Sapient Capital LLC Buys 498 Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Sapient Capital LLC increased its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 1.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,796 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after buying an additional 498 shares during the quarter. Sapient Capital LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $14,415,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of VRTX. Edgewood Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 7,876.3% during the 3rd quarter. Edgewood Management LLC now owns 1,546,370 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $719,186,000 after purchasing an additional 1,526,983 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $435,899,000. Jennison Associates LLC grew its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 18.1% during the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 5,550,386 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $2,581,373,000 after buying an additional 851,054 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 17.2% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,798,870 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,231,858,000 after buying an additional 704,421 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 169.4% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 839,672 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $338,136,000 after acquiring an additional 528,029 shares during the last quarter. 90.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on VRTX shares. Bank of America reduced 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. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $480.00 price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $550.00 to $460.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 23rd. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $575.00 price target for the company. Finally, William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Friday, January 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $502.58.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of VRTX stock opened at $469.97 on Tuesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $435.87 and its 200 day moving average price is $462.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 2.20 and a current ratio of 2.47. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 1-year low of $377.85 and a 1-year high of $519.88.

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