IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to Buy Rating

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded IQVIA from “hold” to “buy,” adding to a broadly positive analyst outlook. IQVIA has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $241.88.
• IQVIA’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings of $3.15 per share versus $3.03 expected and revenue of $4.37 billion, up 8.7% year over year.
• The company authorized a $2 billion share-repurchase program, while two insiders recently sold shares worth about $1.38 million combined.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on IQV. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of IQVIA from $215.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Morgan Stanley restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $200.00 price target (down from $225.00) on shares of IQVIA in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. William Blair upgraded IQVIA to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on IQVIA from $221.00 to $247.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on IQVIA from $220.00 to $276.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, IQVIA has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $241.88.

IQVIA Price Performance

IQV opened at $235.09 on Friday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $194.75 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $187.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.20. IQVIA has a 52-week low of $154.50 and a 52-week high of $251.36.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The medical research company reported $3.15 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.03 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $4.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.30 billion. IQVIA had a net margin of 8.10% and a return on equity of 30.25%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.81 earnings per share. IQVIA has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.800-13.000 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that IQVIA will post 11.6 EPS for the current year.

IQVIA declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan 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 buy up to 6.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at IQVIA

In other news, insider Eric Sherbet sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.16, for a total value of $1,245,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 20,999 shares in the company, valued at $5,232,110.84. The trade was a 19.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Keriann Cherofsky sold 558 shares of the company'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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,989 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $732,932.69. This trade represents a 15.73% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of IQVIA

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IQV. Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in IQVIA during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new position in shares of IQVIA in the first quarter worth $25,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new position in shares of IQVIA during the first quarter worth $25,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in IQVIA during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Gilpin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in IQVIA in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Institutional investors own 89.62% of the company's stock.

IQVIA News Roundup

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 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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