Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) Stock Position Decreased by JARISLOWSKY FRASER Ltd

JARISLOWSKY FRASER Ltd decreased its position in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) by 5.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 53,492 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,275 shares during the quarter. JARISLOWSKY FRASER Ltd's holdings in Novartis were worth $5,205,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVS. Human Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new position in Novartis during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Bellwether Advisors LLC bought a new position in Novartis during the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis in the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC bought a new stake in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth about $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.12% of the company's stock.

Novartis Stock Down 1.3 %

NYSE NVS opened at $108.68 on Friday. Novartis AG has a twelve month low of $96.06 and a twelve month high of $120.92. The stock has a market cap of $229.58 billion, a PE ratio of 18.48, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.60. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $110.25 and a 200 day simple moving average of $105.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.12 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $13.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.92 billion. Novartis had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 23.56%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.80 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were paid a $3.8695 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis's dividend payout ratio is 40.47%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on NVS shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Novartis in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an "underweight" rating on the stock. Barclays restated an "underweight" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com raised Novartis from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Novartis presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $123.38.

About Novartis

Novartis AG engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It focuses on therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, as well as ophthalmology and hematology.

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