M&T Bank Corp Increases Holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated $VRTX

Key Points

• M&T Bank boosted its stake in Vertex by 19.5% to 14,732 shares (worth $6.68M), while institutional investors collectively own about 90.96% of the stock.
• Vertex's Q1 beat expectations on EPS ($4.47 vs. $4.24) with revenue of $2.99B and management reiterated full‑year revenue guidance of roughly $13.0B–$13.1B, though the mixed release prompted a near‑term share dip.
• Analysts remain largely positive—MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $554.83 after several price‑target raises—while insiders have sold ~81,853 shares (~$38.5M) over the past 90 days.

M&T Bank Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX - Free Report) by 19.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 14,732 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,408 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp's holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $6,679,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 24,216,865 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $9,484,293,000 after acquiring an additional 243,088 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 16,553,281 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $6,482,978,000 after acquiring an additional 444,990 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 77.9% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 4,689,059 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,836,550,000 after acquiring an additional 2,053,156 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 4,522,586 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,771,226,000 after acquiring an additional 144,266 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,276,927 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $891,744,000 after acquiring an additional 95,565 shares in the last quarter. 90.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on VRTX. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $571.00 to $598.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $545.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Truist Financial raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $495.00 to $558.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $541.00 to $543.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $554.83.

Insider Transactions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In other news, EVP Joy Liu sold 1,104 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $425.02, for a total value of $469,222.08. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,729 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,810,239.58. The trade was a 5.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CMO Carmen Bozic sold 2,329 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $481.79, for a total value of $1,122,088.91. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 35,405 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,057,774.95. This represents a 6.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 81,853 shares of company stock worth $38,479,135. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of VRTX opened at $424.36 on Wednesday. The business's 50 day moving average price is $452.77 and its 200-day moving average price is $449.59. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 52 week low of $362.50 and a 52 week high of $507.92. The stock has a market cap of $107.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.30.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.23. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 24.41% and a net margin of 35.51%.The firm had revenue of $2.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.06 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 16.81 EPS for the current year.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat on EPS and showed revenue growth driven by product sales; management highlighted broad portfolio strength and pipeline progress, supporting longer‑term growth thesis. Business Wire: Vertex Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Sales of new CF therapies and other recently launched products accelerated, contributing materially to product revenue growth and suggesting multiple near‑term commercial growth engines. Reuters: Vertex tops profit estimates as sales of new cystic fibrosis drug surge
• Neutral Sentiment: Vertex reiterated full‑year 2026 revenue guidance (~$13.0B–$13.1B), roughly in line with consensus — supportive for guidance stability but not a clear upside catalyst. Investor Slide Deck / Press Release (Q1 2026)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts revised models and price targets after the Q1 release — many maintained Outperform/Buy views but trimmed targets, reflecting mixed near‑term readings despite constructive longer‑term views. Benzinga: These Analysts Revise Their Forecasts On Vertex After Q1 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling was reported this week (EVP Joy Liu sold 1,104 shares; director Sangeeta Bhatia sold 318 shares). Trades were executed under 10b5‑1 plans, but active insider sales can weigh on sentiment. SEC Form 4 (Joy Liu) SEC Form 4 (Sangeeta Bhatia)
• Negative Sentiment: Shares dipped after the mixed report (EPS/revenue beats but some metrics and commentary left investors cautious), prompting near‑term profit‑taking and PT trims. Yahoo Finance: Vertex Dips On Mixed First‑Quarter Report

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc is a Boston-based biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies for serious diseases. Founded in 1989, Vertex built its reputation on research-driven drug development and is best known for its work in cystic fibrosis (CF), where its portfolio of small-molecule CFTR modulators transformed standards of care for many people with the disease. The company operates research and development, manufacturing and commercial organizations and serves patients and healthcare systems in multiple international markets.

Vertex's marketed products center on CFTR modulators that target the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis rather than just treating symptoms.

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