AIMZ Investment Advisors LLC Has $8.50 Million Stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

AIMZ Investment Advisors LLC decreased its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 0.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 21,110 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 150 shares during the period. Vertex Pharmaceuticals comprises approximately 3.0% of AIMZ Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 6th largest holding. AIMZ Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $8,501,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Arkadios Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at $312,000. Mutual Advisors LLC increased its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.6% in the third quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 3,710 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,751,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA boosted its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 18.1% during the third quarter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA now owns 660 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $311,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. grew its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 5,868 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $2,729,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on VRTX. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $550.00 price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $545.00 to $522.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 19th. BMO Capital Markets set a $545.00 price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, January 31st. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $500.00 to $550.00 in a research note on Monday, December 9th. Finally, Oppenheimer cut shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $506.70.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In other news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 310 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $459.83, for a total transaction of $142,547.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 64,021 shares in the company, valued at $29,438,776.43. The trade was a 0.48 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $474.50 on Friday. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 12 month low of $377.85 and a 12 month high of $519.88. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $438.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $460.99. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The stock has a market cap of $121.85 billion, a PE ratio of -215.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.41.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its quarterly 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%. Research analysts predict that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current year.

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.