Truist Financial Corp lowered its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX – Free Report) by 12.3% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 126,193 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 17,671 shares during the quarter. Truist Financial Corp’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $57,211,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of VRTX. Colonial Trust Co SC grew its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of 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, Archer Investment Corp increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 89.7% in the fourth quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 74 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.96% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $495.00 to $558.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. HC Wainwright upped their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $591.00 to $641.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $580.00 price objective for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and set a $590.00 price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $606.00 to $607.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $554.83.
Insider Transactions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals
In related news, EVP Jonathan Biller sold 1,925 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $460.43, for a total value of $886,327.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,819 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,585,692.17. This represents a 8.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CMO Carmen Bozic sold 2,329 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $481.79, for a total value of $1,122,088.91. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 35,405 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,057,774.95. This represents a 6.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 80,431 shares of company stock worth $37,875,167 in the last quarter. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Key Headlines Impacting Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Here are the key news stories impacting Vertex Pharmaceuticals this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Quarterly EPS beat estimates — Vertex reported $4.47 EPS, above consensus, which traders view as proof of durable profitability. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
- Positive Sentiment: Surge in new cystic fibrosis drug sales — management pointed to a near eight-fold increase in sales of the new CF treatment, a key revenue-growth driver supporting the outlook. Vertex tops profit estimates as sales of new cystic fibrosis drug surge
- Positive Sentiment: FDA label expansion and pipeline momentum remain constructive — recent FDA expansion for ALYFTREK and ongoing pipeline progress are supporting longer‑term growth sentiment. How Investors Are Reacting To Vertex (VRTX) FDA ALYFTREK Expansion and Evolving Pipeline Story
- Neutral Sentiment: Revenue roughly in line with guidance/consensus — reported revenue was $2.99B, essentially matching company guidance and some consensus looks, leaving top-line growth steady but not accelerating. Vertex Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
- Neutral Sentiment: Company reiterated FY-2026 revenue guidance (~$13.0–13.1B), which removes some near-term uncertainty but sets expectations for execution through the year. Vertex Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
- Negative Sentiment: Mixed/mismatched data and cash-flow softness flagged by third-party feeds — some providers reported revenue/EPS misses vs. their estimates and a drop in operating cash flow, which pressured sentiment after the print. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings
- Negative Sentiment: Substantial insider selling and large institutional portfolio moves are visible in recent filings, a potential negative signal for sentiment despite company performance. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 1.4%
VRTX stock opened at $429.85 on Tuesday. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 12-month low of $362.50 and a 12-month high of $507.92. The stock has a market cap of $109.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.04, a PEG ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.30. The business’s 50-day moving average is $453.82 and its 200 day moving average is $449.48.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.47 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.23. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 24.30% and a net margin of 32.94%.The firm had revenue of $2.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.06 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 16.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals 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.
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