Capital Investment Advisors LLC Trims Stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Capital Investment Advisors LLC cut its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 3.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 842 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 30 shares during the quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $339,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Czech National Bank increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 6.2% in the fourth quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 55,838 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $22,486,000 after buying an additional 3,260 shares in the last quarter. RMR Wealth Builders increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 9.0% in the fourth quarter. RMR Wealth Builders now owns 4,239 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,707,000 after buying an additional 351 shares in the last quarter. LVM Capital Management Ltd. MI increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. LVM Capital Management Ltd. MI now owns 30,383 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $12,235,000 after buying an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 108.2% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 102 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Hawaiian Bank increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 20.4% in the fourth quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 4,942 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,990,000 after buying an additional 836 shares in the last quarter. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $424.26 on Thursday. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 52 week low of $377.85 and a 52 week high of $519.88. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $445.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $467.13. The firm has a market cap of $109.26 billion, a PE ratio of -213.20 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a quick ratio of 2.20, a current ratio of 2.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.38 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.61 by $0.77. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 1.91% and a negative net margin of 4.52%. The business had revenue of $2.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.69 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.67 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post -1.83 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on VRTX shares. StockNews.com cut Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $473.00 to $476.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $480.00 price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. HC Wainwright dropped their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $600.00 to $535.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $509.00 to $418.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vertex Pharmaceuticals presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $490.38.

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.