Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) Price Target Cut to $660.00 by Analysts at Morgan Stanley

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley cut Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ price target from $665 to $660 while maintaining an “overweight” rating, implying roughly 23.5% upside from the prior close.
• Vertex shares fell 3.4% to $534.27 in mid-day trading. The company reported quarterly revenue of $3.44 billion, up 11.8% year over year and above expectations, but EPS of $4.76 missed consensus estimates.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average target of $595.74; institutional investors own approximately 91% of the stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) had its price target dropped by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $665.00 to $660.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "overweight" rating on the pharmaceutical company's stock. Morgan Stanley's price target points to a potential upside of 23.53% from the company's previous close.

VRTX has been the topic of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $550.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays upped their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $615.00 to $617.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Leerink Partners assumed coverage on Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Monday, September 21st. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $594.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Friday, October 16th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $560.00 to $565.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $595.74.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 3.4%

VRTX stock traded down $18.88 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $534.27. 1,204,990 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,388,479. Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a 12-month low of $403.16 and a 12-month high of $568.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $135.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.06, a PEG ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.28. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $523.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $479.96.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.82 by ($0.06). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 35.00% and a return on equity of 23.09%. The company had revenue of $3.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.42 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.80 earnings per share. Vertex Pharmaceuticals's revenue was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Vertex Pharmaceuticals will post 16.74 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VRTX. United Advisor Group LLC increased its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 17.4% in the third quarter. United Advisor Group LLC now owns 633 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $331,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Plancorp LLC acquired a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter worth approximately $254,000. May Hill Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. May Hill Capital LLC now owns 643 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $336,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 10.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,994 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $1,565,000 after buying an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Calamos Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 13.0% during the 3rd quarter. Calamos Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,252 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $655,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.96% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Vertex Pharmaceuticals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue increased 11.8% year over year to $3.44 billion, exceeding the $3.42 billion consensus estimate. Growth was supported by the cystic fibrosis franchise and increasing contributions from newer products, including CASGEVY and JOURNAVX. Vertex Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised their price targets after the earnings release. RBC lifted its target to $600 with an “outperform” rating, Wells Fargo raised its target to $650 with an “overweight” rating, Cantor Fitzgerald increased its target to $619 with an “overweight” rating, and Stifel raised its target to $563 while maintaining a “hold” rating. Wells Fargo analyst update
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised full-year 2026 revenue guidance to $13.2 billion-$13.3 billion and highlighted continued portfolio diversification, pipeline progress, and the completed acquisition of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals. Vertex third-quarter results
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s outlook is broadly in line with Wall Street’s $13.3 billion revenue estimate, limiting the positive impact of the guidance increase. Investors will focus on whether newer launches can offset the eventual transition within the cystic fibrosis business.
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted earnings of $4.76 per share fell short of consensus estimates ranging from $4.82 to $4.92 and declined from $4.80 a year earlier. Vertex misses third-quarter earnings estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Higher investment in new product launches and the Crinetics transaction kept profit growth from matching revenue growth, creating concern that elevated spending could weigh on near-term margins.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated is a global biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing medicines for serious diseases. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the company applies expertise in the science of human disease to discover therapies that address significant unmet medical needs.

Vertex is best known for its cystic fibrosis portfolio, which includes Kalydeco, Orkambi, Symdeko/Symkevi, and Trikafta/Kaftrio. These medicines target the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis for patients with specific mutations in the CFTR gene.

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