Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Shares Sold by Savant Capital LLC

Savant Capital LLC reduced its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 5.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,650 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 383 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $2,678,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 70.6% during the 3rd 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. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter worth $33,000. 90.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 310 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $459.83, for a total value of $142,547.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 64,021 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,438,776.43. This trade represents a 0.48 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VRTX has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, January 31st. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $480.00 price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday. Oppenheimer lowered Vertex Pharmaceuticals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $566.00 to $520.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $490.00 to $494.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Vertex Pharmaceuticals presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $505.96.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 0.4 %

Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $453.20 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $116.71 billion, a P/E ratio of -227.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 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 firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $435.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $461.85. The company has a current ratio of 2.47, a quick ratio of 2.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The pharmaceutical company reported $3.54 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.99 by ($0.45). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 1.91% and a negative net margin of 4.52%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post -1.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.