OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC Decreases Holdings in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) by 31.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,972 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,177 shares during the quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in Novartis were worth $678,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of NVS. Human Investing LLC acquired a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Novartis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. Clearstead Trust LLC purchased a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in shares of Novartis in the fourth quarter worth $55,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.12% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on NVS. BNP Paribas upgraded Novartis to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. StockNews.com raised Novartis from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 8th. Barclays reiterated an "underweight" rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Novartis presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $123.38.

Novartis Stock Performance

NYSE:NVS traded up $2.59 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $113.92. 1,329,942 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,555,234. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $240.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.56. Novartis AG has a 1-year low of $96.06 and a 1-year high of $120.92. The company has a 50-day moving average of $110.03 and a 200 day moving average of $106.14.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.12 by $0.16. Novartis had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 23.56%. The firm had revenue of $13.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.92 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.80 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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 (DPR) is presently 44.05%.

Novartis 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.