Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) Shares Acquired by Haverford Trust Co

Haverford Trust Co increased its position in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 37,939 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 516 shares during the period. Haverford Trust Co’s holdings in Novartis were worth $3,692,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Novartis Stock Performance

Shares of NVS stock opened at $111.14 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $106.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $107.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.04. Novartis AG has a 1 year low of $92.35 and a 1 year high of $120.92. The firm has a market cap of $227.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.90, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.53.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. Analysts predict that Novartis AG will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on NVS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Novartis in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an “underweight” rating on the stock. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Novartis presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $123.38.

Novartis 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.