Novartis (NYSE:NVS) Given Neutral Rating at UBS Group

UBS Group restated their neutral rating on shares of Novartis (NYSE:NVS) in a report released on Thursday, Marketbeat reports.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Novartis in a research note on Wednesday. They set an “underweight” rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Novartis from $118.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 8th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reissued 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 assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $123.38.

Novartis Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NVS opened at $107.56 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $100.53 and a 200-day moving average of $108.34. Novartis has a 12 month low of $92.35 and a 12 month high of $120.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $219.85 billion, a PE ratio of 18.29, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.58.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share 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%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Novartis will post 8.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Human Investing LLC bought a new stake in Novartis in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA bought a new position in Novartis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its position in shares of Novartis by 503.8% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 320 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the period. Finally, Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. 13.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.