Groupama Asset Managment Increases Position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Groupama Asset Managment lifted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX - Free Report) by 26.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 43,479 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,149 shares during the quarter. Groupama Asset Managment's holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $17,363,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 14.2% in the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 11,244 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $5,229,000 after acquiring an additional 1,400 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.2% in the third quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 14,409 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $6,701,000 after purchasing an additional 307 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 28.7% in the third quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 2,315 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,077,000 after purchasing an additional 516 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 4,913.5% during the third quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 6,668 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $3,101,000 after purchasing an additional 6,535 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Beck Capital Management LLC grew its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.9% in the third quarter. Beck Capital Management LLC now owns 2,004 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $932,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.96% of the company's stock.

Remove Ads

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 310 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $459.83, for a total transaction of $142,547.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 64,021 shares in the company, valued at $29,438,776.43. This represents a 0.48 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP David Altshuler sold 3,231 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $500.00, for a total value of $1,615,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 26,512 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,256,000. This represents a 10.86 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,315 shares of company stock worth $2,121,012. Insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ VRTX traded up $0.52 during trading on Thursday, hitting $484.01. The company had a trading volume of 2,063,769 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,284,425. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $377.85 and a fifty-two week high of $519.88. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $479.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $463.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $124.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -220.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.41.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The pharmaceutical company reported $3.54 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.99 by ($0.45). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 2.02% and a negative net margin of 4.86%. On average, research analysts expect that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VRTX has been the subject of a number of research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $480.00 price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $450.00 to $459.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $503.00 to $500.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $435.00 to $467.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $545.00 target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, January 31st. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $509.17.

About Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, a biotechnology company, engages in developing and commercializing therapies for treating cystic fibrosis (CF). It markets TRIKAFTA/KAFTRIO for people with CF with at least one F508del mutation for 2 years of age or older; SYMDEKO/SYMKEVI for people with CF for 6 years of age or older; ORKAMBI for CF patients 1 year or older; and KALYDECO for the treatment of patients with 1 year or older who have CF with ivacaftor.