Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) Price Target Raised to $650.00

Key Points

• Wells Fargo raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ price target to $650 from $550 and maintained an “overweight” rating, implying roughly 20% upside. Analysts overall rate the stock “Moderate Buy,” with a consensus target of $587.63.
• Vertex’s third-quarter revenue increased 11.8% year over year to $3.44 billion, slightly beating estimates, but EPS of $4.76 missed the $4.82 consensus. The company raised its full-year 2026 revenue outlook to $13.2 billion–$13.3 billion.
• Shares recently traded at $541.50, near the upper end of their 52-week range, while institutional investors own 90.96% of the stock. Analysts cited continued growth from the cystic fibrosis franchise and newer products, alongside profit pressure from launch investments and the Crinetics acquisition.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $550.00 to $650.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "overweight" rating on the pharmaceutical company's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's target price would indicate a potential upside of 20.04% from the stock's current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on VRTX. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $615.00 to $617.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. They set an "overweight" rating and a $665.00 price target on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $436.00 to $442.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $653.00 price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $500.00 to $563.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $587.63.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of VRTX traded down $11.65 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $541.50. The stock had a trading volume of 531,346 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,385,165. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $523.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $479.96. Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a fifty-two week low of $403.16 and a fifty-two week high of $568.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $137.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.49, a PEG ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.28.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VRTX. Summit Global Investments acquired a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth about $3,568,000. Calamos Advisors LLC increased its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 77.1% in the first quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC now owns 77,886 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $34,779,000 after purchasing an additional 33,917 shares during the period. Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $13,823,000. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the second quarter worth $4,495,000. Finally, Meeder Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth $3,187,000. 90.96% of the stock is 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 rose 11.8% year over year to $3.44 billion, exceeding the $3.42 billion consensus estimate. Growth was supported by the company’s cystic fibrosis franchise and the ramp-up of newer products, including CASGEVY and JOURNAVX. Vertex Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Vertex raised its full-year 2026 revenue outlook to $13.2 billion-$13.3 billion and highlighted continued pipeline advancement and the completed acquisition of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals. Analysts also became more constructive: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target to $619 from $595 and maintained an “overweight” rating. Cantor Fitzgerald Vertex rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Stifel Nicolaus increased its price target to $563 from $500 but retained a “hold” rating, signaling that much of the expected upside may already be reflected in the shares. Stifel Nicolaus Vertex rating
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted earnings of $4.76 per share fell short of estimates ranging from $4.82 to $4.92 and declined from $4.80 a year earlier. Heavy investment in new product launches and the Crinetics transaction limited profit growth despite higher sales. Vertex spends cash flow on new launches
• Negative Sentiment: The revenue outlook is only modestly above the previous forecast and roughly in line with consensus, which may disappoint investors looking for a larger guidance increase. The mixed earnings report has produced a volatile reaction, with the earnings miss and light outlook offsetting the revenue beat.

About Vertex Pharmaceuticals

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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