Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) Shares Purchased by Mediolanum International Funds Ltd

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd grew its stake in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX) by 7.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,701 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after acquiring an additional 402 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd’s holdings in Vertex Pharmaceuticals were worth $2,271,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of VRTX. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Dunhill Financial LLC raised 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 acquiring an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new position in Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the third quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors own 90.96% of the company’s stock.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:VRTX opened at $461.68 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 2.20 and a current ratio of 2.47. The company has a market capitalization of $118.90 billion, a PE ratio of -232.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.40. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $434.55 and a 200-day moving average of $463.11. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a one year low of $377.85 and a one year high of $519.88.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The pharmaceutical company reported $4.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.61 by $0.77. The business had revenue of $2.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.69 billion. Vertex Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 1.91% and a negative net margin of 4.52%. Vertex Pharmaceuticals’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.67 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post -1.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on VRTX. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $500.00 to $550.00 in a report on Monday, December 9th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in a report on Thursday, November 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $575.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America lowered their target price on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $545.00 to $522.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 19th. UBS Group raised their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $562.00 to $586.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group upped their price objective on Vertex Pharmaceuticals from $361.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $502.58.

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.