Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Shares Purchased by Bray Capital Advisors

Bray Capital Advisors lifted its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 15.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,554 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after purchasing an additional 624 shares during the period. Bray Capital Advisors’ holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $1,834,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Whittier Trust Co. grew its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 1,533 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $713,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 11.3% during the 3rd quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 849 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $395,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Eastern Bank acquired a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $805,000. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. acquired a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $203,000. Finally, BLB&B Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 23.4% during the 3rd quarter. BLB&B Advisors LLC now owns 527 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $245,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 1.8 %

Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $480.33 on Friday. 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. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $435.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $460.65.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 2.02% and a negative net margin of 4.86%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In other news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 244 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $455.06, for a total transaction of $111,034.64. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 67,695 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $30,805,286.70. This represents a 0.36 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VRTX has been the subject of several analyst reports. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $533.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 27th. William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $545.00 to $522.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $450.00 to $459.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $500.00 to $550.00 in a research report on Monday, December 9th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $505.61.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Company 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.