Artisan Partners Limited Partnership Sells 11,863 Shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership lowered its position in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) by 9.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 110,535 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,863 shares during the period. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership’s holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $9,508,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of NVO. Center for Financial Planning Inc. increased its position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 72.4% during the 4th quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 293 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Novo Nordisk A/S during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Albion Financial Group UT boosted its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 121.4% during the 4th quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 507 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 82.1% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 539 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the period. Finally, Hager Investment Management Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S during the 4th quarter valued at $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 11.54% of the company’s stock.

Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Down 1.1 %

NYSE NVO opened at $69.36 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 12 month low of $69.18 and a 12 month high of $148.15. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $82.33 and its 200 day moving average is $99.11. The stock has a market cap of $311.23 billion, a PE ratio of 21.08, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.42.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.03. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 34.81% and a return on equity of 84.68%. Research analysts predict that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Novo Nordisk A/S Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.7874 per share. This is a positive change from Novo Nordisk A/S’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a dividend yield of 1.2%. Novo Nordisk A/S’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.72%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on NVO shares. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Kepler Capital Markets upgraded Novo Nordisk A/S from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from $156.00 to $105.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 23rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $145.25.

Novo Nordisk A/S Company Profile

Novo Nordisk A/S, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Rare Disease.