Aureus Asset Management LLC Increases Stock Position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated $VRTX

Aureus Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTXFree Report) by 237.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,142 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,324 shares during the quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $2,785,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Colonial Trust Co SC boosted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 118.8% during the 3rd quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 70 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 277.8% during the 4th quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 68 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

VRTX stock opened at $458.99 on Thursday. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 1 year low of $362.50 and a 1 year high of $507.92. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $438.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $453.01. The firm has a market cap of $116.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.22, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.30.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTXGet Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.23. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 23.86% and a net margin of 35.51%.The firm had revenue of $2.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.06 EPS. Vertex Pharmaceuticals’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 17.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on VRTX. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $580.00 price target on the stock. HC Wainwright boosted their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $591.00 to $641.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Barclays boosted their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $607.00 to $615.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen lowered Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $555.91.

View Our Latest Report on Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Insider Buying and Selling at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, Director Sangeeta N. Bhatia sold 318 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $423.73, for a total value of $134,746.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,924 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,086,446.52. The trade was a 6.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Joy Liu sold 1,104 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $425.02, for a total value of $469,222.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,729 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,810,239.58. This trade represents a 5.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 15,195 shares of company stock worth $6,801,006. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Profile

(Free Report)

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.

Further Reading

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Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX)

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