Grandfield & Dodd LLC Buys 2,820 Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX)

Grandfield & Dodd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 19.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 16,964 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,820 shares during the quarter. Grandfield & Dodd LLC’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $6,831,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of VRTX. Dunhill Financial LLC raised its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals by 70.6% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 58 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. 90.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

In related news, EVP Ourania Tatsis sold 530 shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $475.34, for a total value of $251,930.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 58,539 shares in the company, valued at $27,825,928.26. This trade represents a 0.90 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,084 shares of company stock worth $505,512. 0.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of VRTX opened at $479.79 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 2.69 and a quick ratio of 2.35. The company has a market cap of $123.21 billion, a P/E ratio of -218.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.41. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a one year low of $377.85 and a one year high of $519.88. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $440.39 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $460.98.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The pharmaceutical company reported $3.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. Research analysts forecast that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 15.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on VRTX. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Citigroup began coverage on Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Thursday, November 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $575.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America cut their target price on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $545.00 to $522.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $433.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $500.00 to $550.00 in a research note on Monday, December 9th. Eleven investment 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vertex Pharmaceuticals currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $506.70.

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.