Nwam LLC Sells 1,436 Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Nwam LLC lowered its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX - Free Report) by 23.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,742 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock after selling 1,436 shares during the period. Nwam LLC's holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $2,299,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $40,000. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $44,000. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 45.5% during the 4th quarter. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 112 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 46.2% during the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 95 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.96% of the company's stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 0.6%

NASDAQ VRTX traded up $2.67 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $465.94. 252,569 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,418,073. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 1-year low of $377.85 and a 1-year high of $519.88. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $448.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $462.07. The company has a current ratio of 2.65, a quick ratio of 2.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The company has a market cap of $119.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -118.72 and a beta of 0.41.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 5th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.06 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.29 by ($0.23). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 3.36% and a negative net margin of 8.91%. The firm had revenue of $2.77 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.76 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Leerink Partnrs cut Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Leerink Partners reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $503.00 price objective (down from $550.00) on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $511.71.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals 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.

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