Quadrature Capital Ltd Buys 131,995 Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated $VRTX

Quadrature Capital Ltd increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 736.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 149,908 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after buying an additional 131,995 shares during the quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $58,695,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quantitative Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $654,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 520.1% in the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 381,195 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $149,291,000 after acquiring an additional 319,725 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 5.7% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,096,797 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $821,189,000 after purchasing an additional 112,751 shares in the last quarter. Seven Mile Advisory increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 9.8% during the third quarter. Seven Mile Advisory now owns 782 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $306,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Finally, Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 4.7% during the third quarter. Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC now owns 909 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $356,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, EVP Mark E. Bunnage sold 620 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $486.35, for a total transaction of $301,537.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,284 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,542,573.40. This represents a 7.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Amit Sachdev sold 1,846 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $486.35, for a total transaction of $897,802.10. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 55,570 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,026,469.50. The trade was a 3.22% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 91,156 shares of company stock worth $42,845,497 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on VRTX shares. UBS Group raised their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $545.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $460.00 to $515.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $570.00 to $596.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $495.00 to $558.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Leerink Partners upped their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $456.00 to $525.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $553.36.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:VRTX opened at $478.13 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $469.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $437.20. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $362.50 and a fifty-two week high of $519.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $121.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.31.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 32.94% and a return on equity of 24.30%. The company had revenue of $3.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.18 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.98 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Vertex Pharmaceuticals News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its price target to $600, signaling meaningful upside from current levels and adding institutional momentum. Oppenheimer Raises Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) Price Target to $600.00
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America reiterated/issued a bullish view that the stock is positioned to rise, supporting demand from fundamental analysts. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Bank of America Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup likewise published a positive forecast for VRTX, adding to the cluster of buy-side endorsements. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Citigroup Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley projected strong price appreciation, further cementing a consensus of elevated analyst expectations. Morgan Stanley Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target to $525 and kept a buy rating, another near‑term upside signal from a major sell‑side shop. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: News reports show the stock recently spiked (up ~9–10%) on an analyst upgrade, indicating momentum-driven buying can be swift. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) Trading 9.9% Higher on Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Clinical catalyst: a Vertex drug reduced proteinuria in a Phase III IgA nephropathy trial — a meaningful development that could expand the pipeline and long‑term revenue potential. Vertex drug cuts proteinuria in Phase III IgA nephropathy trial
• Neutral Sentiment: Vertex presented at Barclays’ healthcare conference (transcript available) — useful for detail on pipeline timelines and management guidance but not an immediate price mover by itself. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) Presents at Barclays 28th Annual Global Healthcare Conference Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage note: articles report a rising biotech weighting/focus in Nasdaq indexes, which can support longer‑term passive demand for VRTX but is not an immediate earnings catalyst. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) Biotech Focus Rises In Nasdaq Index
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the bullish notes, the stock has pulled back and printed a larger intraday decline than the market in recent sessions, reflecting profit‑taking and short‑term volatility. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) Registers a Bigger Fall Than the Market: Important Facts to Note
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary flagged that while price moves have been strong, recent earnings‑estimate revision trends may limit near‑term follow‑through. Vertex (VRTX) Moves 8.3% Higher: Will This Strength Last?

Vertex Pharmaceuticals 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.