Vertex Pharmaceuticals' (VRTX) Hold (C+) Rating Reiterated at Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• Weiss Ratings has reaffirmed its "hold (C+)" rating for Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), indicating a cautious stance on the company's stock.
• Recent analyst upgrades and downgrades have varied, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a target price of $494.38 among analysts.
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals reported a quarterly EPS of $4.52, exceeding estimates, alongside a revenue increase of 11.3% year-over-year to $2.94 billion.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold (c+)" rating reaffirmed by research analysts at Weiss Ratings in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Leerink Partners upgraded Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $458.00 to $456.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. Scotiabank lowered their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $442.00 to $438.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $424.00 to $411.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 6th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $550.00 to $575.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $485.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $494.38.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:VRTX traded down $1.24 on Friday, reaching $421.39. The company had a trading volume of 1,004,900 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,453,256. Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a twelve month low of $362.50 and a twelve month high of $519.88. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $398.38 and a 200 day moving average price of $435.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $108.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.93 and a beta of 0.43.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $2.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.90 billion. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 23.91% and a net margin of 31.86%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($12.83) earnings per share. Vertex Pharmaceuticals has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Vertex Pharmaceuticals will post 15.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In other news, Director Bruce I. Sachs acquired 5,000 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 6th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $389.68 per share, with a total value of $1,948,400.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 45,000 shares in the company, valued at $17,535,600. This represents a 12.50% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Advisor OS LLC lifted its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. Advisor OS LLC now owns 543 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $263,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Costello Asset Management INC lifted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter. Costello Asset Management INC now owns 689 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $307,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. Kovack Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 1,280 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $570,000 after buying an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC now owns 1,225 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $594,000 after buying an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Blueprint LLC increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Strategic Blueprint LLC now owns 1,498 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $726,000 after buying an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.96% of the company's stock.

About Vertex Pharmaceuticals

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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