Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) Shares Acquired by World Investment Advisors

World Investment Advisors raised its holdings in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 9.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 36,929 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,258 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors’ holdings in Novartis were worth $3,594,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Huntington National Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Novartis by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 23,813 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,317,000 after purchasing an additional 1,259 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new stake in Novartis in the fourth quarter valued at $1,924,000. May Hill Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Novartis during the fourth quarter valued at $265,000. National Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Novartis during the fourth quarter worth about $211,000. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI increased its holdings in shares of Novartis by 10.3% in the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 128,907 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,544,000 after acquiring an additional 12,009 shares during the period. 13.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Novartis Trading Down 5.8 %

Shares of NVS stock opened at $105.79 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $109.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $107.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $216.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.56. Novartis AG has a fifty-two week low of $92.35 and a fifty-two week high of $120.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.18. Novartis had a net margin of 23.56% and a return on equity of 37.24%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Novartis AG will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

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

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.