Liontrust Investment Partners LLP Decreases Holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Key Points

• Liontrust Investment Partners LLP reduced its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by **22.1%**, ending the 1st quarter with 14,043 shares valued at approximately **$6.8 million**.
• Analysts have set varied price targets for Vertex Pharmaceuticals, with estimates ranging from **$405.00** to **$550.00**, while the consensus rating remains a **"Moderate Buy"** with an average target price of **$497.10**.
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals reported **$4.52 earnings per share** for its last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations, along with **11.3%** year-over-year revenue growth, totaling **$2.94 billion**.

Liontrust Investment Partners LLP cut its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX - Free Report) by 22.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 14,043 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock after selling 3,986 shares during the quarter. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP's holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $6,808,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 450.0% during the 1st quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 55 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 46.2% during the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 95 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 1st quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, Stone House Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 1st quarter valued at $48,000. 90.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on VRTX. Morgan Stanley set a $439.00 price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $515.00 to $517.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 14th. HC Wainwright decreased their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $550.00 to $478.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased 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, August 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $497.10.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of VRTX opened at $390.30 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $100.07 billion, a PE ratio of 27.90 and a beta of 0.44. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $446.11 and a 200-day moving average price of $464.11. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 12-month low of $362.50 and a 12-month high of $519.88.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $2.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.90 billion. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 23.91% and a net margin of 31.86%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($12.83) EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, Director Bruce I. Sachs purchased 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $389.68 per share, for a total transaction of $1,948,400.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 45,000 shares in the company, valued at $17,535,600. The trade was a 12.50% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VRTX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.