Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) Price Target Raised to $640.00

Key Points

• UBS raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ price target to $640 from $615 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying 19.73% potential upside from the previous close.
• Analysts broadly remain positive, with Vertex carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $589.48.
• Vertex reported quarterly revenue of $3.44 billion, up 11.8% year over year and ahead of estimates, but earnings per share of $4.76 missed consensus. Management raised full-year 2026 revenue guidance to $13.2 billion–$13.3 billion.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by analysts at UBS Group from $615.00 to $640.00 in a report issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the pharmaceutical company's stock. UBS Group's price objective suggests a potential upside of 19.73% from the company's previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Friday, September 11th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $560.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. They set an "overweight" rating and a $665.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $633.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $555.00 to $556.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $500.00 to $563.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $589.48.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of VRTX traded down $18.63 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $534.52. The company had a trading volume of 903,115 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,386,724. Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a 1 year low of $403.16 and a 1 year high of $568.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $135.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.28. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $523.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $479.96.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the second quarter worth about $11,975,849,000. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 11,871,459 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $5,896,910,000 after buying an additional 141,320 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,247,658 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,613,209,000 after buying an additional 35,069 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,086,683 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,533,248,000 after acquiring an additional 29,287 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,509,651,000. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Vertex Pharmaceuticals News

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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