Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Shares Sold by Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC cut its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 8.9% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 2,087 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 204 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $840,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VRTX. Draper Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Draper Asset Management LLC now owns 6,333 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $2,601,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Callan Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $987,000. Hartford Funds Management Co LLC raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Hartford Funds Management Co LLC now owns 1,121 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $451,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC now owns 197,781 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $79,647,000 after acquiring an additional 1,162 shares during the last quarter. Finally, E Fund Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 19.1% during the 4th quarter. E Fund Management Co. Ltd. now owns 6,436 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $2,592,000 after acquiring an additional 1,031 shares during the last quarter. 90.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VRTX has been the subject of several analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $408.00 to $424.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $575.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $503.00 to $500.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. Barclays increased their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $435.00 to $467.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Scotiabank increased their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $433.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $506.70.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:VRTX opened at $488.29 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $448.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $461.15. The stock has a market cap of $125.39 billion, a PE ratio of -221.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.69. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a one year low of $377.85 and a one year high of $519.88.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The pharmaceutical company reported $3.54 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.99 by ($0.45). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 4.86% and a negative return on equity of 2.02%. On average, analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 310 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $459.83, for a total transaction of $142,547.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 64,021 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,438,776.43. This represents a 0.48 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 1,084 shares of company stock worth $505,512. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals 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.