Trillium Asset Management LLC Sells 1,122 Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Trillium Asset Management LLC decreased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 6.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 16,962 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 1,122 shares during the quarter. Trillium Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $6,831,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Xponance Inc. raised its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 48,507 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $19,534,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $9,206,000. Evoke Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 8.4% in the 4th quarter. Evoke Wealth LLC now owns 1,071 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $431,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Horizon Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 4,969 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $2,001,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 27,612 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $11,119,000 after acquiring an additional 1,145 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In related 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 value of $111,034.64. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 67,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,805,286.70. The trade was a 0.36 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Altshuler sold 3,231 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $500.00, for a total value of $1,615,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 26,512 shares in the company, valued at $13,256,000. This represents a 10.86 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 4,315 shares of company stock worth $2,121,012. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on VRTX shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $503.00 to $500.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $480.00 price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $500.00 to $550.00 in a research note on Monday, December 9th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $450.00 to $459.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $506.70.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:VRTX opened at $512.52 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $464.06 and its 200 day moving average is $462.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.69. The company has a market capitalization of $131.61 billion, a P/E ratio of -232.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.41. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $377.85 and a fifty-two week 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 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%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 earnings per share for the current 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.