Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Boosts Stock Holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI boosted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 2.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 22,694 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after purchasing an additional 577 shares during the period. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $9,139,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 12.6% in the fourth quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 1,305 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $526,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Davis R M Inc. increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 24.4% in the fourth quarter. Davis R M Inc. now owns 1,045 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $421,000 after acquiring an additional 205 shares in the last quarter. Clare Market Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter worth $600,000. Independent Advisor Alliance increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 89.8% in the fourth quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 2,228 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $897,000 after acquiring an additional 1,054 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 7,883 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $3,174,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on VRTX. Canaccord Genuity Group raised shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $408.00 to $424.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $435.00 to $467.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $545.00 to $522.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $407.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $506.70.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 2.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ:VRTX opened at $500.01 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $128.40 billion, a PE ratio of -227.28, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.41. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $450.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $461.29. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $377.85 and a fifty-two week high of $519.88. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 4.86% and a negative return on equity of 2.02%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 244 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $455.06, for a total transaction of $111,034.64. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 67,695 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,805,286.70. This trade represents a 0.36 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders have sold a total of 1,084 shares of company stock worth $505,512 in the last ninety days. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.