Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC Raises Stock Position in IQVIA Holdings Inc. $IQV

Key Points

• Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC significantly increased its stake in IQVIA Holdings Inc. by 658.8%, purchasing an additional 24,982 shares to own a total of 28,774 shares worth approximately $5,073,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
• IQVIA's stock has performed well, with a 0.9% increase and currently trading at $191.18, reflecting a market cap of $32.50 billion and a one-year range of $134.65 to $252.88.
• Analysts are optimistic about IQVIA's growth potential, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $228.62, indicating anticipated value appreciation for investors.

Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE:IQV - Free Report) by 658.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 28,774 shares of the medical research company's stock after purchasing an additional 24,982 shares during the quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC's holdings in IQVIA were worth $5,073,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in IQV. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of IQVIA by 244.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,575 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $703,000 after purchasing an additional 2,537 shares during the last quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC lifted its position in IQVIA by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 22,552 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $4,432,000 after buying an additional 1,140 shares during the last quarter. Commerce Bank boosted its stake in IQVIA by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 71,898 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $14,129,000 after buying an additional 1,167 shares during the period. Forum Financial Management LP increased its position in IQVIA by 53.2% during the fourth quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 2,067 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $406,000 after acquiring an additional 718 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ecofi Investissements SA lifted its holdings in shares of IQVIA by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Ecofi Investissements SA now owns 50,150 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $9,131,000 after acquiring an additional 850 shares during the last quarter. 89.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

IQVIA Stock Up 4.0%

Shares of IQVIA stock traded up $7.33 on Friday, reaching $192.72. The stock had a trading volume of 625,061 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,958,711. IQVIA Holdings Inc. has a 1 year low of $134.65 and a 1 year high of $252.88. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $173.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $168.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.30.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The medical research company reported $2.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.04. IQVIA had a net margin of 7.88% and a return on equity of 30.05%. The business had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.64 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. IQVIA has set its FY 2025 guidance at 11.750-12.050 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that IQVIA Holdings Inc. will post 10.84 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Eric Sherbet sold 5,800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.05, for a total value of $1,102,290.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 27,178 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,165,178.90. This trade represents a 17.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Keriann Cherofsky sold 549 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.53, for a total transaction of $105,149.97. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 2,910 shares in the company, valued at approximately $557,352.30. This represents a 15.87% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on IQV. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of IQVIA from $185.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Barclays upped their price objective on IQVIA from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Mizuho lifted their target price on IQVIA from $190.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of IQVIA in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Finally, Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of IQVIA in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $228.62.

About IQVIA

IQVIA Holdings Inc engages in the provision of advanced analytics, technology solutions, and clinical research services to the life sciences industry in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates through three segments: Technology & Analytics Solutions, Research & Development Solutions, and Contract Sales & Medical Solutions.