Key Points
- Ourania Tatsis sold 4,500 shares of Vertex at an average price of $474.99 (≈$2.14M), cutting her stake by about 9.62% to 42,293 shares.
- The sale adds to sizable insider activity this week (EVP Charles Wagner Jr. sold 9,532 shares, ≈$4.4M), a factor cited as contributing to short‑term selling pressure on the stock.
- Despite the insider sales and near‑term weakness, analysts remain constructive with a consensus price target of about $503.80, and Vertex recently beat quarterly EPS estimates while reporting ~11% year‑over‑year revenue growth.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 4,500 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $474.99, for a total value of $2,137,455.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,293 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,088,752.07. This represents a 9.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 1.2%
Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock opened at $463.86 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $443.50 and a 200 day moving average of $427.33. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 52 week low of $362.50 and a 52 week high of $519.68. The company has a market cap of $117.69 billion, a PE ratio of 32.71 and a beta of 0.31.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 3rd. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.58 by $0.22. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 31.35% and a return on equity of 23.51%. The business had revenue of $3.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.05 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.38 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 earnings per share for the current year.
Key Stories Impacting Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Here are the key news stories impacting Vertex Pharmaceuticals this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Vertex reported progress advancing suzetrigine into a Phase‑3 trial for diabetic nerve pain — a meaningful new indication that could broaden revenue beyond its cystic fibrosis franchise. Vertex Advances Suzetrigine Phase 3 Trial
- Positive Sentiment: Wolfe Research upgraded the stock recently, and several sell‑side firms have raised price targets (e.g., Leerink, Wells Fargo), supporting upside expectations and a consensus target near ~$504. Vertex Stock Rating Upgraded by Wolfe Research
- Neutral Sentiment: Market recaps note short‑term price weakness even as fundamentals and analyst coverage remain constructive — context for volatile daily moves but not necessarily a change to the longer‑term thesis. Vertex Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts
- Neutral Sentiment: Another market note highlighted the recent down‑day versus a broader market uptick — useful color for traders but not new company‑specific catalysts. Vertex Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick
- Negative Sentiment: Two senior executives disclosed sizable open‑market sales this week — EVP Charles Wagner Jr. sold 9,532 shares (~$4.4M at ~$461/share) and EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 4,500 shares (~$2.14M at ~$475/share). Large insider sales can pressure sentiment even if not tied to company fundamentals. Charles Wagner, Jr. Sells 9,532 Shares
- Negative Sentiment: Separate filing shows EVP Ourania Tatsis’ 4,500‑share sale and a near‑10% reduction in her position — another factor likely weighing on intraday selling pressure. Ourania Tatsis Insider Sale
- Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece and some sell‑side notes discuss the near‑term cost and execution risk of expanding beyond cystic fibrosis, which can temper investor appetite until new indications (like suzetrigine) de‑risk. The Cost Of Growing Beyond Cystic Fibrosis (Rating Downgrade)
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of research firms have issued reports on VRTX. Citigroup increased their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $550.00 to $575.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Scotiabank initiated coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. They set a "sector outperform" rating and a $495.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $517.00 to $530.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Leerink Partnrs upgraded shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, September 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $460.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $503.80.
Get Our Latest Analysis on Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 24,216,865 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $9,484,293,000 after acquiring an additional 243,088 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors raised its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.8% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 16,553,281 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $6,482,978,000 after purchasing an additional 444,990 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 21.5% during the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 6,151,505 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $2,738,650,000 after purchasing an additional 1,089,063 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 2.9% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,928,747 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $2,627,135,000 after buying an additional 166,987 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors increased its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 77.9% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 4,689,059 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $1,836,550,000 after buying an additional 2,053,156 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.96% of the company's stock.
About Vertex Pharmaceuticals
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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