Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC Decreases Stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated $VRTX

Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 26.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 79,152 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 29,073 shares during the period. Vertex Pharmaceuticals comprises about 1.5% of Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $30,999,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 15.0% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 4,427 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,783,000 after purchasing an additional 579 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 25.7% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,827 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $886,000 after buying an additional 374 shares during the last quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the first quarter valued at $458,000. TrueWealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 12.4% during the 2nd quarter. TrueWealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,223 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $544,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Centurion Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth about $223,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Charles F. Wagner, Jr. sold 14,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $456.00, for a total transaction of $6,384,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 37,725 shares in the company, valued at $17,202,600. This represents a 27.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 4,500 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals 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 owned 42,293 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,088,752.07. This trade represents a 9.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 165,105 shares of company stock valued at $73,858,523. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

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)

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on VRTX shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $548.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $550.00 to $575.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada cut 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 research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $460.00 to $515.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $503.80.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:VRTX opened at $463.86 on Monday. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 1-year low of $362.50 and a 1-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. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $443.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $427.04.

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

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Company 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.