Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Acquires 9,963 Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated $VRTX

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI lifted its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 30.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 42,881 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after buying an additional 9,963 shares during the quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $16,794,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter valued at $721,000. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey lifted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 39,035 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $17,378,000 after purchasing an additional 1,393 shares during the last quarter. Bailard Inc. boosted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.5% during the second quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 38,147 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $16,983,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the second quarter valued at about $10,059,000. Finally, Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC raised its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.4% in the second quarter. Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC now owns 58,077 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,856,000 after purchasing an additional 822 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on VRTX shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $423.00 to $415.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $550.00 to $575.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. Scotiabank started coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Thursday, November 13th. They issued a “sector outperform” rating and a $495.00 price target on the stock. Barclays increased their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $408.00 to $414.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $548.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Two 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $503.80.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In related news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 4,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $474.99, for a total transaction of $2,137,455.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,293 shares in the company, 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 SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Charles F. Wagner, Jr. sold 9,532 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $461.00, for a total value of $4,394,252.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 37,725 shares in the company, valued at $17,391,225. This represents a 20.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 165,105 shares of company stock worth $73,858,523. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories 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)

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of VRTX opened at $463.86 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $443.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $427.04. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a one year low of $362.50 and a one year high of $519.68. 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 (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.05 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.38 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.