BNP Paribas Upgrades Novartis (NYSE:NVS) to Strong-Buy

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at BNP Paribas to a "strong-buy" rating in a report released on Tuesday, April 15th,Zacks.com reports.

NVS has been the subject of several other research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. StockNews.com raised shares of Novartis from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, February 8th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Novartis in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "underweight" rating for the company. Barclays reiterated an "underweight" rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Novartis currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $123.38.

Novartis Stock Up 0.9 %

NYSE:NVS traded up $0.98 on Tuesday, reaching $111.52. 727,113 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,552,919. The company has a market capitalization of $227.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.97, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $109.29 and its 200 day simple moving average is $106.19. Novartis has a 12 month low of $94.72 and a 12 month high of $120.92.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.18. Novartis had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 23.56%. Equities analysts predict that Novartis will post 8.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Novartis

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Continuum Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Novartis by 10.3% in the 4th quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 1,021 shares of the company's stock valued at $99,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC increased its position in Novartis by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC now owns 12,884 shares of the company's stock worth $1,254,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC lifted its holdings in Novartis by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 16,682 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,623,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the period. Intergy Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in Novartis by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Intergy Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,757 shares of the company's stock worth $307,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Meridian Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Novartis by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,161 shares of the company's stock valued at $405,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.12% of the company's stock.

Novartis Company Profile

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.