling pressure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — Multiple senior executives (EVPs and the CAO) disclosed sizeable open-market sales this week, which can amplify negative sentiment even if sales are for diversification or tax planning. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: After-hours weakness — The combination of the small EPS miss and the insider selling pushed shares lower in after-hours trading, reflecting short-term profit-taking by traders. Read More.

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.