Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated $VRTX Shares Sold by Truist Financial Corp

Key Points

• Truist Financial Corp cut its stake in Vertex by 12.3% in Q4, selling 17,671 shares and ending the period with 126,193 shares worth about $57.2 million.
• Q1 results showed an EPS beat ($4.47 vs. $4.24) and revenue of $2.99B (in line with guidance), driven by an almost eight‑fold surge in sales of the new cystic fibrosis drug, while the company reiterated FY‑2026 revenue guidance of roughly $13.0–13.1B.
• Insider selling has been notable (80,431 shares, ~$37.9M over 90 days) even as institutional ownership remains high at 90.96%, a mix that could influence investor sentiment.

Truist Financial Corp lessened its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX - Free Report) by 12.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 126,193 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock after selling 17,671 shares during the quarter. Truist Financial Corp's holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $57,211,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 243,088 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 444,990 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 2,053,156 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 144,266 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 95,565 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.96% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VRTX has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. HC Wainwright upped their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $591.00 to $641.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $590.00 price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $441.00 to $437.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Wolfe Research raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $548.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $554.83.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

NASDAQ VRTX opened at $429.85 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $109.34 billion, a PE ratio of 28.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.30. The company has a fifty day moving average of $453.82 and a 200 day moving average of $449.48. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 1 year low of $362.50 and a 1 year high of $507.92.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $2.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 32.94% and a return on equity of 24.30%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.06 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 16.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly EPS beat estimates — Vertex reported $4.47 EPS, above consensus, which traders view as proof of durable profitability. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Surge in new cystic fibrosis drug sales — management pointed to a near eight-fold increase in sales of the new CF treatment, a key revenue-growth driver supporting the outlook. Vertex tops profit estimates as sales of new cystic fibrosis drug surge
• Positive Sentiment: FDA label expansion and pipeline momentum remain constructive — recent FDA expansion for ALYFTREK and ongoing pipeline progress are supporting longer‑term growth sentiment. How Investors Are Reacting To Vertex (VRTX) FDA ALYFTREK Expansion and Evolving Pipeline Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue roughly in line with guidance/consensus — reported revenue was $2.99B, essentially matching company guidance and some consensus looks, leaving top-line growth steady but not accelerating. Vertex Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Company reiterated FY-2026 revenue guidance (~$13.0–13.1B), which removes some near-term uncertainty but sets expectations for execution through the year. Vertex Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed/mismatched data and cash-flow softness flagged by third-party feeds — some providers reported revenue/EPS misses vs. their estimates and a drop in operating cash flow, which pressured sentiment after the print. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Substantial insider selling and large institutional portfolio moves are visible in recent filings, a potential negative signal for sentiment despite company performance. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Duncan Mckechnie sold 4,910 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.65, for a total transaction of $2,394,361.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 17,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,562,646.35. This trade represents a 21.85% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Mark E. Bunnage sold 620 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $486.35, for a total transaction of $301,537.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,284 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,542,573.40. This trade represents a 7.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 80,431 shares of company stock valued at $37,875,167 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals 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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