Buyback yield (TTM)
1.70%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
1.70%
5Y share count change
-2.0%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$1.93B
Cumulative buybacks
$6.30B
Key takeaways
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) repurchased about $1.93B of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is down 2.0% over the last ~5 fiscal years — buybacks are net-shrinking the share base.
- TTM buyback ÷ stock-based-comp ratio of 2.81× — repurchases more than cover SBC dilution.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at +30.2% per year over the latest 5-year window.
- TTM repurchases used about 52% of free cash flow remaining after dividends.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX)
Latest: $2.02B
Overview
In 2025, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) buyback spend totalled $2.02B – surged 71.4% year-over-year.
Through 2020–2025 (5 years), Vertex Pharmaceuticals buyback spend delivered a +30.2% annualised rate; sustaining 3 straight years of year-over-year growth.
The record annual buyback spend stands at $2.02B, reached in 2025; the historical low of $0.00 was recorded in 1991.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Buyback Spend 2025: $2.02B
2025's buyback spend for Vertex Pharmaceuticals came in at $2.02B, surged 71.4% from 2024. This figure represents the highest annual value in the available history.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Buyback Spend 2024: $1.18B
Vertex Pharmaceuticals posted buyback spend of $1.18B in 2024, surged 175.3% from 2023.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Buyback Spend 2023: $427.60M
In 2023, Vertex Pharmaceuticals reported buyback spend of $427.60M, surged 148.6% from 2022.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Buyback Spend 2022: $172.00M
Vertex Pharmaceuticals buyback spend in 2022 was $172.00M, plunged 87.9% below 2021.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Buyback Spend 2021: $1.43B
Vertex Pharmaceuticals buyback spend in 2021 was $1.43B.
See more financial history for Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $2.02B | $685.90M | $1.33B | 1.75% | 0.26B | +0.0% | |
| 2024 | $1.18B | $698.50M | $478.60M | 1.14% | 0.26B | -1.0% | |
| 2023 | $427.60M | $581.20M | −$153.60M | 0.41% | 0.26B | +0.5% | |
| 2022 | $172.00M | $491.30M | −$319.30M | 0.23% | 0.26B | -0.3% | |
| 2021 | $1.43B | $441.40M | $984.00M | 2.55% | 0.26B | -1.3% | |
| 2020 | $539.14M | $429.50M | $109.64M | 0.88% | 0.26B | +1.0% | |
| 2019 | $192.01M | $360.49M | −$168.47M | 0.34% | 0.26B | +0.6% | |
| 2018 | $350.04M | $325.05M | $25.00M | 0.83% | 0.26B | +2.4% | |
| 2017 | $0.00 | $290.74M | −$290.74M | — | 0.25B | +3.5% | |
| 2016 | $0.00 | $237.71M | −$237.71M | — | 0.24B | +1.4% | |
| 2015 | $0.00 | $231.03M | −$231.03M | — | 0.24B | +2.6% | |
| 2014 | $0.00 | $177.54M | −$177.54M | — | 0.24B | +4.6% | |
| 2013 | $0.00 | $127.30M | −$127.30M | — | 0.22B | +6.1% | |
| 2012 | $0.00 | $114.28M | −$114.28M | — | 0.21B | +1.5% | |
| 2011 | $0.00 | $126.75M | −$126.75M | — | 0.21B | +4.2% | |
| 2010 | $0.00 | $97.68M | −$97.68M | — | 0.20B | +15.7% | |
| 2009 | $0.00 | $86.72M | −$86.72M | — | 0.17B | +23.3% | |
| 2008 | $0.00 | $63.01M | −$63.01M | — | 0.14B | +9.0% | |
| 2007 | $0.00 | $59.41M | −$59.41M | — | 0.13B | +13.9% | |
| 2006 | $0.00 | $39.14M | −$39.14M | — | 0.11B | +26.9% | |
| 2005 | $0.00 | $7.53M | −$7.53M | — | 0.09B | +13.6% | |
| 2004 | $0.00 | $4.17M | −$4.17M | — | 0.08B | +2.0% | |
| 2003 | $0.00 | $3.15M | −$3.15M | — | 0.08B | +1.7% | |
| 2002 | $0.00 | $1.50M | −$1.50M | — | 0.08B | +1.7% | |
| 2001 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.07B | +10.0% | |
| 2000 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.07B | +32.6% | |
| 1999 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.05B | +0.9% | |
| 1998 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.05B | +4.3% | |
| 1997 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.05B | +29.8% | |
| 1996 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.04B | — | |
| 1995 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — |
- 2025$2.02B
- 2024$1.18B
- 2023$427.60M
- 2022$172.00M
- 2021$1.43B
- 2020$539.14M
- 2019$192.01M
- 2018$350.04M
- 2017$0.00
- 2016$0.00
- 2015$0.00
- 2014$0.00
- 2013$0.00
- 2012$0.00
- 2011$0.00
- 2010$0.00
- 2009$0.00
- 2008$0.00
- 2007$0.00
- 2006$0.00
- 2005$0.00
- 2004$0.00
- 2003$0.00
- 2002$0.00
- 2001$0.00
- 2000$0.00
- 1999$0.00
- 1998$0.00
- 1997$0.00
- 1996$0.00
- 1995$0.00
- 1994$0.00
- 1993$0.00
- 1992$0.00
- 1991$0.00
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: 2.81×.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX)
How Vertex Pharmaceuticals splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as Vertex Pharmaceuticals, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $5.95B | |
| $5.54B | |
| $5.08B | |
| $4.11B | |
| $980.00M | |
| $216.35M | |
| $0.00 | |
| $0.00 |
- $5.95B
- $5.54B
- $5.08B
- $4.11B
- $980.00M
- $216.35M
- $0.00
- $0.00
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $3.71B (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
Explore more
Deep-dives across the income statement, cash flow, capital return, and valuation