Van Strum & Towne Inc. Acquires 400 Shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Van Strum & Towne Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 20.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,372 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. Van Strum & Towne Inc.’s holdings in Novartis were worth $231,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Human Investing LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA purchased a new stake in shares of Novartis in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Novartis during the third quarter valued at $28,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter worth about $47,000. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC bought a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter worth about $51,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.12% of the company’s stock.

Novartis Stock Up 0.0 %

NVS opened at $109.15 on Friday. Novartis AG has a 1-year low of $92.35 and a 1-year high of $120.92. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $105.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $107.77. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The company has a market capitalization of $223.10 billion, a PE ratio of 18.56, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.53.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.18. Novartis had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 23.56%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were paid a $3.8695 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis’s payout ratio is presently 42.69%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on NVS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. HSBC lowered Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “reduce” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 8th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $123.38.

About Novartis

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.