IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) Upgraded to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded IQVIA from “hold” to “buy,” while broader analyst coverage remains positive with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $243.62.
• IQVIA exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $3.15 in adjusted EPS and $4.37 billion in revenue, with revenue up 8.7% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $12.80–$13.00.
• IQVIA shares opened at $262.09, near their 52-week high of $271.80, while insiders sold 15,581 shares worth about $3.8 million during the last quarter; institutional investors own 89.62% of the stock.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on IQV. Morgan Stanley reissued an "equal weight" rating and issued a $200.00 price objective (down from $225.00) on shares of IQVIA in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of IQVIA from $221.00 to $247.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of IQVIA from $233.00 to $288.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Mizuho lifted their price target on IQVIA from $215.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of IQVIA in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $243.62.

IQVIA Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE IQV opened at $262.09 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $236.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $195.92. IQVIA has a 52 week low of $154.50 and a 52 week high of $271.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.14 billion, a PE ratio of 32.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.18.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The medical research company reported $3.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.03 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $4.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.30 billion. IQVIA had a return on equity of 30.25% and a net margin of 8.10%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.81 EPS. IQVIA has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.800-13.000 EPS. Analysts predict that IQVIA will post 11.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at IQVIA

In other IQVIA news, insider W. Richard Staub sold 5,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.68, for a total value of $1,279,740.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 13,312 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,097,436.16. This represents a 29.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Bhavik Patel sold 1,855 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.27, for a total transaction of $436,425.85. Following the sale, the insider owned 1,348 shares of the company's stock, valued at $317,143.96. This trade represents a 57.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 15,581 shares of company stock worth $3,796,021 in the last quarter. 1.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On IQVIA

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in IQV. Financial Freedom LLC acquired a new position in IQVIA in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of IQVIA during the first quarter worth $25,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of IQVIA in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of IQVIA in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Gilpin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of IQVIA in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors own 89.62% of the company's stock.

About IQVIA

IQVIA Holdings Inc is a global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions and contract research services for the life sciences industry. The company supports pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies throughout the product life cycle, from research and clinical development through commercialization and post-market activities.

Its offerings include clinical trial management, site and patient services, real-world evidence, healthcare data, regulatory and safety services, commercial analytics, consulting, and technology platforms.

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