Novartis (NYSE:NVS) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.16 EPS

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $2.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.12 by $0.16, Zacks reports. Novartis had a net margin of 23.56% and a return on equity of 37.24%. The firm had revenue of $13.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.92 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.80 EPS. The company's revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis.

Novartis Stock Performance

NYSE NVS traded up $3.02 during trading on Friday, hitting $114.35. 2,104,311 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,558,762. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $241.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.45, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.56. Novartis has a 12-month low of $96.06 and a 12-month high of $120.92. The business has a 50 day moving average of $110.03 and a 200-day moving average of $106.14.

Novartis Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 (DPR) is currently 44.05%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Novartis stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) by 76.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,153 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,666 shares during the quarter. Brighton Jones LLC's holdings in Novartis were worth $599,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.12% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on NVS shares. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Novartis in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an "underweight" rating on the stock. Barclays reissued an "underweight" rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Novartis to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price 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.