TFB Advisors LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

TFB Advisors LLC cut its holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 49.8% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,004 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 995 shares during the period. TFB Advisors LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $404,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Dunhill Financial LLC increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 70.6% during the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 58 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. purchased a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter worth $33,000. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of VRTX stock opened at $453.20 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $435.91 and its 200 day moving average is $461.85. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 1-year low of $377.85 and a 1-year high of $519.88. The company has a quick ratio of 2.20, a current ratio of 2.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The pharmaceutical company reported $3.54 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.99 by ($0.45). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 4.52% and a negative return on equity of 1.91%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post -1.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on VRTX shares. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $435.00 to $467.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $503.00 to $500.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. Canaccord Genuity Group raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and upped their target price for the company from $408.00 to $424.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $450.00 to $459.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $402.00 to $407.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $505.96.

Insider Transactions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In related news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 310 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $459.83, for a total transaction of $142,547.30. Following the transaction, 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Company 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.