Swiss National Bank Reduces Stock Position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated $VRTX

Swiss National Bank lessened its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 5.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 702,600 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 37,700 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank owned 0.28% of Vertex Pharmaceuticals worth $318,531,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VRTX. Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at about $64,417,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 544,978 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $213,435,000 after buying an additional 20,053 shares during the period. Leuthold Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at about $5,030,000. Legacy Capital Group California Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at about $956,000. Finally, ING Groep NV acquired a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at about $4,695,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Here are the key news stories impacting Vertex Pharmaceuticals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vertex announced new data on CASGEVY showing clinical benefits in patients ages 5 and older with severe sickle cell disease or transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia, including pediatric data consistent with the therapy’s profile in older patients. The company also said it is making additional global regulatory submissions, which could expand the drug’s commercial opportunity. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent items point to supportive Wall Street views, including a “Moderate Buy” consensus and multiple higher price targets, suggesting analysts still see upside despite the stock’s recent strength.
• Neutral Sentiment: Vertex presented at the Goldman Sachs Global Healthcare Conference, but no major new financial guidance or pipeline surprise was highlighted in the available summary. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: A senior executive sold shares under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan. While this can draw attention, the sale appears routine rather than a sign of negative business developments. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed its FY2027 EPS estimate for Vertex slightly, which may have limited enthusiasm a bit, though the change was modest and the outlook remains above current-year consensus. Article Title

Insider Buying and Selling at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, CMO Carmen Bozic sold 6,988 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total transaction of $3,144,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 26,088 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,739,600. This represents a 21.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Sangeeta N. Bhatia sold 318 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $423.73, for a total value of $134,746.14. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,086,446.52. The trade was a 6.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 11,133 shares of company stock valued at $4,973,106 over the last quarter. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VRTX has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. HC Wainwright upped their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $591.00 to $641.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $590.00 price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $580.00 price target for the company. Barclays upped their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $607.00 to $615.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Maxim Group raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Vertex Pharmaceuticals currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $555.91.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 2.1%

NASDAQ VRTX opened at $445.04 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $112.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.40, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.30. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a twelve month low of $362.50 and a twelve month high of $507.92. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $437.19 and a 200 day moving average of $452.38.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.47 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.23. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 23.86% and a net margin of 35.51%.The business had revenue of $2.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.06 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 17.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Vertex Pharmaceuticals

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.