Meiji Yasuda America Inc Invests $1.91 Million in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated $VRTX

Meiji Yasuda America Inc bought a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 4,216 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,911,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 650 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $295,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 545 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $247,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Childress Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Childress Capital Advisors LLC now owns 730 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $331,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 5,026 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,279,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Glenview Trust Co raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 7,005 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $3,176,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VRTX has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $580.00 price objective for the company. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $437.00 to $436.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Maxim Group raised shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Truist Financial started coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $542.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $607.00 to $615.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $555.91.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 2.1%

VRTX stock opened at $445.04 on Friday. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 12 month low of $362.50 and a 12 month high of $507.92. The firm has a market cap of $112.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.30. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $437.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $452.38.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.47 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.23. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 35.51% and a return on equity of 23.86%. The firm had revenue of $2.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.99 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.06 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 17.02 EPS for the current year.

Trending Headlines about Vertex Pharmaceuticals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Vertex announced new data on CASGEVY showing clinical benefits in patients ages 5 and older with severe sickle cell disease or transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia, including pediatric data consistent with the therapy’s profile in older patients. The company also said it is making additional global regulatory submissions, which could expand the drug’s commercial opportunity. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent items point to supportive Wall Street views, including a “Moderate Buy” consensus and multiple higher price targets, suggesting analysts still see upside despite the stock’s recent strength.
• Neutral Sentiment: Vertex presented at the Goldman Sachs Global Healthcare Conference, but no major new financial guidance or pipeline surprise was highlighted in the available summary. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: A senior executive sold shares under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan. While this can draw attention, the sale appears routine rather than a sign of negative business developments. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed its FY2027 EPS estimate for Vertex slightly, which may have limited enthusiasm a bit, though the change was modest and the outlook remains above current-year consensus. Article Title

Insider Activity at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In related news, EVP Joy Liu sold 1,104 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $425.02, for a total transaction of $469,222.08. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,729 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,810,239.58. The trade was a 5.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Sangeeta N. Bhatia sold 318 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $423.73, for a total transaction of $134,746.14. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,924 shares in the company, valued at $2,086,446.52. This trade represents a 6.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 11,133 shares of company stock valued at $4,973,106. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.