Novartis (NYSE:NVS) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Novartis from “Hold” to “Buy,” while broader analyst sentiment remains mixed: six analysts rate it Buy, nine Hold and three Sell, producing a consensus Hold rating and $152.25 price target.
• Novartis exceeded third-quarter expectations, reporting $2.46 in EPS versus $2.25 expected and $15.03 billion in revenue versus $14.53 billion forecast; revenue rose 4.4% year over year.
• Despite the earnings beat, concerns remain over a Deutsche Bank downgrade to Sell, reduced forecasts for remibrutinib sales and potential patent-related revenue pressure.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. DZ Bank began coverage on shares of Novartis in a report on Wednesday. They issued a "hold" rating for the company. Berenberg Bank lowered their price target on shares of Novartis from $147.00 to $130.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $152.25.

Novartis Price Performance

NVS opened at $160.67 on Friday. Novartis has a 12-month low of $122.57 and a 12-month high of $170.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $148.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $151.80. The company has a market capitalization of $306.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.12, a PEG ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.41.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $2.46 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.25 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $15.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.53 billion. Novartis had a return on equity of 41.04% and a net margin of 18.11%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.25 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Novartis will post 9.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Novartis

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Archer Investment Corp increased its position in shares of Novartis by 93.0% during the first quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 166 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Highland Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Novartis in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Novartis by 552.0% in the 2nd quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 163 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Atlatl Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Novartis in the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Novartis during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Institutional investors own 13.12% of the company's stock.

More Novartis News

Here are the key news stories impacting Novartis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Novartis received a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reflecting improved expectations for its earnings prospects. The upgrade could provide near-term support for the shares. Novartis Rating Upgrade to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also identified NVS as a strong long-term momentum stock, highlighting favorable style and performance characteristics that may attract growth and momentum investors. Novartis Top Momentum Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Novartis’s third-quarter results exceeded consensus expectations, with earnings per share of $2.46 versus $2.25 expected and revenue of $15.03 billion versus $14.53 billion expected. Revenue increased 4.4% year over year, supporting the company’s fundamental outlook. Novartis Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: DZ Bank initiated coverage with a Hold rating, signaling a balanced view of Novartis’s earnings strength and valuation. DZ Bank Novartis Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank downgraded Novartis from Hold to Sell, adding direct analyst pressure to the stock and countering the more favorable Zacks assessment. Deutsche Bank Downgrades Novartis
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts reduced peak-sales forecasts for remibrutinib after a late-stage multiple-sclerosis trial met its primary endpoint but appeared weaker than expected. The development raises concerns about the drug’s ability to offset upcoming patent-related revenue pressure. Novartis Remibrutinib and Patent Cliff
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank forecast weaker earnings for Novartis, adding to concerns that future results may not match the company’s recent quarterly beat. Erste Group Predicts Weaker Novartis Earnings

Novartis Company Profile

Novartis AG is a Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative medicines. The company's research and commercial activities span areas including cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases, immunology, neuroscience, oncology and hematology. Its portfolio includes prescription medicines such as Entresto, Cosentyx, Kisqali, Kesimpta, Leqvio, Pluvicto and Scemblix.

Novartis serves patients and healthcare providers in markets around the world.

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