Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Stake Boosted by BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas boosted its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX - Free Report) by 9.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,184 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock after buying an additional 531 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas' holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $2,490,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VRTX. ABC Arbitrage SA purchased a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter valued at $1,510,000. Czech National Bank grew its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 55,838 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $22,486,000 after purchasing an additional 3,260 shares during the last quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 5,771 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $2,324,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Davidson Investment Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 26.0% in the 4th quarter. Davidson Investment Advisors now owns 61,161 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $24,630,000 after purchasing an additional 12,631 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 75.5% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 2,468 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $994,000 after purchasing an additional 1,062 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.96% of the company's stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

VRTX traded down $50.16 on Tuesday, hitting $450.03. 7,998,848 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,371,270. The business's fifty day moving average is $491.94 and its 200 day moving average is $466.80. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $377.85 and a fifty-two week high of $519.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $115.69 billion, a P/E ratio of -204.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.51.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 5th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.29 by ($0.23). The firm had revenue of $2.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.85 billion. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 2.02% and a negative net margin of 4.86%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.76 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 244 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $455.06, for a total transaction of $111,034.64. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 67,695 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $30,805,286.70. The trade was a 0.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Altshuler sold 3,231 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $500.00, for a total transaction of $1,615,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 26,512 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,256,000. This trade represents a 10.86 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 4,315 shares of company stock valued at $2,121,012. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on VRTX shares. Scotiabank cut their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $450.00 to $442.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $460.00 to $520.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. 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. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $420.00 to $423.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and raised their price target for the stock from $408.00 to $424.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $515.04.

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.