Novartis (NVS) Expected to Announce Earnings on Tuesday

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) is expected to be issuing its quarterly earnings data before the market opens on Tuesday, April 22nd. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $2.07 per share and revenue of $12.92 billion for the quarter. Investors that are interested in registering for the company's conference call can do so using this link.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.18. Novartis had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 23.56%. On average, analysts expect Novartis to post $8 EPS for the current fiscal year and $9 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Novartis Stock Performance

Shares of NVS stock traded up $1.11 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $110.69. 1,577,944 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,557,904. Novartis has a 1 year low of $94.72 and a 1 year high of $120.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.84. The company has a market cap of $226.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.56. The company's 50 day moving average is $109.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $106.27.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 12th were issued a $3.8695 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis's dividend payout ratio is currently 42.69%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on NVS shares. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays restated an "underweight" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Monday, February 3rd. BNP Paribas raised shares of Novartis to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Novartis from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, February 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $123.38.

Institutional Trading of Novartis

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Novartis stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) by 76.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 6,153 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 2,666 shares during the quarter. Brighton Jones LLC's holdings in Novartis were worth $599,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.12% of the company's stock.

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.