Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Increases Stock Position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX - Free Report) by 9.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 349,477 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock after buying an additional 29,333 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank owned 0.14% of Vertex Pharmaceuticals worth $140,734,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Dunhill Financial LLC lifted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 70.6% during the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 58 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 2,236 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $900,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Spinnaker Trust raised its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Spinnaker Trust now owns 1,235 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $497,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. Strategic Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.6% during 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 last quarter. Finally, Nicolet Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 4.6% in the third quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC now owns 641 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $291,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.96% of the company's stock.

Remove Ads

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on VRTX shares. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $550.00 target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $433.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective 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. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $480.00 price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $506.70.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 0.7 %

NASDAQ VRTX traded up $3.51 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $491.85. 289,678 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,462,256. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $451.99 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $461.34. The stock has a market cap of $126.30 billion, a P/E ratio of -223.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.41. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 1 year low of $377.85 and a 1 year high of $519.88. 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 (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The pharmaceutical company reported $3.54 earnings per share 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 research analysts anticipate that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 530 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $475.34, for a total transaction of $251,930.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 58,539 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $27,825,928.26. This trade represents a 0.90 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 1,084 shares of company stock valued at $505,512 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals 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.