Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Shares Acquired by Banque Pictet & Cie SA

Banque Pictet & Cie SA grew its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 7.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,043 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after buying an additional 788 shares during the period. Banque Pictet & Cie SA’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $4,850,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VRTX. Mutual Advisors LLC lifted 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 worth $1,751,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.8% in the third quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 892 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $415,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC lifted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 70.6% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 58 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 2,236 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $900,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 4.5% in the third quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 576 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $268,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 310 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $459.83, for a total value of $142,547.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of NASDAQ VRTX opened at $459.00 on Friday. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a one year low of $377.85 and a one year high of $519.88. The company’s fifty day moving average is $435.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $461.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 2.20 and a current ratio of 2.47.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last issued its 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 return on equity of 1.91% and a negative net margin of 4.52%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post -1.94 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on VRTX shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $503.00 to $500.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 23rd. Canaccord Genuity Group raised shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $408.00 to $424.00 in a report on Tuesday. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $480.00 price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $435.00 to $467.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $505.96.

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.