Clarius Group LLC Increases Stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Clarius Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 31.9% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,818 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after buying an additional 440 shares during the period. Clarius Group LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $881,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VRTX. Capital World Investors increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 28,325,695 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $11,406,667,000 after buying an additional 1,514,993 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 23,258,288 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $9,366,113,000 after buying an additional 98,654 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 15.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 10,428,951 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $4,199,713,000 after buying an additional 1,426,746 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 23.3% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,916,084 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $2,382,407,000 after buying an additional 1,117,214 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 23.0% in the fourth quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 3,772,789 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,519,302,000 after buying an additional 704,575 shares in the last quarter. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 1.5%

VRTX opened at $448.40 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $115.15 billion, a PE ratio of -114.39 and a beta of 0.41. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a one year low of $377.85 and a one year high of $519.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 2.29 and a current ratio of 2.65. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $460.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $459.78.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last posted its earnings results on Monday, May 5th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.06 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.29 by ($0.23). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 8.91% and a negative return on equity of 3.36%. The business had revenue of $2.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.76 EPS. Vertex Pharmaceuticals’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Wolfe Research cut Vertex Pharmaceuticals from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $555.00 to $567.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $513.32.

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.