Capital International Investors Has $1.84 Billion Stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated $VRTX

Capital International Investors boosted its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 77.9% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 4,689,059 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,053,156 shares during the period. Capital International Investors’ holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $1,836,550,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Chesapeake Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 110.0% in the third quarter. Chesapeake Asset Management LLC now owns 63 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC raised its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 118.8% during the 3rd quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 70 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Total Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 50.9% in the third quarter. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 86 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Y.D. More Investments Ltd grew its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 345.0% in the third quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd now owns 89 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. 90.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on VRTX shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $577.00 target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, February 13th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $548.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $411.00 to $441.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. UBS Group increased their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $545.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $590.00 price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, February 13th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $542.00.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Vertex Pharmaceuticals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RAINIER Phase 3 interim analysis met the primary endpoint and all secondary endpoints at Week 36, with treated patients showing the intended benefit versus placebo — a major validation step for povetacicept in IgA nephropathy. Vertex Announces Positive Week 36 Interim Analysis Results (BusinessWire)
• Positive Sentiment: Management plans an FDA filing for povetacicept by March, accelerating the regulatory timeline and shortening the path to potential commercialization if final data and review go smoothly. Vertex Stock Surges After Positive Kidney Disease Trial Results (Blockonomi)
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have reiterated and strengthened bullish views — William Blair’s Myles Minter reiterated a Buy and highlighted increased confidence in povetacicept’s commercial potential, supporting upside to consensus models. Analyst Confidence Boosts Buy Thesis (TipRanks)
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction: shares rallied in extended trading after the release; coverage notes the asset was acquired in a prior multibillion-dollar deal and is viewed as having “best‑in‑class” potential in a competitive kidney disease market. Vertex Kidney Drug Hits Mark in Late-Stage Study (BioPharmaDive)
• Neutral Sentiment: The result cited is an interim analysis of an ongoing trial — final RAINIER readout, full safety dataset, and regulatory review still lie ahead, so approval and peak sales remain subject to execution and FDA assessment. Press Release / Interim Analysis Details (Yahoo Finance)

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

VRTX opened at $460.87 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $467.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $435.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $117.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.06 and a beta of 0.31. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $362.50 and a fifty-two week high of $519.68.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The pharmaceutical company reported $5.03 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.05 by ($0.02). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 24.30% and a net margin of 32.94%.The business had revenue of $3.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.18 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.98 EPS. Vertex Pharmaceuticals’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Duncan Mckechnie sold 4,910 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.65, for a total transaction of $2,394,361.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 17,559 shares in the company, valued at $8,562,646.35. This trade represents a 21.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Amit Sachdev sold 58,613 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $468.83, for a total value of $27,479,532.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 58,934 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,630,027.22. This represents a 49.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 91,156 shares of company stock worth $42,845,497. 0.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc is a Boston-based biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies for serious diseases. Founded in 1989, Vertex built its reputation on research-driven drug development and is best known for its work in cystic fibrosis (CF), where its portfolio of small-molecule CFTR modulators transformed standards of care for many people with the disease. The company operates research and development, manufacturing and commercial organizations and serves patients and healthcare systems in multiple international markets.

Vertex’s marketed products center on CFTR modulators that target the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis rather than just treating symptoms.