Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Shares Purchased by Jones Financial Companies Lllp

Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 75.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,468 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,062 shares during the quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $994,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dunhill Financial LLC grew its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 70.6% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 58 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the period. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 244 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $455.06, for a total transaction of $111,034.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 67,695 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,805,286.70. The trade was a 0.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 1,084 shares of company stock worth $505,512 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on VRTX shares. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets set a $545.00 target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $407.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Citigroup started coverage on Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Thursday, November 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $575.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $480.00 price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen 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 company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $506.70.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ:VRTX opened at $488.29 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 2.69 and a quick ratio of 2.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $125.39 billion, a PE ratio of -221.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.41. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $448.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $461.32. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 1 year low of $377.85 and a 1 year high of $519.88.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The pharmaceutical company reported $3.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. Analysts predict that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current year.

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.