Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-nine brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $491.95.

Several brokerages have issued reports on VRTX. Raymond James Financial began coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. UBS Group dropped their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $553.00 to $546.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Guggenheim dropped their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $558.00 to $546.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 6th. Leerink Partnrs raised shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 22nd.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 0.3%

NASDAQ VRTX traded up $1.28 on Friday, reaching $433.45. 727,908 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,602,289. Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a one year low of $362.50 and a one year high of $519.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $109.97 billion, a PE ratio of 30.98 and a beta of 0.36. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $415.59 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $425.05.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.58 by $0.22. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 31.86% and a return on equity of 23.91%. The business had revenue of $3.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.05 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.38 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Vertex Pharmaceuticals has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals will post 15.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In related news, Chairman Jeffrey M. Leiden sold 53,604 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $440.72, for a total value of $23,624,354.88. Following the sale, the chairman owned 24,026 shares in the company, valued at $10,588,738.72. This represents a 69.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vertex Pharmaceuticals

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Activest Wealth Management acquired a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Chesapeake Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 110.0% during the 3rd quarter. Chesapeake Asset Management LLC now owns 63 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd lifted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 450.0% during the first quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 55 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Colonial Trust Co SC lifted its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 118.8% during the 3rd quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 70 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

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.