Baker Chad R Sells 8,990 Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated $VRTX

Baker Chad R reduced its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 92.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 750 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 8,990 shares during the quarter. Baker Chad R’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $340,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in VRTX. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division lifted its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 5,026 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $2,279,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.2% in the second quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,123 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $945,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.8% in the third quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 1,442 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $565,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 5.5% in the third quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 501 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $196,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the period. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 8.0% during the 3rd quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 349 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $137,000 after buying an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Trading Down 0.3%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $453.74 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $469.27 and its 200 day simple moving average is $441.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $115.26 billion, a PE ratio of 29.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.31. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 1-year low of $362.50 and a 1-year high of $510.77.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The pharmaceutical company reported $5.03 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.05 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $3.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.18 billion. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 32.94% and a return on equity of 24.30%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.98 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Trending Headlines about Vertex Pharmaceuticals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Truist Financial upgraded Vertex to “strong-buy”, providing near-term analyst momentum and potential buying interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS estimate for VRTX (to $19.48 from $19.31), signaling growing analyst confidence in Vertex’s longer-term earnings trajectory versus current consensus. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Headline coverage notes Vertex recently outperformed the market, reflecting short-term buying interest and positive sentiment among investors. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary pieces suggest recent volatility may present a buying opportunity for long-term investors, but these are opinion-driven and depend on risk tolerance and time horizon. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Maze Therapeutics reported positive Phase II data for an APOL1-targeted kidney drug — a potential rival to Vertex’s candidate — introducing competitive risk that could affect Vertex’s addressable market and future revenue assumptions. Read More.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $571.00 to $598.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $545.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Truist Financial raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Maxim Group upgraded Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $460.00 to $515.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vertex Pharmaceuticals currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $554.30.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, EVP Duncan Mckechnie sold 4,910 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.65, for a total value of $2,394,361.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 17,559 shares in the company, valued at $8,562,646.35. This represents a 21.85% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 260 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $486.35, for a total value of $126,451.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 46,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,743,185.05. The trade was a 0.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 93,485 shares of company stock valued at $43,967,586 in the last ninety days. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.