3,733 Shares in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) Acquired by Chapman Financial Group LLC

Chapman Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 3,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $363,000.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Novartis by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 8,183,855 shares of the company's stock worth $796,372,000 after purchasing an additional 90,823 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Novartis by 16.0% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,668,849 shares of the company's stock worth $259,706,000 after buying an additional 368,171 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of Novartis by 23.1% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 2,132,591 shares of the company's stock worth $207,522,000 after purchasing an additional 399,862 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Novartis by 17.4% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 2,002,959 shares of the company's stock valued at $194,908,000 after acquiring an additional 296,950 shares during the period. Finally, Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC raised its position in shares of Novartis by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC now owns 1,161,139 shares of the company's stock valued at $112,990,000 after buying an additional 52,044 shares in the last quarter. 13.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Novartis Price Performance

Shares of NVS traded up $1.25 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $111.80. 1,475,989 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,564,814. Novartis AG has a 52-week low of $96.06 and a 52-week high of $120.92. The company has a market cap of $236.17 billion, a PE ratio of 19.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.60. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $110.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $106.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.12 by $0.16. Novartis had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 23.56%. The firm had revenue of $13.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.92 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.80 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Novartis AG will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were paid a dividend of $3.8695 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis's payout ratio is currently 40.47%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on NVS. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Novartis in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "underweight" rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. BNP Paribas upgraded Novartis to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. StockNews.com raised Novartis from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, February 8th. Finally, Barclays reissued an "underweight" rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $123.38.

Novartis Company Profile

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.