Royal Bank of Canada Lowers Stock Position in IQVIA Holdings Inc. $IQV

Key Points

• Royal Bank of Canada cut its IQVIA position by 22.3% in the first quarter, selling 115,491 shares and retaining 401,428 shares worth approximately $68.5 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds still own 89.62% of the company.
• IQVIA reported a quarterly earnings and revenue beat, with adjusted EPS of $3.15 versus $3.03 expected and revenue of $4.37 billion versus $4.30 billion projected. Revenue rose 8.7% year over year, and the company maintains 2026 EPS guidance of $12.80–$13.00.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable: IQVIA received several price-target increases, including Robert W. Baird’s target of $287, while the consensus rating is “Moderate Buy” with a $241.88 target. Two insiders also sold shares totaling about $1.38 million, and the company has authorized a $2 billion stock buyback.

Royal Bank of Canada decreased its holdings in shares of IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE:IQV - Free Report) by 22.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 401,428 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 115,491 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada owned approximately 0.24% of IQVIA worth $68,460,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Redwood Grove Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of IQVIA by 103.7% in the first quarter. Redwood Grove Capital LLC now owns 93,500 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $15,945,000 after buying an additional 47,600 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in IQVIA by 147.8% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 19,519 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $3,329,000 after acquiring an additional 11,642 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in IQVIA by 22.3% in the first quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 640,698 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $109,265,000 after acquiring an additional 117,021 shares during the period. Quantinno Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in IQVIA by 127.2% in the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 233,974 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $39,902,000 after acquiring an additional 130,979 shares during the period. Finally, Castleark Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of IQVIA during the 1st quarter worth $3,851,000. 89.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at IQVIA

In related news, insider Keriann Cherofsky sold 558 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $245.21, for a total value of $136,827.18. Following the sale, the insider owned 2,989 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $732,932.69. This represents a 15.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Eric Sherbet sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $249.16, for a total value of $1,245,800.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 20,999 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,232,110.84. This trade represents a 19.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

IQV has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of IQVIA from $221.00 to $247.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of IQVIA from $220.00 to $276.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of IQVIA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of IQVIA from $252.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, HSBC restated a "buy" rating and issued a $240.00 price target on shares of IQVIA in a report on Monday, July 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $241.88.

More IQVIA News

Here are the key news stories impacting IQVIA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: William Blair upgraded IQVIA to “strong buy,” adding to the favorable analyst outlook. Ticker Report article
• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its IQVIA price target to $287, implying substantial upside from the cited trading level. JPMorgan and Stifel Nicolaus also expressed expectations for further appreciation. American Banking News article on Baird price target American Banking News article on JPMorgan forecast American Banking News article on Stifel outlook
• Positive Sentiment: IQVIA’s second-quarter results exceeded expectations, with adjusted earnings of $3.15 per share versus the $3.03 consensus and revenue of $4.37 billion versus $4.30 billion expected. Revenue increased 8.7% year over year, reinforcing the company’s growth profile. IQVIA Q2 2026 earnings call summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts maintain a “moderate buy” consensus, indicating generally favorable sentiment but not unanimous conviction. IQVIA analyst consensus article
• Negative Sentiment: Two insiders sold shares on July 29: Keriann Cherofsky sold 558 shares for approximately $136,827, while Eric Sherbet sold 5,000 shares for about $1.25 million. Although both retain meaningful holdings, the transactions may create short-term investor concern. SEC insider sale filing for Keriann Cherofsky SEC insider sale filing for Eric Sherbet

IQVIA Price Performance

Shares of NYSE IQV opened at $235.09 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18. The company's 50-day moving average price is $194.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $187.20. IQVIA Holdings Inc. has a 52 week low of $154.50 and a 52 week high of $251.36. The stock has a market cap of $38.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.17, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.20.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The medical research company reported $3.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.81 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. IQVIA has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.800-13.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that IQVIA Holdings Inc. will post 11.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

IQVIA announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, May 7th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical research company to purchase up to 6.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

IQVIA Company Profile

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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