Stonebridge Financial Group LLC Takes $165,000 Position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Stonebridge Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 410 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock, valued at approximately $165,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Summit Trail Advisors LLC increased its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 35.1% during the fourth quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 4,409 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,776,000 after buying an additional 1,145 shares during the period. Sapient Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Sapient Capital LLC now owns 35,796 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $14,415,000 after acquiring an additional 498 shares during the last quarter. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA raised its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA now owns 694 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $308,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Howland Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC now owns 1,725 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $695,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $29,438,776.43. This trade represents a 0.48 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on VRTX shares. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $402.00 to $407.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $533.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Scotiabank increased their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $433.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $562.00 to $586.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $505.96.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ VRTX opened at $453.20 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 2.47, a quick ratio of 2.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $435.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $461.85. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 52 week low of $377.85 and a 52 week high of $519.88. The stock has a market cap of $116.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -227.74, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.41.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The pharmaceutical company reported $3.54 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.99 by ($0.45). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 4.52% and a negative return on equity of 1.91%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post -1.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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.