Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-seven analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $503.80.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VRTX. UBS Group initiated coverage on Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $535.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $517.00 to $530.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $460.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $455.00 to $445.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

NASDAQ VRTX opened at $463.86 on Friday. Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a 1-year low of $362.50 and a 1-year high of $519.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $117.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.71 and a beta of 0.31. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $443.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $427.17.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.80 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.05 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.38 earnings per share. Vertex Pharmaceuticals’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Vertex Pharmaceuticals will post 15.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Charles F. Wagner, Jr. sold 9,532 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction dated 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 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 Ourania Tatsis sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 7th. The shares were 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 have sold 165,105 shares of company stock valued at $73,858,523 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vertex Pharmaceuticals

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Capital Asset Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $265,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 832,853 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $377,582,000 after acquiring an additional 69,150 shares during the last quarter. Park Place Capital Corp grew its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 625 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $283,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co. increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 8.2% in the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 661 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $300,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westview Management dba Westview Investment Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth about $2,849,000. 90.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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)

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.