26,522 Shares in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Purchased by ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V.

Key Points

• ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. has invested approximately $12.86 million in Vertex Pharmaceuticals, purchasing 26,522 shares during the first quarter.
• Institutional investors now own 90.96% of Vertex Pharmaceuticals' stock, reflecting strong interest from the investment community.
• Vertex reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $4.52, exceeding analysts' expectations, with a revenue increase of 11.3% compared to the previous year.

ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. bought a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 26,522 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock, valued at approximately $12,858,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at about $40,000. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at about $44,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 46.2% in the first quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 95 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Finally, University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. bought a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 1st quarter valued at about $46,000. Institutional investors own 90.96% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on VRTX shares. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Leerink Partnrs downgraded shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $455.00 price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $430.00 to $405.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Guggenheim dropped their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $558.00 to $546.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $497.10.

Insider Transactions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In other news, Director Bruce I. Sachs acquired 5,000 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 6th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $389.68 per share, with a total value of $1,948,400.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 45,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,535,600. This trade represents a 12.50% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 2.4%

Shares of VRTX traded down $9.09 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $366.54. The company had a trading volume of 3,679,339 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,989,627. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $450.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $465.51. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 52-week low of $364.66 and a 52-week high of $519.88. The firm has a market cap of $93.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.20 and a beta of 0.44.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.52 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $2.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.90 billion. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 23.91% and a net margin of 31.86%. Vertex Pharmaceuticals's quarterly revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($12.83) EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, a biotechnology company, engages in developing and commercializing therapies for treating cystic fibrosis (CF). It markets TRIKAFTA/KAFTRIO for people with CF with at least one F508del mutation for 2 years of age or older; SYMDEKO/SYMKEVI for people with CF for 6 years of age or older; ORKAMBI for CF patients 1 year or older; and KALYDECO for the treatment of patients with 1 year or older who have CF with ivacaftor.