HB Wealth Management LLC Cuts Stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated $VRTX

HB Wealth Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 18.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,680 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 1,903 shares during the period. HB Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $3,400,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 23,973,777 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $10,673,126,000 after purchasing an additional 482,616 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 21.5% in the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 6,151,505 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,738,650,000 after purchasing an additional 1,089,063 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.9% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,928,747 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $2,627,135,000 after buying an additional 166,987 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 10.7% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 4,378,320 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,949,228,000 after buying an additional 424,808 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P increased its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.7% in the second quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 3,813,378 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,697,716,000 after buying an additional 65,047 shares during the period. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 1.2%

NASDAQ:VRTX opened at $463.86 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $443.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $427.33. The stock has a market cap of $117.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.71 and a beta of 0.31. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a twelve month low of $362.50 and a twelve month high of $519.68.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.58 by $0.22. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 31.35% and a return on equity of 23.51%. The firm had revenue of $3.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.05 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.38 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Vertex reported progress advancing suzetrigine into a Phase‑3 trial for diabetic nerve pain — a meaningful new indication that could broaden revenue beyond its cystic fibrosis franchise. Vertex Advances Suzetrigine Phase 3 Trial
• Positive Sentiment: Wolfe Research upgraded the stock recently, and several sell‑side firms have raised price targets (e.g., Leerink, Wells Fargo), supporting upside expectations and a consensus target near ~$504. Vertex Stock Rating Upgraded by Wolfe Research
• Neutral Sentiment: Market recaps note short‑term price weakness even as fundamentals and analyst coverage remain constructive — context for volatile daily moves but not necessarily a change to the longer‑term thesis. Vertex Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts
• Neutral Sentiment: Another market note highlighted the recent down‑day versus a broader market uptick — useful color for traders but not new company‑specific catalysts. Vertex Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick
• Negative Sentiment: Two senior executives disclosed sizable open‑market sales this week — EVP Charles Wagner Jr. sold 9,532 shares (~$4.4M at ~$461/share) and EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 4,500 shares (~$2.14M at ~$475/share). Large insider sales can pressure sentiment even if not tied to company fundamentals. Charles Wagner, Jr. Sells 9,532 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Separate filing shows EVP Ourania Tatsis’ 4,500‑share sale and a near‑10% reduction in her position — another factor likely weighing on intraday selling pressure. Ourania Tatsis Insider Sale
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece and some sell‑side notes discuss the near‑term cost and execution risk of expanding beyond cystic fibrosis, which can temper investor appetite until new indications (like suzetrigine) de‑risk. The Cost Of Growing Beyond Cystic Fibrosis (Rating Downgrade)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VRTX has been the subject of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $564.00 target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, December 5th. Leerink Partnrs raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $423.00 to $415.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $460.00 to $515.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $535.00 price target on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $503.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, EVP Charles F. Wagner, Jr. sold 9,532 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $461.00, for a total transaction of $4,394,252.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 37,725 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,391,225. The trade was a 20.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $474.99, for a total value of $2,137,455.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,293 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,088,752.07. This represents a 9.62% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 165,105 shares of company stock worth $73,858,523 over the last three months. 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.