Novartis AG $NVS Stock: Fisher Asset Management LLC Increases Position

Key Points

• Fisher Asset Management increased its Novartis stake by 8% in the third quarter, buying 1.24 million shares. It held about 16.76 million shares, worth approximately $2.39 billion at quarter-end.
• Novartis beat quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $2.46 versus $2.25 expected and revenue of $15.03 billion versus $14.53 billion expected; revenue rose 4.4% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: MarketBeat reports a consensus Hold rating and an average price target of $152.25. Research estimates rose for some future periods but were trimmed for FY2028.

Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) by 8.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 16,762,528 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,239,150 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC owned 0.88% of Novartis worth $2,389,834,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Highland Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Novartis in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Novartis by 552.0% in the 2nd quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 163 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 138 shares during the period. Atlatl Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Novartis in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Archer Investment Corp raised its stake in Novartis by 93.0% in the first quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 166 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners boosted its stake in Novartis by 519.4% in the second quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 192 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. 13.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Novartis News Roundup

These are some of the NVS news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $9.06 from $8.83 and its FY2027 estimate to $9.91 from $9.75. It also increased several quarterly forecasts, including Q3 2027 to $2.57 from $2.45. The revisions suggest improved expectations for some periods, though the FY2026 estimate is close to the cited $9.08 consensus. Zacks Research estimate revisions
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks article characterized Novartis as a potential momentum-investor pick, which may support positive sentiment, although the provided summary does not specify the underlying momentum metrics. Zacks momentum article
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed its FY2028 EPS forecast to $10.62 from $10.69 and lowered estimates for some quarters, including Q1 2028 to $2.45 from $2.54. These cuts temper the positive revisions, though they are modest and concern future periods. Zacks Research estimate revisions

Novartis Trading Down 0.1%

NVS stock opened at $160.16 on Friday. Novartis AG has a twelve month low of $123.24 and a twelve month high of $170.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $305.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $149.18 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $152.56.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $2.46 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.25 by $0.21. Novartis had a net margin of 18.11% and a return on equity of 41.04%. The firm had revenue of $15.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.25 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Novartis AG will post 9.10 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on NVS. Wall Street Zen raised Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings cut Novartis from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 4th. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Berenberg Bank lowered their target price on shares of Novartis from $147.00 to $130.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 11th. Finally, HSBC raised Novartis from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $123.00 to $136.00 in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $152.25.

Novartis Company Profile

Novartis AG is a Swiss pharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, manufacturing and commercializing innovative medicines. Its research and products address conditions in areas including oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and cardiovascular, renal and metabolic health. The company's medicines include treatments such as Kisqali for certain breast cancers, Cosentyx for inflammatory diseases, Entresto for heart failure and Kesimpta for multiple sclerosis. Its portfolio also includes radioligand therapies and other specialized treatments.

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