Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Stock Position Lessened by Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc.

Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 59.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,150 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 4,650 shares during the quarter. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $1,282,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. LSV Asset Management lifted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 206.3% during the first quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 4,751 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,240,000 after buying an additional 3,200 shares in the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 9.6% in the 1st quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 6,737 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,759,000 after acquiring an additional 590 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 69.4% in the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 6,622 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,728,000 after purchasing an additional 2,713 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 28.4% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 44,090 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $11,756,000 after purchasing an additional 9,761 shares during the period. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 14,114 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $3,683,000 after purchasing an additional 544 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Amit Sachdev sold 3,222 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $420.24, for a total value of $1,354,013.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 74,364 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,250,727.36. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, Chairman Jeffrey M. Leiden sold 2,656 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $419.51, for a total value of $1,114,218.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 27,644 shares in the company, valued at $11,596,934.44. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Amit Sachdev sold 3,222 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $420.24, for a total transaction of $1,354,013.28. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 74,364 shares in the company, valued at $31,250,727.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 12,381 shares of company stock valued at $5,203,249 in the last three months. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 0.2 %

NASDAQ VRTX opened at $394.28 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $101.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.39, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.35. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 52 week low of $316.43 and a 52 week high of $448.40. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $413.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $397.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 3.78 and a current ratio of 3.99.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 5th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.20 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.85 by $0.35. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 36.68% and a return on equity of 21.91%. The business had revenue of $2.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.50 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.33 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 14.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VRTX has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $446.00 to $472.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Thursday, February 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $515.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $390.00 to $438.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $397.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating and issued a $371.00 target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Friday, April 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vertex Pharmaceuticals presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $429.45.

About Vertex Pharmaceuticals

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.