Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) Stock Position Decreased by Financial Counselors Inc.

Financial Counselors Inc. trimmed its stake in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 0.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 258,224 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,589 shares during the quarter. Financial Counselors Inc.’s holdings in Novartis were worth $25,128,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of NVS. Human Investing LLC acquired a new stake in Novartis during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA purchased a new position in shares of Novartis in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC purchased a new position in Novartis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $51,000. 13.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on NVS shares. HSBC lowered Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “reduce” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Novartis in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an “underweight” rating for the company. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $123.38.

Novartis Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of NVS stock opened at $110.31 on Wednesday. Novartis AG has a 12 month low of $92.35 and a 12 month high of $120.92. The company has a market cap of $225.47 billion, a PE ratio of 18.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The business’s 50 day moving average is $107.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $107.24.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.18. Novartis had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 23.56%. Equities analysts predict that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current year.

Novartis Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were issued a dividend of $3.8695 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.69%.

Novartis Company Profile

Novartis AG engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It focuses on therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, as well as ophthalmology and hematology.