Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA Invests $56,000 in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA bought a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund bought 139 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock, valued at approximately $56,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. World Equity Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $234,000. Sigma Investment Counselors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Sigma Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 9,002 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $3,625,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,657 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $3,083,000 after acquiring an additional 224 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Funds Management LTD acquired a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter valued at $5,768,000. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 2,199 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $886,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. 90.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group raised Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and upped their price target for the company from $408.00 to $424.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $435.00 to $467.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Citigroup started coverage on Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $575.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $500.00 to $550.00 in a report on Monday, December 9th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $506.70.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Trading Down 0.3 %

VRTX stock opened at $480.35 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $436.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $460.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 2.69 and a quick ratio of 2.35. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $377.85 and a fifty-two week high of $519.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $123.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -218.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.41.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The pharmaceutical company reported $3.54 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.99 by ($0.45). Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 2.02% and a negative net margin of 4.86%. Analysts expect that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 244 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $455.06, for a total value of $111,034.64. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 67,695 shares in the company, valued at $30,805,286.70. This trade represents a 0.36 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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.