Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) EVP Edward Morrow Atkinson III Sells 668 Shares

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) EVP Edward Morrow Atkinson III sold 668 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $486.35, for a total value of $324,881.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,432 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,964,403.20. The trade was a 3.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Edward Morrow Atkinson III also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, February 11th, Edward Morrow Atkinson III sold 1,751 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $460.43, for a total transaction of $806,212.93.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $480.13 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $121.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.32 and a beta of 0.30. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a twelve month low of $362.50 and a twelve month high of $519.68. The company’s fifty day moving average is $465.74 and its 200 day moving average is $431.13.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VRTX. Chesapeake Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 110.0% during the 3rd quarter. Chesapeake Asset Management LLC now owns 63 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the second quarter worth $27,000. Colonial Trust Co SC raised its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 118.8% in the third quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 70 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Vertex Pharmaceuticals News

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

• Positive Sentiment: CEO Reshma Kewalramani profiled by TIME as a physician-scientist running one of biotech’s largest companies — positive PR that supports confidence in leadership and long-term strategy. Physician-Scientist Reshma Kewalramani Runs One of Biotech’s Biggest Companies
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage asking whether VRTX is outperforming the Dow highlights recent relative strength and investor interest in Vertex’s growth profile — supports demand from momentum/quality investors. Is Vertex Stock Outperforming the Dow?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/market commentary pieces (e.g., Nasdaq‑100 roundup) raise attention but are mixed in tone and not specific to new catalysts for Vertex. 2 Nasdaq 100 Stocks Worth Your Attention and 1 We Question
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent Q4 results (reported Feb. 12) showed revenue growth (~+9.5% y/y) and margin strength but a very slight EPS miss (reported $5.03 vs. $5.05 consensus). Fundamentals remain solid, but the tiny miss tempers upside catalysts in the near term.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insider sales disclosed in SEC filings — including a large sale by EVP Amit Sachdev (58,613 shares sold, ~$27.5M) and several sales by other executives on Feb. 25 — may be weighing on the stock as investors interpret reduced insider holdings as a negative signal (though sales can reflect diversification or tax planning). Representative SEC filing: SEC Form 4 – Amit Sachdev

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VRTX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $545.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Oppenheimer raised shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $540.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $570.00 price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $445.00 to $466.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vertex Pharmaceuticals currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $542.00.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

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.