Erste Group Bank Brokers Raise Earnings Estimates for VRTX

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank raised their FY2027 earnings estimates for shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report issued on Monday, July 27th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the pharmaceutical company will post earnings of $19.26 per share for the year, up from their previous forecast of $18.97. The consensus estimate for Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ current full-year earnings is $17.01 per share.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on VRTX. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $542.00 to $560.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $612.00 to $616.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $577.00 to $572.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $559.61.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

VRTX stock opened at $483.33 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $468.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $460.09. The company has a market capitalization of $122.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.29. Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a 52-week low of $362.50 and a 52-week high of $533.67.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.06 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Duncan Mckechnie sold 1,541 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at $5,709,519. This represents a 12.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CMO Carmen Bozic sold 596 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $482.50, for a total transaction of $287,570.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 15,337 shares in the company, valued at $7,400,102.50. This trade represents a 3.74% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 18,874 shares of company stock valued at $8,707,966. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vertex Pharmaceuticals

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VRTX. Bangor Savings Bank increased its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.4% in the second quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 4,470 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $2,220,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 650 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $295,000 after buying an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. lifted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 545 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $247,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Trust Point Inc. boosted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.7% in the second quarter. Trust Point Inc. now owns 793 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $394,000 after buying an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. grew its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. now owns 1,155 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $524,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Key Vertex Pharmaceuticals News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Vertex entered a collaboration with AbCellera Biologics to discover, develop, manufacture and commercialize multispecific T-cell engagers for autoimmune diseases and other conditions. Vertex will fund the research and retain commercialization rights, giving the company an opportunity to diversify beyond its cystic fibrosis franchise. AbCellera, Vertex partner on next-gen T-cell engagers
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerages collectively maintain a “Moderate Buy” recommendation, while Erste Group modestly raised its fiscal 2026 EPS forecast to $16.95 from $16.93. The estimate remains close to the broader consensus of $17.01. Vertex receives Moderate Buy consensus
• Positive Sentiment: Some valuation analysis argues the shares could offer upside based on discounted cash-flow assumptions, supported by Vertex’s established cash generation and long-term performance. Vertex stock looks like a bargain
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are awaiting the second-quarter 2026 report. Pre-earnings coverage is focused on revenue, EPS and operating metrics rather than announcing a material change to expectations. Vertex Q2 earnings preview
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains mixed: market-based multiples appear closer to fair value, and the company remains heavily dependent on cystic fibrosis medicines. The new T-cell engager programs are early-stage and may take years to generate revenue, limiting their immediate earnings impact. Vertex expands its pipeline

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.