Czech National Bank Purchases 3,067 Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated $VRTX

Czech National Bank grew its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 72,243 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,067 shares during the quarter. Czech National Bank’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $35,885,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 414.1% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 14,036 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $6,363,000 after purchasing an additional 11,306 shares during the last quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 77.1% in the first quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC now owns 77,886 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $34,779,000 after acquiring an additional 33,917 shares during the last quarter. Sandro Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter worth $1,436,000. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 11.9% during the 1st quarter. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. now owns 34,991 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $15,625,000 after purchasing an additional 3,710 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Meiji Yasuda America Inc bought a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter valued at $1,911,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ VRTX opened at $484.03 on Friday. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 52-week low of $362.50 and a 52-week high of $533.67. The business has a fifty day moving average of $473.87 and a two-hundred day moving average of $461.27. The stock has a market cap of $122.85 billion, a PE ratio of 28.17, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.30.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.73 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.74 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $3.33 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.23 billion. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 23.09% and a net margin of 35.00%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.52 EPS. Analysts predict that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 17.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, CMO Carmen Bozic sold 6,988 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total transaction of $3,144,600.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 26,088 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,739,600. This represents a 21.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Duncan Mckechnie sold 1,541 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $519.00, for a total transaction of $799,779.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 11,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,709,519. The trade was a 12.29% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 17,452 shares of company stock worth $8,103,997 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on VRTX shares. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $590.00 to $595.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $612.00 to $616.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 28th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $563.50.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Profile

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc is a Boston-based biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies for serious diseases. Founded in 1989, Vertex built its reputation on research-driven drug development and is best known for its work in cystic fibrosis (CF), where its portfolio of small-molecule CFTR modulators transformed standards of care for many people with the disease. The company operates research and development, manufacturing and commercial organizations and serves patients and healthcare systems in multiple international markets.

Vertex’s marketed products center on CFTR modulators that target the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis rather than just treating symptoms.