Trillium Asset Management LLC Lowers Holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Trillium Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX - Free Report) by 6.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 16,962 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock after selling 1,122 shares during the period. Trillium Asset Management LLC's holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $6,831,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Truvestments Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 30.3% in the 4th quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC now owns 99 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC lifted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 70.6% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 58 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 2,236 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $900,000 after buying an additional 24 shares during the period. Spinnaker Trust increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Spinnaker Trust now owns 1,235 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $497,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 4,486 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,807,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 244 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $455.06, for a total value of $111,034.64. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 67,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,805,286.70. The trade was a 0.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Altshuler sold 3,231 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $500.00, for a total transaction of $1,615,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 26,512 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,256,000. This trade represents a 10.86 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 4,315 shares of company stock valued at $2,121,012. Insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 1.7 %

VRTX stock traded up $8.54 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $511.74. 1,237,571 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,221,134. The company has a market cap of $131.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -232.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.69. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 1-year low of $377.85 and a 1-year high of $519.88. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $467.89 and its 200 day simple moving average is $462.49.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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, equities analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on VRTX shares. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $450.00 to $459.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $533.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $503.00 to $500.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 23rd. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $500.00 to $550.00 in a research note on Monday, December 9th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $506.70.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

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.