Ourania Tatsis Sells 4,500 Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) Stock

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 4,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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. The trade was a 9.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

NASDAQ:VRTX opened at $463.86 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $443.50 and its 200 day moving average is $427.17. The firm has a market cap of $117.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.71 and a beta of 0.31. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 52-week low of $362.50 and a 52-week high of $519.68.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.58 by $0.22. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 23.51% and a net margin of 31.35%.The business had revenue of $3.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.05 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.38 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Chesapeake Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 110.0% in the 3rd quarter. Chesapeake Asset Management LLC now owns 63 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Colonial Trust Co SC boosted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 118.8% during the third quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 70 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Flaharty Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the first quarter worth about $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Vertex Pharmaceuticals

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)

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Scotiabank started coverage on Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. They issued a “sector outperform” rating and a $495.00 price objective on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $455.00 to $445.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $460.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $517.00 to $530.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $535.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $503.80.

About Vertex Pharmaceuticals

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.