UBS Group Upgrades IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) to "Strong-Buy"

Key Points

• UBS Group upgraded IQVIA to “strong buy,” adding to broadly positive analyst sentiment. The stock has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $264.31.
• IQVIA exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $3.15 in adjusted EPS versus $3.03 estimated and $4.37 billion in revenue versus $4.30 billion expected. Revenue increased 8.7% year over year.
• IQVIA shares opened at $269.95, near their 52-week high of $277.40, while institutional investors owned 89.62% of the stock. Insiders have sold 15,581 shares worth about $3.8 million over the past 90 days.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at UBS Group to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued on Wednesday, Zacks reports.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on the company. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on IQVIA from $252.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Barclays reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of IQVIA in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of IQVIA from $220.00 to $276.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on IQVIA from $233.00 to $288.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of IQVIA from $215.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $264.31.

IQVIA Stock Performance

Shares of IQV stock opened at $269.95 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $44.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.49, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.18. The business has a 50 day moving average of $253.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $205.07. IQVIA has a 52 week low of $154.50 and a 52 week high of $277.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The medical research company reported $3.15 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.03 by $0.12. IQVIA had a net margin of 8.10% and a return on equity of 30.25%. The business had revenue of $4.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.30 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.81 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. IQVIA has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.800-13.000 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that IQVIA will post 11.56 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Eric Sherbet sold 5,000 shares of IQVIA stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $249.16, for a total value of $1,245,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 20,999 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,232,110.84. The trade was a 19.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Keriann Cherofsky sold 558 shares of IQVIA stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.21, for a total value of $136,827.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 2,989 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $732,932.69. The trade was a 15.73% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 15,581 shares of company stock valued at $3,796,021. 1.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On IQVIA

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Korea Investment CORP acquired a new stake in shares of IQVIA in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $13,918,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in IQVIA in the 2nd quarter worth $143,074,000. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of IQVIA during the second quarter worth about $2,811,292,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of IQVIA in the second quarter valued at approximately $976,000. Finally, Pallas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in IQVIA during the second quarter worth $1,552,000. Institutional investors own 89.62% of the company's stock.

About IQVIA

IQVIA Holdings Inc NYSE: IQV is a global provider of technology, analytics and contract research services for the life sciences industry. The company helps pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device organizations develop products, manage clinical trials, understand healthcare markets and improve commercial performance.

IQVIA's offerings include clinical research and trial management, real-world data and evidence, healthcare analytics, technology platforms, consulting, and commercial services such as sales support and patient engagement.

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