Metis Global Partners LLC Buys 430 Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Metis Global Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 3.2% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 13,885 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after acquiring an additional 430 shares during the quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $5,591,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. US Bancorp DE increased its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 14.2% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 30,343 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $12,219,000 after acquiring an additional 3,764 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 10.7% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 29,908 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $12,044,000 after acquiring an additional 2,886 shares during the period. SVB Wealth LLC bought a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter worth $6,106,000. Flputnam Investment Management Co. increased its position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 238.0% during the fourth quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. now owns 31,443 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $12,662,000 after acquiring an additional 22,141 shares during the period. Finally, Illumine Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter worth $2,326,000. Institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ VRTX opened at $479.79 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $440.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $461.10. The company has a market cap of $123.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -218.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 12-month low of $377.85 and a 12-month high of $519.88.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The pharmaceutical company reported $3.54 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. On average, research analysts expect that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $535.00 to $533.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 27th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $562.00 to $586.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Oppenheimer downgraded shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $506.70.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vertex Pharmaceuticals news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 244 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $455.06, for a total transaction of $111,034.64. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 67,695 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,805,286.70. The trade was a 0.36 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In the last three months, insiders sold 1,084 shares of company stock valued at $505,512. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals 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.