Zullo Investment Group Inc. Boosts Holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Zullo Investment Group Inc. lifted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 6.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 802 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the quarter. Zullo Investment Group Inc.’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $323,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in VRTX. Cumberland Partners Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 9.6% in the 4th quarter. Cumberland Partners Ltd now owns 47,326 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $19,058,000 after buying an additional 4,126 shares during the last quarter. Fagan Associates Inc. boosted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Fagan Associates Inc. now owns 26,518 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $10,679,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. TKG Advisors LLC grew its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 99.8% during the 4th quarter. TKG Advisors LLC now owns 1,247 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $548,000 after acquiring an additional 623 shares during the last quarter. Convergence Investment Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 109.8% in the fourth quarter. Convergence Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,095 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $441,000 after purchasing an additional 573 shares during the last quarter. Finally, New York State Common Retirement Fund raised its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 362,334 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $145,912,000 after buying an additional 2,855 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on VRTX shares. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $490.00 to $494.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Scotiabank boosted their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $433.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $460.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $545.00 to $522.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $505.57.

Insider Transactions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In related news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 244 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $455.06, for a total value of $111,034.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 67,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,805,286.70. This trade represents a 0.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 2.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ VRTX opened at $471.76 on Thursday. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 52-week low of $377.85 and a 52-week high of $519.88. The company has a current ratio of 2.69, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $435.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $460.52.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last posted its 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 net margin of 4.86% and a negative return on equity of 2.02%. On average, analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.