First Trust Advisors LP Has $4.78 Million Stock Position in IQVIA Holdings Inc. $IQV

Key Points

• First Trust Advisors LP reduced its IQVIA stake by 55.4% in the first quarter, selling 34,759 shares and retaining 28,023 shares valued at approximately $4.78 million. Institutional investors collectively own 89.62% of IQVIA.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with IQVIA receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $241.88. Recent target increases ranged from $247 to $288.
• IQVIA exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $3.15 in adjusted EPS and $4.37 billion in revenue, up 8.7% year over year. The company also authorized a $2 billion share-repurchase program covering up to 6.8% of outstanding shares.

First Trust Advisors LP cut its stake in shares of IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE:IQV - Free Report) by 55.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 28,023 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 34,759 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP's holdings in IQVIA were worth $4,779,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in IQV. Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. bought a new stake in IQVIA in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Financial Freedom LLC bought a new position in IQVIA during the 1st quarter worth $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. Finally, Gilpin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of IQVIA in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.62% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of IQVIA from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. HSBC restated a "buy" rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of IQVIA in a research report on Monday, July 6th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of IQVIA from $210.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on IQVIA from $233.00 to $288.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on IQVIA from $221.00 to $247.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $241.88.

IQVIA Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of IQVIA stock opened at $228.18 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $37.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.31, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.18. 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 Holdings Inc. has a 12-month low of $154.50 and a 12-month high of $251.36. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $197.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $186.67.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The medical research company reported $3.15 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $4.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.30 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.81 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. IQVIA has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.800-13.000 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that IQVIA Holdings Inc. will post 11.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

IQVIA announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, May 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical research company to repurchase up to 6.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other IQVIA news, insider W Richard Staub sold 5,500 shares of IQVIA stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.68, for a total value of $1,279,740.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 13,312 shares in the company, valued at $3,097,436.16. The trade was a 29.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Keriann Cherofsky sold 558 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $245.21, for a total value of $136,827.18. Following the transaction, the insider directly 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. Insiders have sold 12,913 shares of company stock valued at $3,098,793 in the last three months. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

About IQVIA

IQVIA NYSE: IQV is a global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions and contract research services to the life sciences industry. The company combines clinical research capabilities with large-scale health data and analytics to support drug development, regulatory reporting, commercial strategy and real‑world evidence generation. IQVIA traces its current form to the combination of Quintiles and IMS Health announced in 2016 and subsequently rebranded as IQVIA, bringing together long-established clinical research operations and extensive healthcare information assets.

IQVIA's principal activities include outsourced clinical development services (acting as a contract research organization for phases I–IV), real‑world evidence and observational research, regulatory and safety services, and a suite of technology platforms that enable data integration, analytics and operational management.

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