Motco Acquires 2,915 Shares of IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE:IQV)

Key Points

• Motco increased its stake in IQVIA Holdings Inc. by 7.6% during the first quarter, bringing its ownership to 41,476 shares valued at approximately $7.31 million.
• Various institutional investors, including Norges Bank and Invesco Ltd., have also significantly modified their positions in IQVIA, with Invesco increasing its stake by 53.4% in the fourth quarter.
• IQVIA reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $2.81 for the last quarter, exceeding analyst expectations and marking a revenue increase of 5.3% compared to the previous year.

Motco boosted its stake in IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE:IQV - Free Report) by 7.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 41,476 shares of the medical research company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,915 shares during the period. Motco's holdings in IQVIA were worth $7,312,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Sowell Financial Services LLC bought a new position in IQVIA in the 1st quarter valued at about $305,000. Mather Group LLC. grew its position in shares of IQVIA by 83.5% during the 1st quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 769 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $136,000 after purchasing an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC grew its position in IQVIA by 40.4% in the first quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 5,425 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $956,000 after acquiring an additional 1,562 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in IQVIA by 34.5% in the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 13,259 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $2,338,000 after purchasing an additional 3,398 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blair William & Co. IL raised its position in IQVIA by 42.0% during the 4th quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 5,742 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $1,128,000 after purchasing an additional 1,699 shares during the last quarter. 89.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on IQV shares. HSBC cut IQVIA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $260.00 to $160.00 in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of IQVIA in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of IQVIA in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Redburn Partners set a $188.00 price objective on shares of IQVIA in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of IQVIA from $159.00 to $196.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, IQVIA presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $228.62.

IQVIA Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:IQV traded down $0.47 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $194.08. 388,117 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,032,305. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.45. The stock has a market cap of $32.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.30. IQVIA Holdings Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $134.65 and a fifty-two week high of $252.88. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $159.17 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $170.16.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 22nd. The medical research company reported $2.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.04. IQVIA had a return on equity of 30.05% and a net margin of 7.88%. The firm had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.64 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that IQVIA Holdings Inc. will post 10.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Eric Sherbet sold 5,800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.05, for a total transaction of $1,102,290.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 27,178 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,165,178.90. This trade represents a 17.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Keriann Cherofsky sold 549 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.53, for a total value of $105,149.97. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 2,910 shares in the company, valued at approximately $557,352.30. The trade was 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.

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.